Self-policing, rate limiting online forums

• US 20040236832A1
• Filed: 06/28/2004
• Published: 11/25/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 05/20/1997
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Meta Platforms, Inc. (f/k/a Facebook, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: America Online Inc. (Warner Bros. Discovery, Inc.)
• Inventors: Bosco, Eric, Morris, Harry W., Lippke, David Lowell, Steele, Colin Anthony
• Granted Patent: US 7,613,779 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/204
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/31 User authentication
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6218 to a system of files or objects, e.g. local or distributed file system or database
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1822 Conducting the conference, e.g. admission, detection, selection or grouping of participants, correlating users to one or more conference sessions, prioritising transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1831 Tracking arrangements for later retrieval, e.g. recording contents, participants activities or behavior, network status
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/185 with management of multicast group membership
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/04 Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/212 using filtering or selective blocking
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/102 Entity profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/1441 Countermeasures against malicious traffic countermeasures against attacks on cryptographic mechanisms H04L9/002

Abstract

A method and means for self-policing and automatically rate-limiting multiple-user online forums. The preferred embodiment of the invention includes a set of rules that permit users to censure other users. A censured user has one or more “privileges” (which may include access to the online computer system or the effective message rate of a communications connection) taken away or diminished; the privilege is gradually restored if the censured user behaves. The censuring participant and other pertinent participants are notified of the effect of the censuring on the censured user. In another aspect of the invention, the online computer system automatically tracks the rate at which a user sends certain types of messages, and can message rate limit a user who uses too many system resources by sending a large number of messages in rapid succession.

Claims

1-57. -57. (Cancelled)

58. A method of receiving notification, the method comprising:

using a computer system to provide input to a computer-based service assessing an active user'"'"'s behavior in the computer-based service, the input coming from at least one other active user of the computer-based service, wherein the active user and the at least one other active user have substantially the same privileges in the computer-based service as a typical active user of the computer-based service; and

receiving notification at the computer system from the computer-based service of an effect of the provided input on the active user'"'"'s privileges in the computer-based service, the effect being achieved without human intervention after the input is provided.

59. The method of claim 58 wherein the input is distinct from a command submitted by a system administrator that is configured to affect a privilege of the active user in the computer-based service.

60. The method of claim 58 wherein the at least one other active user is an ordinary user of the computer-based service.

61. The method of claim 58 wherein the at least one other active user is a subscriber to the computer-based service.

62. The method of claim 58 wherein the at least one other active user is someone other than a system administrator of the computer-based service.

63. The method of claim 58 wherein the at least one other active user is not otherwise capable of controlling rights or privileges of the active user.

64. The method of claim 58 wherein the effect of the provided input on the active user'"'"'s privileges in the computer-based service comprises an effect on the active user'"'"'s ability to continue to access the computer-based service.

65. The method of claim 58 wherein the effect of the provided input on the active user'"'"'s privileges in the computer-based service comprises an effect on the active user'"'"'s ability to send messages using the computer-based service.

66. A method of receiving notification, the method comprising:

using a computer system to provide input to a computer-based service assessing an active user'"'"'s behavior in the computer-based service, the input coming from at least one other active user of the computer-based service, wherein the at least one other active user is an ordinary user of the computer-based service; and

receiving notification at the computer system from the computer-based service of an effect of the provided input on the active user'"'"'s privileges in the computer-based service, the effect being achieved without human intervention after the input is provided.

67. A method of receiving notification, the method comprising:

using a computer system to provide input to a computer-based service assessing an active user'"'"'s behavior in the computer-based service, the input coming from at least one other active user of the computer-based service, wherein the at least one other active user is a subscriber to the computer-based service; and

receiving notification at the computer system from the computer-based service of an effect of the provided input on the active user'"'"'s privileges in the computer-based service, the effect being achieved without human intervention after the input is provided.

68. A method of receiving notification, the method comprising:

using a computer system to provide input to a computer-based service assessing an active user'"'"'s behavior in the computer-based service, the input coming from at least one other active user of the computer-based service, wherein the at least one other active user is someone other than a system administrator of the computer-based service; and

receiving notification at the computer system from the computer-based service of an effect of the provided input on the active user'"'"'s privileges in the computer-based service, the effect being achieved without human intervention after the input is provided.

69. A method of receiving notification, the method comprising:

using a computer system to provide input to a computer-based service assessing an active user'"'"'s behavior in the computer-based service, the input coming from at least one other active user of the computer-based service, wherein the at least one other active user is not otherwise capable of controlling rights or privileges of the active user; and

receiving notification at the computer system from the computer-based service of an effect of the provided input on the active user'"'"'s privileges in the computer-based service, the effect being achieved without human intervention after the input is provided.

