Advanced discussion thread management using a tag-based categorization system

• US 7,962,555 B2
• Filed: 09/29/2006
• Issued: 06/14/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines SA (International Business Machines Corporation)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Sastry, Nishanth R., Kordun, Alexander
• Primary Examiner(s): Backer; Firmin
• Assistant Examiner(s): ALGIBHAH, HAMZA N
• Application Number:
  US11/537,074
• Publication Number:
  US 20080082607A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,719 Days
• Field of Search: 709/206
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/986 Document structures and storage, e.g. HTML extensions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]

Abstract

A system for discussion thread management using tag-based categorization, in which three types of tags are provided together to enable effective categorization of discussion threads, based on both automated and manual tagging. The three tag types are 1) user-defined tags, 2) moderator-promoted tags, and 3) system-generated tags. User-defined tags are arbitrarily defined by individual users and associated by users with posts to meet specific user needs. System-generated tags are automatically generated for each sub-thread to summarize a post and all the replies beneath it. System-generated tags can be promoted to a moderator-promoted tags when a moderator user verifies the correctness of a system-generated tag. The disclosed system detects topic changes in discussion threads based on the tags associated with each post in the thread. A moderator can manually examine sub-threads that have been determined to be off topic, and take appropriate actions. For example, a moderator may delete an off topic post or sub-thread, or fork a new thread of discussion for an off-topic sub-thread. Such processing of off-topic sub-threads can alternatively be made by the disclosed system automatically, without moderator intervention. Moderators can also define policies to control discussion moderation based on the disclosed tags and off-topic determinations.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method of discussion thread management performed by a computer system having at least one processor, comprising:

enabling users to define user-defined tags and to associate said user defined tags with posts in a discussion thread;

automatically generating system-generated tags, wherein said system-generated tags are determined by analyzing the contents of all posts in a sub-thread of said discussion thread, wherein said sub-thread is made up of a selected post in said discussion thread that is a root post of said sub-thread, posts that are replies to said root post of said sub-thread, and all posts contained in any other sub-threads having root posts located under said root post of said sub-thread;

associating said system-generated tags with said selected post;

enabling a moderator user to promote a number of said system-generated tags to moderator-promoted tags; and

determining, responsive to said user-defined tags, said system-generated tags, and said moderator-promoted tags, whether said sub-thread is off-topic with respect to said discussion thread.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

in the event said sub-thread is determined to be off-topic with respect to said discussion thread, moving said sub-thread to a new discussion thread.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

inserting a link to said new discussion thread at the former position of said sub-thread in said discussion thread.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

in the event said sub-thread is determined to be off-topic with respect to said discussion thread, notifying said moderator user that said sub-thread has been determined to be off-topic, and enabling said moderator user to indicate that said sub-thread is to be moved to a new discussion thread.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

in the event said sub-thread is determined to be off-topic with respect to said discussion thread, enabling said moderator user to indicate that said sub-thread is to be deleted.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said determining whether said sub-thread is off-topic comprises:

determining tag rankings of said user-defined tags, said system-generated tags, and said moderator-promoted tags;

determining a conjunctiveness score of said selected post with respect to its parent topic post in said discussion thread responsive to tags associated with said selected post, said parent topic post and said tag rankings; and

determining that said sub-thread is off-topic in the event that said conjunctiveness score is below a predetermined threshold.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein said determining said tag rankings is responsive to frequency of use of said tags in said parent topic post.

8. A system including a non-signal computer readable storage medium, said computer readable storage medium having program code stored thereon for discussion thread management, said program code comprising:

program code for enabling users to define user-defined tags and to associate said user defined tags with posts in a discussion thread;

program code for automatically generating system-generated tags, wherein said system generated tags are determined by analyzing the contents of all posts in a sub-thread of said discussion thread, wherein said sub-thread is made up of a selected post in said discussion thread that is a root post of said sub-thread, posts that are replies to said root post of said sub-thread, and all posts contained in any other sub-threads having root posts located under said root post of said sub-thread;

program code for associating said system-generated tags with said selected post;

program code for enabling a moderator user to promote a number of said system generated tags to moderator-promoted tags; and

program code for determining, responsive to said user-defined tags, said system generated tags, and said moderator-promoted tags, whether said sub-thread is off-topic with respect to said discussion thread.

9. The system of claim 8, said program code further comprising:

program code for, in the event said sub-thread is determined to be off-topic with respect to said discussion thread, moving said sub-thread to a new discussion thread.

10. The system of claim 9, said program code further comprising:

program code for inserting a link to said new discussion thread at the former position of said sub-thread in said discussion thread.

11. The system of claim 8, said program code further comprising:

program code for, in the event said sub-thread is determined to be off-topic with respect to said discussion thread, notifying said moderator user that said sub-thread has been determined to be off-topic, and enabling said moderator user to indicate that said sub-thread is to be moved to a new discussion thread.

12. The system of claim 11, said program code further comprising:

program code for, in the event said sub-thread is determined to be off-topic with respect to said discussion thread, enabling said moderator user to indicate that said sub-thread is to be deleted.

13. The system of claim 8, wherein said program code for determining whether said sub-thread is off-topic comprises:

program code for determining tag rankings of said user-defined tags, said system generated tags, and said moderator-promoted tags;

program code for determining a conjunctiveness score of said selected post with respect to its parent topic post in said discussion thread responsive to tags associated with said selected post, said parent topic post and said tag rankings; and

program code for determining that said sub-thread is off-topic in the event that said conjunctiveness score is below a predetermined threshold.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein said program code for determining said tag rankings is responsive to frequency of use of said tags in said parent topic post.

15. A computer program product including a non-signal computer readable storage medium, said computer readable storage medium having program code stored thereon for discussion thread management, said program code comprising:

program code for enabling users to define user-defined tags and to associate said user defined tags with posts in a discussion thread;

program code for automatically generating system-generated tags, wherein said system generated tags are determined by analyzing the contents of all posts in a sub-thread of said discussion thread, wherein said sub-thread is made up of a selected post in said discussion thread that is a root post of said sub-thread, posts that are replies to said root post of said sub-thread, and all posts contained in any other sub-threads having root posts located under said root post of said sub-thread;

program code for associating said system-generated tags with said selected post;

program code for enabling a moderator user to promote a number of said system generated tags to moderator-promoted tags; and

program code for determining, responsive to said user-defined tags, said system generated tags, and said moderator-promoted tags, whether said sub-thread is off-topic with respect to said discussion thread.