Apparatus for increasing social interaction over an electronic network
First Claim
1. A method, comprising:
- enabling members of a social networking website to submit a request, through the social networking website, to initiate a temporary period, wherein the social networking website is hosted by a server and comprises a plurality of social networking webpages that are configured to provide real time interaction between the members;
responsive to receiving an input from one of the members to request initiation of a particular temporary time period, selecting a start time and an end time for the particular temporary time period;
temporarily modifying at least one of the social networking webpages hosted by the server to identify the member that sent the input for a duration corresponding to the selected times; and
changing a mode of the social networking website for the particular temporary time period responsive to receiving the input;
wherein changing the mode of the social networking website for the particular temporary time period further comprises triggering the social networking website to adjust points awarded to the members for interacting with each other within the duration corresponding to the selected times, and wherein in response to said triggering, member interactions sent using the social networking website before the start time or after the end time are scored at a first non-zero rate and member interactions sent using the social networking website within the duration are scored at a second non-zero rate that is greater than the first non-zero rate.
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Accused Products
Abstract
In one embodiment, a system includes a server that hosts webpages facilitating user interaction between multiple endpoints. The system monitors for a user input requesting initiation of a happy hour, and when the input is detected, modifies the webpages to alert users of the happy hour. The users are notified of which user initiated the happy hour, and are also notified that interaction incentives accumulate at an increased rate during the happy hour. The system also tracks user scorings that accumulate based on the user interaction, and enables certain website features based on these user scorings. The system also tracks ratings for user-uploaded objects and identifies top rated objects for displaying on webpages viewable by other users.
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Citations
27 Claims
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1. A method, comprising:
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enabling members of a social networking website to submit a request, through the social networking website, to initiate a temporary period, wherein the social networking website is hosted by a server and comprises a plurality of social networking webpages that are configured to provide real time interaction between the members; responsive to receiving an input from one of the members to request initiation of a particular temporary time period, selecting a start time and an end time for the particular temporary time period; temporarily modifying at least one of the social networking webpages hosted by the server to identify the member that sent the input for a duration corresponding to the selected times; and changing a mode of the social networking website for the particular temporary time period responsive to receiving the input; wherein changing the mode of the social networking website for the particular temporary time period further comprises triggering the social networking website to adjust points awarded to the members for interacting with each other within the duration corresponding to the selected times, and wherein in response to said triggering, member interactions sent using the social networking website before the start time or after the end time are scored at a first non-zero rate and member interactions sent using the social networking website within the duration are scored at a second non-zero rate that is greater than the first non-zero rate. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. A method, comprising:
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associating a plurality of individuals to form a social network; storing data identifying the social network formed by the individuals in a memory device; transmitting electronic signaling over a network to cause a graphical user interface to be provided on a plurality of endpoints corresponding to the individuals, wherein the graphical user interface is configured to send and receive messages electronically from one of the individuals to other ones of the individuals; scoring interactions within the social network performed via the graphical user interface; enabling at least some of the endpoints to, using the graphical user interface, form and electronically transmit over the network a request to initiate a temporary period; responsive to receiving over the network a request from the one of the individuals, selecting a start time and an end time for a particular temporary time period; temporarily changing a display configuration stored in the memory device to cause the graphical user interface to display, during the particular temporary time period and at the plurality of endpoints, information identifying the one of the individuals that triggered initiation of the particular temporary time period; and temporarily changing a scoring configuration stored in the memory device for a duration corresponding to the selected times; wherein according to said temporary changing of the scoring configuration stored in the memory device, ones of interactions that are sent before the start time or after the end time using the graphical user interface are scored at a first non-zero rate and ones of interactions that are sent within the duration using the graphical user interface are scored at a second non-zero rate that is greater than the first non-zero rate. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25)
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26. An apparatus, comprising:
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a processing device; and a memory coupled to the processing device comprising instructions executable by the processing device, the processing device operable when executing the instructions to; associate a plurality of individuals to form a social network; store data identifying the social network formed by the individuals in a memory device; transmit electronic signaling over a network to cause a graphical user interface to be provided on a plurality of endpoints corresponding to the individuals, wherein the graphical user interface is configured to send and receive messages electronically from one of the individuals to other ones of the individuals; score interactions within the social network performed via the graphical user interface; enable at least some of the endpoints to, using the graphical user interface, form and electronically transmit over the network a request to initiate a temporary time period; responsive to receiving over the network a request from one of the individuals, select a start time and an end time for a particular temporary time period; temporarily change a display configuration stored in the memory device to cause the graphical user interface to display, during the particular temporary time period and at the plurality of endpoints, information identifying the one of the individuals that triggered initiation of the particular temporary time period; and temporarily change a scoring configuration stored in the memory device for a duration corresponding to the selected times; wherein according to said temporary changing of the scoring configuration stored in the memory device, ones of interactions that are before the start time or after the end time are scored at a first non-zero rate and ones of interactions that are within the duration are scored at a second non-zero rate that is greater than the first non-zero rate. - View Dependent Claims (27)
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Specification