System and method for mailing list mediation

• US 20060004736A1
• Filed: 07/02/2004
• Published: 01/05/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 07/02/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Biglist Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Biglist Incorporated
• Inventors: Fair, Allen M., Thameen, Omar L.
• Granted Patent: US 7,315,883 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99931 Database or file accessing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99943 Generating database or data structure, e.g. via user interface

Abstract

Described is a method for generating a dynamic mailing list with the following steps: (a) comparing a source mailing list to an established mailing list, the source mailing list including a mailing address to which a sender desires to send a message; (b) when the mailing address is included in the established mailing list, making a preliminary determination to add the mailing address to the dynamic mailing list; and (c) when the mailing address is not included in the established mailing list, processing the mailing address according to a procedure defined by an add rule for adding the mailing address to the established mailing list. Also described is a system with the following components: (a) a storage arrangement; and (b) a processing arrangement obtaining (i) a source mailing list including a mailing address to which a sender desires to send a message and (ii) an add rule which determines whether the mailing address is to be added to an established mailing list, the processing arrangement storing the source mailing list, the established mailing list and the add rule in the storage arrangement, wherein when the mailing address is included in the established mailing list, the processing arrangement makes a preliminary determination to add the mailing address to the dynamic mailing list, and wherein when the mailing address is not included in the established mailing list, the processing arrangement processes the mailing address according to the add rule.

Claims

1. A method for generating a dynamic mailing list, comprising the steps of:

a. comparing a source mailing list to an established mailing list, the source mailing list including a mailing address to which a sender desires to send a message;

b. when the mailing address is included in the established mailing list, making a preliminary determination to add the mailing address to the dynamic mailing list; and

c. when the mailing address is not included in the established mailing list, processing the mailing address according to a procedure defined by an add rule for adding the mailing address to the established mailing list.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the mailing address is an email address.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the add rule includes at least one of:

(a) an address rule;

(b) a list join rule; and

(c) a subscriber preference.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein the mailing address includes a plurality of characters, and the address rule includes a string of at least one character, and wherein the processing step includes not adding the mailing address to the established mailing list when the string is included in the mailing address.

5. The method according to claim 3, wherein the mailing address corresponds to a first set of data, and the address rule includes a second set of data, and wherein the processing step includes not adding the mailing address to the established mailing list when the first set of data includes the second set of data.

6. The method according to claim 3, wherein the address rule includes at least one of:

(a) a network hosting rule which cannot be manipulated by the sender; and

(b) a list owner rule which can be manipulated by the sender.

7. The method according to claim 3, wherein the mailing address has a status which is one of:

a. “

active”

, wherein the mailing address is included in the established mailing list and is receiving messages; and

b. “

inactive”

, wherein the mailing address is included in the established mailing list and is not receiving messages.

8. The method according to claim 7, further comprising the step of making a final determination not to add the mailing address to the dynamic mailing list if the status is “

inactive”

.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein the preliminary determination is a final determination.

10. The method according to claim 3, wherein processing the mailing address according to the procedure defined by the add rule includes one of the following steps:

a. adding the mailing address to the established mailing list; and

b. not adding the mailing address to the established mailing list.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein the step of adding the mailing address to the established mailing list also includes sending a notification to the mailing address that the mailing address has been added to the established mailing list.

12. The method according to claim 10, wherein the step of not adding the mailing address to the established mailing list also includes sending an invitation to the mailing address to join the established mailing list.

13. The method according to claim 1, wherein the processing step includes one of:

a. a “

drop action”

, wherein the mailing address is not added to the established mailing list;

b. an “

invite action”

, wherein an invitation is sent to the mailing address to join the established mailing list; and

c. a “

welcome action”

, wherein the mailing address is added to the established mailing list and is sent a notification that the mailing address has been added to the established mailing list.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein the mailing address has a status which is one of:

a. “

subscribed”

, wherein the mailing addresses included in the established mailing list; and

b. “

not subscribed”

, wherein the mailing address is not included in the established mailing list.

15. The method according to claim 14, wherein the “

not subscribed”

status includes one of the following statuses;

a. “

unsubscribed”

, wherein the mailing address is not included in the established list, and has been included in the established mailing list;

b. “

known”

, wherein the mailing address is not included in the established mailing list and wherein one of;

i. the mailing address is included in at least one of a plurality of hosted mailing lists, and

ii. the mailing address has been included in at least one of the plurality of hosted mailing list; and

c. “

new”

, wherein the mailing address is not and has not been included in the established mailing list, and is not and has not been included in any of the plurality of hosted mailing lists.

16. The method according to claim 15, wherein the list join rule determines whether the mailing address is to be added to the established mailing list as a function of the status.