70. A method of providing notification, the method comprising:

receiving input at a computer system from an active user about another active user'"'"'s past activity in a computer-based service, wherein the active user and the other active user have substantially the same privileges in the computer-based service as a typical active user of the computer-based service;

assessing user activity based on the received input at the computer system without human intervention; and

providing notification to a particular active user of the computer-based service, from the computer system, without human intervention after the assessing of the user activity, of an effect of the received input on the other active user'"'"'s privileges in the computer-based service.

71. The method of claim 70 wherein the particular active user comprises the active user.

72. The method of claim 70 wherein the particular active user comprises the other active user.

73. The method of claim 70 wherein the active user is an ordinary user of the computer-based service.

74. The method of claim 70 wherein the active user is a subscriber to the computer-based service.

75. The method of claim 70 wherein the active user is someone other than a system administrator of the computer-based service.

76. The method of claim 70 wherein the active user is not otherwise capable of controlling rights or privileges of the other active user.

77. An apparatus comprising a computer-readable medium having instructions stored thereon for providing notification that when executed by a machine result in at least the following:

receiving input at a computer system from an active user about another active user'"'"'s past activity in a computer-based service, wherein the active user and the other active user have substantially the same privileges in the computer-based service as a typical active user of the computer-based service;

assessing user activity based on the received input at the computer system without human intervention; and

providing notification to a particular active user of the computer-based service, from the computer system, without human intervention after the assessing of the user activity, of an effect of the received input on the other active user'"'"'s privileges in the computer-based service.

78. A method of providing notification to a user, the method comprising:

generating, by a computer system, an average message rate for messages originated by an active user of a computer-based service;

assessing user activity based on the average message rate without human intervention; and

providing notification to at least one active user of the computer-based service, from the computer system, without human intervention, of an effect of the average message rate on the active user'"'"'s privileges in the computer-based service.

79. The method of claim 78 further comprising implementing the effect of the average message rate on the active user'"'"'s privileges in the computer-based service.

80. The method of claim 78 wherein providing notification comprises providing notification without human intervention after the assessing of the user activity.

81. The method of claim 78 wherein providing notification comprises providing notification without human intervention after the effect is implemented.

82. The method of claim 78 wherein the effect on the active user'"'"'s privileges in the computer-based service comprises an effect on the active user'"'"'s ability to continue to access the computer-based service.

83. The method of claim 78 wherein the effect on the active user'"'"'s privileges in the computer-based service comprises an effect on the active user'"'"'s ability to send messages using the computer-based service.

84. An apparatus comprising a computer-readable medium having instructions stored thereon for providing notification to a user that when executed by a machine result in at least the following:

generating an average message rate for messages originated by an active user of a computer-based service;

assessing user activity based on the average message rate without human intervention; and

providing notification to at least one active user of the computer-based service, without human intervention, of an effect of the average message rate on the active user'"'"'s privileges in the computer-based service.

85. A method of limiting a user'"'"'s privileges in a computer-based service, the method comprising:

providing, from a computer-based service, a message from one active user of the computer-based service to another active user of the computer-based service, wherein the one active user and the other active user have substantially the same privileges in the computer-based service as a typical active user of the computer-based service;

accessing, by the computer-based service, a response to the provided message, the response being from the other active user and expressing a desire to limit the one active user'"'"'s ability to send messages to the other active user; and

limiting, by the computer-based service and without human intervention after accessing the response, the one active user'"'"'s privileges in the computer-based service.

86. The method of claim 85 further comprising providing notification to the one active user of the limiting of the other active user'"'"'s privileges in the computer-based service.

87. The method of claim 85 further comprising providing notification to the other active user of the limiting of the other active user'"'"'s privileges in the computer-based service.

88. The method of claim 85 wherein the response expresses an objection by the other active user to content of the provided message.

89. The method of claim 85 wherein limiting the one active user'"'"'s privileges in the computer-based service comprises limiting the one active user'"'"'s ability to send messages to the other active user.

90. The method of claim 85 wherein the other active user is an ordinary user of the computer-based service.

91. The method of claim 85 wherein the other active user is a subscriber to the computer-based service.

92. The method of claim 85 wherein the other active user is someone other than a system administrator of the computer-based service.

93. The method of claim 85 wherein the other active user is not otherwise capable of controlling rights or privileges of the one active user.

94. An apparatus comprising a computer-readable medium having instructions stored thereon for limiting a user'"'"'s privileges in a computer-based service that when executed by a machine result in at least the following:

providing a message from one active user of a computer-based service to another active user of the computer-based service, wherein the one active user and the other active user have substantially the same privileges in the computer-based service as a typical active user of the computer-based service;

accessing a response to the provided message, the response being from the other active user and expressing a desire to limit the one active user'"'"'s ability to send messages to the other active user; and

limiting, without human intervention after accessing the response, the one active user'"'"'s privileges in the computer-based service.