KARMA SYSTEM

• US 20080133657A1
• Filed: 11/30/2006
• Published: 06/05/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Red Hat, Inc. (International Business Machines Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Red Hat, Inc. (International Business Machines Corporation)
• Inventors: Pennington, Havoc
• Granted Patent: US 8,386,564 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/204
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising

Abstract

Embodiments of the present invention provide methods and systems for assigning a “karma” to users of a social network. In some embodiments, the karma is a score that is based on various reputations and feedback on a user. For example, reputation or feedback scores given to user in general are collected. In addition, karma is based on scores collected by analyzing feedback provided between two users. Thus, a reputation score for one from the point of view of the others may be calculated. Embodiments of the present invention provide an open interface (API) that allows users to submit their reputation scores.

Claims

1. A method of calculating karma of reputation score for a user in a social network, said method comprising:

collecting feedback about the user from other users based on the user'"'"'s unique identification;

determining, for each feedback, an identification of the other users submitting the reputation score; and

determining a karma reputation scores for the user from the perspective of the other users.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein collecting feedback about the user comprises actively collecting feedback about the user.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein collecting feedback about the user comprises determining feedback about the user based passively monitoring sharing activity of the user with the other users in the social network.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein collecting feedback about the user from other users comprises determining a history of previous recommendations provided to the user and the user'"'"'s social network.

5. An apparatus comprising means configured to perform the method of claim 1.

6. A computer readable medium comprising executable program code to configure a computer to perform the method of claim 1.