PROVIDING AN ANSWER TO A QUESTION LEFT UNANSWERED IN AN ELECTRONIC FORUM

• US 20130018909A1
• Filed: 09/14/2012
• Published: 01/17/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Brandon W. Farrell, James G. Robinson, Joseph King, Russell A. Dicker
• Original Assignee: Brandon W. Farrell, James G. Robinson, Joseph King, Russell A. Dicker
• Inventors: Dicker, Russell A., King, Joseph, Robinson, James G., Farrell, Brandon W.
• Granted Patent: US 8,972,428 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/758
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management

Abstract

Systems and methods are provided for providing an answer to a question left unanswered in an electronic discussion forum. In some embodiments, a question that has not been answered may be identified in a first discussion forum. A second discussion forum in which to present the question may be determined, where the second discussion forum is more likely than the first discussion forum to result in an answer to the question. The question may then be presented in the second discussion forum, and one or more responses to the question may be received in the second discussion forum. It may then be determined whether one of the one or more responses includes a good answer to the question, and when the determination is that one of the one or more responses includes a good answer, the good answer may be presented in the first discussion forum.

Claims

1. A system for providing an answer to a question left unanswered in a discussion forum, the system comprising:

a data store that stores data associated with a plurality of discussion forums, wherein each discussion forum comprises text corresponding to a discussion; and

a computing device in communication with the data store and that is operative to;

identify a question in a first discussion forum stored in the data store;

determine that the first discussion forum does not include an answer to the question;

determine a second discussion forum in which to present the question, wherein determining a second discussion forum in which to present the question comprises determining that the second discussion forum is more likely than the first discussion forum to result in an answer to the question;

present the question in the second discussion forum;

receive at least one response to the question presented in the second discussion forum;

determine whether the at least one response comprises a good answer to the question based at least in part on behavior of one or more users that have each viewed the at least one response; and

when the determination is that the at least one response in the second discussion forum comprises a good answer, present the good answer in the first discussion forum.