17. The method according to claim 16, wherein the list join rule is one of the following:

a. “

welcome all”

, wherein the processing step is the welcome action if the status of the mailing address is not subscribed;

b. “

invite all”

, wherein the processing step is the invite action if the status of the mailing address is not subscribed;

c. “

invite former subscribers and welcome others”

, wherein the processing step includes;

i. the welcome action if the status of the mailing address is one of known and new, and

ii. the invite action if the status of the mailing address is unsubscribed;

d. “

drop former subscribers and welcome others”

, wherein the processing step includes;

i. the welcome action if the status of the mailing address is one of known and new, and

ii. the drop action if the status of the mailing address is unsubscribed;

e. “

welcome new addresses and invite others”

, wherein the processing step includes;

i. the welcome action if the status of the mailing address is new, and

ii. the invite action if the status of the mailing address is one of unsubscribed and known;

f. “

welcome new addresses and drop others”

, wherein the processing step includes;

i. the welcome action if the status of the mailing address is new, and

ii. the drop action if the status of the mailing address is one of unsubscribed and known;

g. “

drop former subscribers and invite others”

, wherein the processing step includes;

i. the invite action if the status of the mailing address is one of known and new, and

ii. the drop action if the status of the mailing address is unsubscribed;

h. “

invite new addresses and drop others”

, wherein the processing step includes;

i. the invite action if the status of the mailing address is new, and

ii. the drop action if the status of the mailing address is one of unsubscribed and known; and

i. “

subscriber initiation required”

, wherein the processing step is the drop action if the status of the mailing address is not subscribed.

18. The method according to claim 3, wherein the subscriber preference is not manipulable by the sender and includes restrictions on adding the mailing address to the established mailing list.

19. The method according to claim 18, wherein the subscriber preference is one of:

a. “

may add”

, wherein the mailing address may be added to the established mailing list; and

b. “

may not add”

, wherein the mailing address may not be added to the established mailing list.

20. The method according to claim 19, wherein the subscriber preference “

may add”

includes one of the following preferences;

a. “

notify”

, wherein the mailing address may be added to the established mailing list as long as a notification is sent to the mailing address that the mailing address has been added to the established mailing list; and

b. “

add without notice”

, wherein the mailing address may be added to the established mailing list without a notification.

21. The method according to claim 19, wherein the subscriber preference “

may not add”

includes one of the following preferences;

a. “

invite”

, wherein the mailing address may not be added to the established mailing list, and may be sent an invitation to join the established mailing list, and

b. “

initiate”

, wherein the mailing address may not be added to the established mailing list, and may not be sent an invitation to join the established mailing list.

22. The method according to claim 18, wherein the subscriber preference is one of:

a. “

notify”

, wherein the mailing address may be added to the mailing address as long as a notification is sent to the mailing address that the mailing address has been added to the established mailing list;

b. “

invite”

, wherein the mailing address may not be added to established mailing list, and may be sent an invitation to join the established mailing list; and

c. “

initiate”

, wherein the mailing address may not be added to the established mailing list and may not be sent an invitation to join the established mailing list.

23. The method according to claim 22, wherein processing the mailing address according to the subscriber preference includes one of:

a. a “

drop action”

in case the subscriber preference is “

initiate”

, wherein the drop action includes not adding the mailing address to the established mailing list;

b. one of the drop action and an “

invite action”

in case the subscriber preference is “

invite”

, wherein the invite action includes sending an invitation to the mailing address to join the established mailing list; and

c. one of the drop action, the invite action, and a “

welcome action”

in case the subscriber preference is “

notify”

, wherein the welcome action includes adding the mailing address to the established mailing list and sending a notification to the mailing address that the mailing address has been added to the established mailing list.

24. The method according to claim 18, wherein the subscriber preference includes at least one of:

(a) a global subscriber preference which includes restrictions on adding the mailing address to any of a plurality of hosted mailing lists; and

(b) a local subscriber preference which includes restrictions on adding the mailing address to a subset of the plurality of hosted mailing lists.

25. The method according to claim 24, wherein the global subscriber preference overrides the local subscriber preference in case of a conflict between the global subscriber preference and the local subscriber preference.

26. The method according to claim 24, wherein the local subscriber preference overrides the global subscriber preference in case of a conflict between the global subscriber preference and the local subscriber preference.

27. The method according to claim 24, wherein each of the global subscriber preference and the local subscriber preference is one of:

a. “

notify”

, wherein the mailing address may be added to the hosted mailing list as long as the first mailing address is sent a notification that the mailing address has been added to the established mailing list;

b. “

invite”

, wherein the first mailing address may not be added to the hosted mailing list, and may be sent an invitation to join the hosted mailing list; and

c. “

initiate”

, wherein the first mailing address may not be added to the hosted mailing list, and may not be sent an invitation to join the hosted mailing list.

