Method and system for identifying obsolete discussion threads in a forum

• US 8,719,228 B1
• Filed: 01/31/2013
• Issued: 05/06/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intuit, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Intuit, Inc.
• Inventors: Venkatesan, Arun
• Primary Examiner(s): Kim, Matt
• Assistant Examiner(s): Lu, Hua
• Application Number:
  US13/756,016
• Time in Patent Office: 460 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 707/640
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/00 Administration; Management

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for identifying obsolete discussion threads. The method includes extracting keywords from a discussion thread and assigning a keyword score to each keyword. The method further includes identifying a change event that is a change affecting a topic of the forum, extracting a keyword from a recorded medium recording the change event, comparing the keyword from the recorded medium with the keywords from the discussion thread to identify a matching keyword, and reducing the keyword score of the matching keyword to a reduced score based on the matching keyword matching the keyword from the recorded medium. The method further includes aggregating the keyword score assigned to each keyword to obtain a total score for the discussion thread, and displaying a warning on a user interface that includes the discussion thread when the total score is below a pre-specified threshold.

Claims

1. A method for identifying obsolete discussion threads in a forum, comprising:

extracting a plurality of keywords from a discussion thread, wherein the discussion thread comprises a plurality of postings posted by a plurality of users;

assigning an initial keyword score to each of the plurality of keywords;

identifying a change event, wherein the change event is a change affecting a topic of the forum;

extracting a keyword from a recorded medium recording the change event, wherein the recorded medium is separate from the forum;

comparing the keyword from the recorded medium with the plurality of keywords from the discussion thread to identify a matching keyword in the plurality of keywords;

decreasing the initial keyword score of the matching keyword to a decreased score for the matching keyword based on the matching keyword matching the keyword from the recorded medium;

aggregating the keyword score assigned to each of the plurality of keywords to obtain a total score for the discussion thread, wherein aggregating comprises using the reduced score for the matching keyword; and

displaying a warning on a user interface comprising the discussion thread when the total score is below a first pre-specified threshold.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the initial keyword score is initialized to a normalized score based on a number of the plurality of keywords.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the initial keyword score of the matching keyword is decreased by subtracting a constant amount.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

removing the discussion thread when the total score is below a second pre-specified threshold.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a new post to the discussion thread;

extracting a new keyword from the new post; and

assigning a new keyword score to the new keyword.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the new keyword score assigned to the new keyword is a normalized score based on a number of the plurality of keywords with the new keyword and the total score of the discussion thread.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the change event comprises a statutory change.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the change event comprises a release of a new version of a software product.

9. A computer system for identifying obsolete discussion threads in a forum comprising:

a processor;

a memory; and

software instructions stored in the memory for causing the computer system to;

extract a plurality of keywords from a discussion thread, wherein the discussion thread comprises a plurality of postings posted by a plurality of users;

assign an initial keyword score to each of the plurality of keywords;

identify a change event, wherein the change event is a change affecting a topic of the forum;

extract a keyword from a recorded medium recording the change event, wherein the recorded medium is separate from the forum;

compare the keyword from the recorded medium with the plurality of keywords from the discussion thread to identify a matching keyword in the plurality of keywords;

decrease the initial keyword score of the matching keyword to a decreased score for the matching keyword based on the matching keyword matching the keyword from the recorded medium;

aggregate the keyword score assigned to each of the plurality of keywords to obtain a total score for the discussion thread, wherein aggregating comprises using the reduced score for the matching keyword; and

display a warning on a user interface comprising the discussion thread when the total score is below a first pre-specified threshold.

10. The computer system of claim 9, wherein the initial keyword score is initialized to a normalized score based on a number of the plurality of keywords.

11. The computer system of claim 9, wherein the initial keyword score of the matching keyword is decreased by subtracting a constant amount.

12. The computer system of claim 9, wherein the software instructions further cause the computer system to:

remove the discussion thread when the total score is below a second pre-specified threshold.

13. The computer system of claim 9, wherein the software instructions further cause the computer system to:

receive a new post to the discussion thread;

extract a new keyword from the new post; and

assign a new keyword score to the new keyword.

14. The computer system of claim 13, wherein the new keyword score assigned to the new keyword is a normalized score based on a number of the plurality of keywords with the new keyword and the total score of the discussion thread.

15. The computer system of claim 9, wherein the change event comprises a statutory change.

16. The computer system of claim 9, wherein the change event comprises a release of a new version of a software product.

17. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium comprising computer readable program code embodied therein for causing a computer system to:

extract a plurality of keywords from a discussion thread in a forum, wherein the discussion thread comprises a plurality of postings posted by a plurality of users;

assign an initial keyword score to each of the plurality of keywords;

identify a change event, wherein the change event is a change affecting a topic of the forum;

extract a keyword from a recorded medium recording the change event, wherein the recorded medium is separate from the forum;

compare the keyword from the recorded medium with the plurality of keywords from the discussion thread to identify a matching keyword in the plurality of keywords;

decrease the initial keyword score of the matching keyword to a decreased score for the matching keyword based on the matching keyword matching the keyword from the recorded medium;

aggregate the keyword score assigned to each of the plurality of keywords to obtain a total score for the discussion thread, wherein aggregating comprises using the reduced score for the matching keyword; and

display a warning on a user interface comprising the discussion thread when the total score is below a first pre-specified threshold.

18. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein the initial keyword score is initialized to a normalized score based on a number of the plurality of keywords.

19. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein the initial keyword score of the matching keyword is decreased by subtracting a constant amount.

20. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein the computer readable program code further causes the computer system to:

receive a new post to the discussion thread;

extract a new keyword from the new post; and

assign a new keyword score to the new keyword.