Methods and systems for providing blog information associated with a member of a social network

• US 7,613,769 B1
• Filed: 09/30/2004
• Issued: 11/03/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Hess, Duane Scott
• Primary Examiner(s): Etienne; Ario
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nano; Sargon N
• Application Number:
  US10/954,146
• Time in Patent Office: 1,860 Days
• Field of Search: 709/203, 709/204, 709/217, 709/218, 709/219, 709/227, 709/228, 709/223, 707/1, 707/3, 707/5, 707/8, 707/100
• US Class Current: 709/203
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising

Abstract

Methods and systems for providing hyperlinks to blogs that are maintained by members of a social network who have a particular association or relationship with a member of the social network in response to a request are described. A request for blog information may come from a member of the social network or from non-members. In order to gather the blog information, an association type (or association) associated with the request may be identified by a software application. After identifying the association, members of the social network who have the identified association with the member of interest may be identified using profile information associated with the member of interest. Once members having the identified association with the member of interest are identified, blog information for each identified member may be determined. Once the blog information is identified, a representation of the blog information (for example, a text-based display with hyperlinks) may be generated. The representation may then be displayed on a client device associated with the person who requested the blog information.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:

transmitting, by a server device to a client device, a first request that a user associated with the client device form a relationship with a first member of a social network;

responsive to transmitting the first request and prior to a decision by the user whether to form the relationship with the first member, receiving, by the server device from the client device, a second request for blog information of members of the social network associated with the first member;

identifying, by the server device, an association criterion associated with the second request, the association criterion defining at least one relationship between the first member of the social network and at least one other member of the social network;

identifying, by the server device, a plurality of associated members of the social network meeting the association criterion;

identifying, by the server device, blog information associated with each of the plurality of associated members; and

transmitting, by the server device to the client device, the identified blog information for each of the plurality of associated members, the client device displaying the identified blog information.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein identifying, by the server device, a plurality of associated members of the social network meeting the association criterion comprises using profile information associated with the first member.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein each of the plurality of associated members has authorized the display of the associated blog information.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein identifying, by the server device, blog information associated with each of the plurality of associated members comprises for each of the plurality of associated members searching profile information associated with each of the plurality of associated members to identify blog information associated with each of the plurality of associated members.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein identifying, by the server device, blog information associated with each of the plurality of associated members comprises searching a computer network for blog information associated with each of the plurality of associated members.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the blog information further comprises one of at least one link to a blog associated with one of the plurality of associated members, a RDF Site Summary (RSS) feed associated with the associated member.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the association criterion comprises one of friends, friends of friends, business associations, and community associations.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the second request comprises one of a specified relationship and a default relationship.

18. The method of claim 1 wherein the user is not a member of the social network.

19. The method of claim 1 wherein the user is a member of the social network.

9. A computer-readable medium on which is encoded program code comprising:

program code for transmitting, by a server device to a client device, a first request that a user associated with the client device form a relationship with a first member of a social network;

program code for, responsive to transmitting the first request and prior to a decision by the user whether to form the relationship with the first member, receiving, by the server device from the client device, a second request for blog information of members of the social network associated with the first member;

program code for identifying, by the server device, an association criterion associated with the second request, the association criterion defining at least one relationship between the first member of the social network and at least one other member of the social network;

program code for identifying, by the server device, a plurality of associated members of the social network meeting the association criterion;

program code for identifying, by the server device, blog information associated with each of the plurality of associated members; and

program code for transmitting, by the server device to the client device, the identified blog information for each of the plurality of associated members, the client device displaying the identified blog information.

10. The computer-readable medium of claim 9 wherein identifying, by the server device, a plurality of associated members of the social network meeting the association criterion comprises using profile information associated with the first member.

11. The computer-readable medium of claim 9 wherein each of the plurality of associated member has authorized the display of the associated blog information.

12. The computer-readable medium of claim 9 wherein identifying, by the server device, blog information associated with each of the plurality of associated members comprises program code for searching profile information associated with each of the plurality of associated members to identify blog information associated with each of the plurality of associated members.

13. The computer-readable medium of claim 9 wherein identifying, by the server device, blog information associated with each of the plurality of associated members comprises program code for searching a computer network for blog information associated with each of the plurality of associated members.

14. The computer-readable medium of claim 9 wherein the blog information further comprises one of at least one link to a blog associated with one of the plurality of associated members, a RDF Site Summary (RSS) feed associated with the associated member.

15. The computer-readable medium of claim 9 wherein the association criterion comprises one of friends, friends of friends, business associations, and community associations.

16. The computer-readable medium of claim 9 wherein the second request comprises one of a specified relationship and a default relationship.

20. The computer-readable medium of claim 9 wherein the user is not a member of the social network.

21. The computer-readable medium of claim 9 wherein the user is a member of the social network.

17. A method for providing access to information of a subset of members of a social network, comprising:

transmitting, by a server device to a client device, a first request that a user associated with the client device form a relationship with a first member of a social network;

responsive to transmitting the first request and prior to a decision by the user whether to form the relationship with the first member, receiving, by the server device from the client device, a second request for information of members of the social network associated with the first member;

identifying, by the server device, an association criterion associated with the second request, the association criterion defining at least one relationship between the first member of the social network and at least one other member of the social network;

identifying, by the server device, a plurality of associated members of the social network meeting the association criterion;

identifying, by the server device, information associated with each of the plurality of associated members; and

transmitting, by the server device to the client device, the identified information for each of the plurality of associated members, the client device displaying the identified blog information.