28. The method according to claim 27, wherein the subscriber preference “

initiate”

is more restrictive than the subscriber preference “

invite”

, and the subscriber preference “

invite”

is more restrictive than the subscriber preference “

notify”

.

29. The method according to claim 28, wherein the global subscriber preference overrides the local subscriber preference in case the global subscriber preference is more restrictive than the local subscriber preference.

30. The method according to claim 3, wherein the add rule includes the address rule and at least one of the list join rule and the subscriber preference, wherein the address rule overrides the at least one of the list join rule and the subscriber preference.

31. The method according to claim 3, wherein the add rule includes the list join rule and the subscriber preference, and wherein the subscriber preference overrides the list join rule in case of a conflict between the subscriber preference and the list join rule.

32. The method according to claim 13,

wherein the add rule includes the list join rule and the subscriber preference,

wherein the drop action is more restrictive than the invite action, and the invite action is more restrictive than the drop action,

wherein the list join rule overrides the subscriber preference in case the list join rule requires a more restrictive processing step than the subscriber preference, and

wherein the subscriber preference overrides the list join rule in case the subscriber preference requires a more restrictive processing step than the list join rule.

33. The method according to claim 31, wherein the subscriber preference includes a global subscriber preference and a local subscriber preference, wherein the global subscriber preference overrides the local subscriber preference in case of a conflict between the global subscriber preference and the local subscriber preference.

34. The method according to claim 31, wherein the subscriber preference includes a global subscriber preference and a local subscriber preference, wherein the local subscriber preference overrides the global subscriber preference in case of a conflict between the global subscriber preference and the local subscriber preference.

35. A method for generating a dynamic mailing list, comprising the steps of:

a. comparing a source mailing list to an established mailing list,

wherein the established mailing list is one of a plurality of hosted mailing lists, the source mailing list includes a mailing address to which a sender desires to send a message, and the mailing address has a status, wherein the status is one of;

i. “

active”

, wherein the mailing address is included in the established mailing list and is receiving messages,

ii. “

inactive”

, wherein the mailing address is included in the established mailing list and is not receiving messages,

iii. “

unsubscribed”

, wherein the mailing address is not and has been included in the established mailing list,

iv. “

known”

, wherein the mailing address is not included in the established mailing list and one of;

(a) the mailing address is included in at least one other hosted mailing list and (b) the mailing address has been included in at least one other hosted mailing list, and

v. “

new”

, wherein the mailing address is not and has not been included in the established mailing list and is not and has not been included in any other hosted mailing list;

b. when the mailing address is included in the established mailing list and the status is active, adding the mailing address to the dynamic mailing list;

c. when the mailing address is included in the established mailing list and the status is inactive, not adding the mailing address to the dynamic mailing list; and

d. when the mailing address is not included in the established mailing list, processing the mailing address according to a procedure defined by a list join rule with one of the following actions;

i. a “

drop action”

, wherein the mailing address is not added to the established mailing list,

ii. an “

invite action”

, wherein an invitation is sent to the mailing address to join the established mailing list, and

iii. a “

welcome action”

, wherein the mailing address is added to the established mailing list and a notification is sent to the mailing address that the mailing address has been added to the established mailing list,

wherein the list join rule is one of;

a. “

welcome all”

, wherein the processing step is the welcome action if the status of the mailing address is one of unsubscribed, known, and new;

b. “

invite all”

, wherein the processing step is the invite action if the status of the mailing address is one of unsubscribed, known, and new;

c. “

invite former subscribers and welcome others”

, wherein the processing step comprises;

i. the welcome action if the status of the mailing address is one of known and new, and

ii. the invite action if the status of the mailing address is unsubscribed;

d. “

drop former subscribers and welcome others”

, wherein the processing step comprises;

i. the welcome action if the status of the mailing address is one of known and new, and

ii. the drop action if the status of the mailing address is unsubscribed;

e. “

welcome new addresses and invite others”

, wherein the processing step comprises;

i. the welcome action if the status of the mailing address is new, and

ii. the invite action if the status of the mailing address is one of unsubscribed and known;

f. “

welcome new addresses and drop others”

, wherein the processing step comprises;

i. the welcome action if the status of the mailing address is new, and

ii. the drop action if the status of the mailing address is one of unsubscribed and known;

g. “

drop former subscribers and invite others”

, wherein the processing step comprises;

i. the invite action if the status of the mailing address is one of known and new, and

ii. the drop action if the status of the mailing address is unsubscribed;

h. “

invite new addresses and drop others”

, wherein the processing step comprises;

i. the invite action if the status of the mailing address is new, and

ii. the drop action if the status of the mailing address is one of unsubscribed and known; and

i. “

subscriber initiation required”

, wherein the processing step is the drop action if the status of the mailing address is one of unsubscribed, known, and new.

