System and method for training and managing Internet guides

• US 6,157,926 A
• Filed: 11/04/1998
• Issued: 12/05/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 02/07/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: About Incorporated (IAC, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: About.com, Inc. (IAC, Inc.)
• Inventors: Anderson, Jim, Day, William, Appleman, Kenneth H., Maier, Elizabeth A., Germaise, Scott C., Taller, Olga
• Primary Examiner(s): AMSBURY, WAYNE P
• Application Number:
  US09/185,625
• Time in Patent Office: 762 Days
• Field of Search: 707/102, 707/513, 707/517-25
• US Class Current: 707/608
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/954 Navigation, e.g. using categorised browsing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0247 Calculate past, present or future revenues
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0272 Period of advertisement exposure
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0277 Online advertisement
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99943 Generating database or data structure, e.g. via user interface

Abstract

A collaborative Internet data mining system for facilitating a group effort from a plurality of guides to the Internet, by automatically processing the information provided by the guides and thereby create a branded or uniform look and feel to the web sites supported by the plurality of guides.

Claims

1. A method for automated management of a collaborative internet guide system comprising:

providing a first file system containing global information for insertion into HTML pages generated by said collaborative internet guide system;

receiving from at least one internet guide information content for a web page to be combined with the global information to generate a complete HTML page;

generating one or more HTML pages by combining said global information from said first file system with information provided by said at least one internet guide;

restricting internet access to said HTML pages generated by said combination of said global information from said first file system and said information provided by said at least one internet guide, said restricted internet access controlled by a data field in a data record on a computer database; and

modifying a record of a predetermined taxonomy of topics on said collaborative internet guide system to indicate whether applications to become an internet guide are being accepted for a particular topic.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

modifying said data field in said data record on a computer database with a graphical user interface program, said modification to said data record allowing internet access to said web page generated by said combination of said information from said first file system and information provided by said at least one internet guide on said HTML template.

3. A management system for a collaborative internet guide web site comprising:

a graphical user interface program executing on a computer associated with said collaborative internet guide system, said graphical user interface program providing access to a database that controls the access to web pages on said collaborative internet guide web site by internet participants;

said graphical user interface program further providing access to said database to selectively grant access to web pages on said collaborative internet guide system to a particular internet guide;

said graphical user interface program providing access to said database to track and manage said guide system with selections from the group consisting essentially of;

whether a web site to a particular topic is active on said collaborative internet guide system;

whether there is interest in adding an identified topic to said collaborative internet guide taxonomy;

whether there is no interest in adding an identified topic to said collaborative internet guide taxonomy;

whether an identified site has been eliminated from said collaborative internet guide taxonomy; and

whether an identified site is active and an internet guide is training.

4. An apparatus for managing a collaborative internet guide system comprising:

an automated management component providing computer means for controlling access to information on said collaborative internet guide system;

a collaborative page generator component providing means for generating pages from template forms and global information, said collaborative page generator component responding to predetermined codes in said template forms by inserting global information into said generated web pages, said automated management component controlling the access to said generated web pages; and

access control means for authorizing access to said generated HTML pages to a predetermined internet guide trainer to enable the trainer to qualitatively evaluate said generated web pages to provide a subjective review of said internet guides'"'"' performance.

5. An automated method for training personnel on the use of a template based HTML page generator system comprising:

providing at least one HTML templates to at least one internet guide, said HTML template containing predetermined data codes that subsequently point to global information at said HTML page generator system;

receiving modified HTML template pages from said at least one internet guide, said internet guide providing information content in said HTML template;

generating web pages by combining said modified HTML template pages with said global information at said HTML page generator system;

restricting access to said generated web pages to said internet guide to allow said internet guide to view said generated pages;

receiving modified HTML template pages from said at least one internet guide, said internet guide providing information content in said HTML template in response to said generated HTML pages;

generating HTML pages by combining said modified HTML pages with said global information at said HTML page generator system;

authorizing access to said HTML page generator system to allow internet participants to request generation of said web pages;

authorizing access to said generated HTML pages to a predetermined internet guide trainer; and

qualitatively evaluating said generated web pages to provide a subjective review of said internet guides performance.

6. An apparatus for managing a collaborative internet guide system comprising:

an automated training and management system;

an application processing system operationally connected to said automated training and management system, said automated training and management system providing a user interface to indicate the status of a collaborative internet guide in training;

a mass monitoring system operationally connected to said automated training and management system, said mass monitoring system providing a communication tool for communication between a prospective internet guide and a guide mentor;

a guide authoring system operationally connected to said automated training and management system, said guide authoring system providing predetermined HTML page templates which form the basis for collaborative internet HTML pages; and

a collaborative web page generator system operationally connected to said automated training and management system, said collaborative web page generator system combining said HTML templates with global information to create collaborative internet HTML pages;

said automated training and management system controlling through database entry on a storage device the access to collaborative internet HTML pages.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein said automated training and management system provide a graphical user interface to an operator of said collaborative internet guide system, said graphical user interface providing information on the access of collaborative HTML web pages.

8. The apparatus of claim 6 comprising:

an internet connection operationally connected to said collaborative page generator system; and

said automated training and management system controlling through database entry whether a particular collaborative page can be viewed by internet participants.

9. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein said automated training and management system provides a graphical user interface to control the taxonomy of said collaborative internet guide system.

10. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein said automated training and management system provides a graphical user interface to control the generation of predetermined information on said web pages.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein said predetermined information is an HTML frame that provides a brand look and feel.

12. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein said predetermined information provides a predetermined subject matter color scheme that correspond with the collaborative internet system taxonomy.

13. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein said automated training and management system provides a graphical user interface to control the generation of hypertext links on HTML pages generated by said collaborative page generator system.

14. An automated method for training an internet guide on the use of a collaborative internet guide system comprising:

transferring at least one predetermined HTML template from a collaborative internet guide system to a prospective internet guide

assigning said prospective guide to a subject area in a predetermined taxonomy of subjects that organize information on said collaborative internet guide system;

receiving an HTML template from said prospective guide that includes information input by said prospective guide;

combining said HTML template received from said prospective internet guide with information from a first file system, said first file system containing information for an internet frame that places the generated HTML page into said predetermined taxonomy of subjects for said collaborative internet guide system;

receiving comments on the quality of said combined HTML page from a guide trainer; and

transferring said comments from said guide trainer to said at least one internet guide via electronic transmission.

15. A method for training internet guides on the use of a collaborative internet guide system comprising:

providing a data template to at least one perspective internet guide, said data template for use with said collaborative guide system;

receiving a modified template from said at least one perspective internet guide, said modified template containing information input by said at least one perspective internet guide;

processing said modified template from said at least one perspective internet guide to generate a presentation format, said presentation format interacting with an application program to provide information to an internet participant about information available on the internet;

providing feedback to said at least one perspective internet guide, said feedback based at least in part by a review of said presentation format from said step of processing;

evaluating said at least one perspective internet guide, said evaluation based at least in part on information from said presentation format from said step of processing; and

designating access to said collaborative internet guide for said at least one perspective internet guide based at least in part on the results from said step of evaluating said presentation format from said step of processing, said designation of access determining whether said presentation format from said step of processing may be accessed by internet participants.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein said presentation format is in the hyper-text markup language.

17. The method of claim 15 wherein said step of processing further comprises:

accessing global information on said collaborative internet guide system, said global information forming said presentation format in combination with information from said at least one perspective internet guide stored on said modified data template from said step of receiving.