36. A method for generating a dynamic mailing list, comprising the steps of:

a. comparing a source mailing list to an established mailing list, the source mailing list including a mailing address to which a sender desires to send a message;

b. when the mailing address is included in the established mailing list, making a preliminary determination to add the mailing address to the dynamic mailing list; and

c. when the mailing address is not included in the established mailing list, processing the mailing address according to a procedure defined by a subscriber preference, wherein the subscriber preference is not manipulable by the sender and is one of;

i. “

notify”

, wherein the mailing address may be added to the established mailing list as long as a notification is sent to the mailing address that the mailing address has been added to the established mailing list,

ii. “

invite”

, wherein the mailing address may not be added to the established mailing list and may be sent an invitation to join the established mailing list, and

iii. “

initiate”

, wherein the mailing address may not be added to the established mailing list and may not be sent an invitation to join the established mailing list,

and wherein the procedure defined by the subscriber preference is one of;

i. a “

drop action”

in case the subscriber preference is “

initiate”

, wherein the drop action includes not adding the mailing address to the established mailing list,

ii. one of the drop action and an “

invite action”

in case the subscriber preference is “

invite”

, wherein the invite action includes sending an invitation to the mailing address to join the established mailing list, and

iii. one of the drop action, the invite action, and a “

welcome action”

in case the subscriber preference is “

notify”

, wherein the welcome action includes adding the mailing address to the established mailing list and sending a notification to the mailing address that the mailing address has been added to the established mailing list.

37. A method for generating a dynamic mailing list, comprising the steps of:

a. comparing a source mailing list to an established mailing list, wherein the source mailing list includes a mailing address to which a sender desires to send a message and wherein the mailing address has a status and includes a plurality of characters;

b. when the mailing address is included in the established mailing list, making a preliminary determination to add the mailing address to the dynamic mailing list; and

c. when the mailing address is not included in the established mailing list, processing the mailing address according to a procedure defined by an add rule including at least one of;

i. an address rule including a string of at least one character,

ii. a subscriber preference, and

iii. a list join rule which determines whether the mailing address is to be added to the established mailing list based on the status,

wherein the procedure defined by the add rule includes;

i. not adding the mailing address to the established mailing list if the mailing address includes the string of the address rule, and

ii. processing the mailing address according to the subscriber preference and the list join rule, wherein the subscriber preference overrides the list join rule in case of a conflict between the subscriber preference and the list join rule.

38. A system, comprising:

a. a storage arrangement storing a source mailing list and an add rule, the source mailing list including a mailing address to which a sender desires to send a message, the add rule determining whether the mailing address is to be added to an established mailing list; and

b. a processing arrangement making a preliminary determination to add the mailing address to the dynamic mailing list when the mailing address is included in the established mailing list, and processing the mailing address according to the add rule when the mailing address is not included in the established mailing list.

39. The system according to claim 38, wherein the storage arrangement stores data corresponding to the mailing address, and wherein the add rule includes an address rule which determines whether the mailing address is to be added to the established mailing list as a function of the data.

40. The system according to claim 38, wherein the storage arrangement stores a status for the mailing address, and wherein the add rule includes a list join rule which determines whether the mailing address is to be added to the established mailing list as a function of the status.

41. The system according to claim 38, wherein the storage arrangement stores a subscriber preference for the mailing address, and wherein the add rule includes a list join rule which determines whether the mailing address is to be added to the established mailing list as a function of the subscriber preference.

42. The system according to claim 39, wherein the address rule includes a list owner rule and wherein the system also comprises a list owner interface for setting the list owner rule.

43. The system according to claim 40, wherein the address rule includes a list join rule and wherein the system also comprises a list owner interface for setting the list join rule.

44. The system according to claim 41, wherein the address rule includes a subscriber interface for setting the subscriber preference.

45. The system according to claim 40, wherein the status is one of:

a. “

active”

, wherein the mailing address is included in the established mailing list and is receiving messages,

b. “

inactive”

, wherein the mailing address is included in the established mailing list and is not receiving messages, and

c. “

not subscribed”

, wherein the mailing address is not included in the established mailing list,

wherein the processing arrangement;

a. adds the mailing address to the dynamic mailing list when the status is active,

b. does not add the mailing address to the dynamic mailing list when the status is inactive, and

c. processes the mailing address when the status is not subscribed with at least one of the following actions;

i. not adding the mailing address to the established mailing list,

ii. sending an invitation to the mailing address to join the established mailing list, and

iii. adding the mailing address to the established mailing list.