Method and system for determining and notifying users of undesirable network content

• US 7,797,421 B1
• Filed: 12/15/2006
• Issued: 09/14/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/15/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Inventors: Scofield, Christopher L., Pope, Elmore Eugene, Merritt, Eric B., Marshall, Brad E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran; Philip B
• Application Number:
  US11/611,696
• Time in Patent Office: 1,369 Days
• Field of Search: 709/203, 709217-219, 709223-224
• US Class Current: 709/224
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/1416 Event detection, e.g. attack signature detection
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/1466 Active attacks involving interception, injection, modification, spoofing of data unit addresses, e.g. hijacking, packet injection or TCP sequence number attacks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/168 above the transport layer
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]

Abstract

A method and system for determining and notifying users of undesirable network content are disclosed. According to one embodiment, a method may include detecting an adverse content event corresponding to a given network information source, where the adverse content event occurs dependent upon activity of a given user with respect to the given network information source. The method may also include reporting the adverse content event with respect to the given network information source, detecting a reference to the given network information source on behalf of a particular user, and in response to detecting the reference, retrieving an indication corresponding to the given network information source, where the indication is determined dependent upon adverse content events reported with respect to the given network information source. The method may further include notifying the particular user of possible undesirable content with respect to the given network information source dependent upon the indication.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

detecting, at a client computer system, an adverse content event corresponding to a given one of a plurality of network information sources, wherein said adverse content event occurs dependent upon activity of a given one of a plurality of users with respect to said given network information source;

reporting, from said client computer system to a remote computer system, said adverse content event with respect to said given network information source;

detecting, at a client computer system, a reference to another network information source on behalf of said given one of said plurality of users;

in response to detecting said reference, retrieving, by the client computer system from the remote computer system, an indication corresponding to said another network information source, wherein said indication is determined dependent upon a weight for said another network information source calculated from a plurality of previously reported adverse content events with respect to said another network information source that were previously reported by a plurality of different client computer systems on behalf of others of said plurality of users; and

dependent upon said indication, notifying, by the client computer system, said given user of possible undesirable content with respect to said another network information source.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein detecting said adverse content event comprises detecting that said given user has navigated away from said given network information source within a threshold period of time after requesting access to said given network information source.

3. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein detecting said adverse content event comprises detecting that a request by said given user to access said given network information source has been blocked.

4. The method as recited in claim 3, wherein detecting that said request has been blocked comprises detecting that a browser with which said given user is interacting has blocked said request.

5. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein detecting said adverse content event comprises detecting that an electronic mail client associated with said given user is configured to block electronic mail for which at least a portion of a corresponding electronic mail address is associated with said given network information source.

6. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein detecting said adverse content event comprises detecting that said given user has directly indicated said given network information source as undesirable.

7. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein detecting said reference to said another network information source on behalf of said given user comprises detecting a request by said given user to access said another network information source.

8. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein detecting said reference to said another network information source on behalf of said given user comprises detecting said reference to said another network information source within yet another network information source with which said given user is interacting.

9. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein notifying said given user dependent upon said indication comprises determining whether said indication satisfies a notification threshold and conditionally notifying said given user dependent upon said determining.

10. The method as recited in claim 9, wherein said notification threshold is adjustable.

11. The method as recited in claim 10, wherein said notification threshold is adjustable by said given user.

12. The method as recited in claim 9, wherein said notification threshold is determined on behalf of said given user dependent upon a user segment to which said given user belongs.

13. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein notifying said given user of possible undesirable content with respect to said another network information source comprises displaying a message indicating possible undesirable content to said given user prior to displaying said another network information source to said given user.

14. The method as recited in claim 13, wherein displaying said another network information source to said given user is performed contingent upon said given user acknowledging said message.

15. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein notifying said given user of possible undesirable content with respect to said another network information source comprises altering the visual appearance of a reference to said another network information source displayed within yet another network information source with which said given user is interacting.

16. The method as recited in claim 15, wherein altering the visual appearance of said reference to said another network information source comprises preventing said reference from being displayed to said given user.

17. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein said another network information source includes a content source.

18. The method as recited in claim 17, wherein said content source is associated with a Uniform Resource Identifier (URI).

19. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein said another network information source includes a navigation path among two or more content sources, wherein said indication is specific to said navigation path and does not apply to one of the two or more content sources for another navigation path to that content source.

20. A computer-readable non-transitory storage medium comprising instructions, wherein the instructions are computer-executable to:

detect, at a client computer system, an adverse content event corresponding to a given one of a plurality of network information sources, wherein said adverse content event occurs dependent upon activity of a given one of a plurality of users with respect to said given network information source;

report, from said client computer system to a remote computer system, said adverse content event with respect to said given network information source;

detect, at a client computer system, a reference to another network information source on behalf of said given one of said plurality of users;

in response to detecting said reference, retrieve, by the client computer system from the remote computer system, an indication corresponding to said another network information source, wherein said indication is determined dependent upon a weight for said another network information source calculated from a plurality of previously reported adverse content events with respect to said another network information source that were previously reported by a plurality of different client computer systems on behalf of others of said plurality of users; and

dependent upon said indication, notify, by the client computer system, said given user of possible undesirable content with respect to said another network information source.

21. The computer-readable non-transitory storage medium as recited in claim 20, wherein to detect said adverse content event, the instructions are further executable to detect that said given user has navigated away from said given network information source within a threshold period of time after requesting access to said given network information source.

22. The computer-readable non-transitory storage medium as recited in claim 20, wherein to detect said adverse content event, the instructions are further executable to detect that a request by said given user to access said given network information source has been blocked.

23. The computer-readable non-transitory storage medium as recited in claim 22, wherein to detect that said request has been blocked, the instructions are further executable to detect that a browser with which said given user is interacting has blocked said request.

24. The computer-readable non-transitory storage medium as recited in claim 20, wherein to detect said adverse content event, the instructions are further executable to detect that an electronic mail client associated with said given user is configured to block electronic mail for which at least a portion of a corresponding electronic mail address is associated with said given network information source.

25. The computer-readable non-transitory storage medium as recited in claim 20, wherein to detect said adverse content event, the instructions are further executable to detect that said given user has directly indicated said given network information source as undesirable.

26. The computer-readable non-transitory storage medium as recited in claim 20, wherein to detect said reference to said another network information source on behalf of said given user, the instructions are further executable to detect a request by said given user to access said another network information source.

27. The computer-readable non-transitory storage medium as recited in claim 20, wherein to detect said reference to said another network information source on behalf of said given user, the instructions are further executable to detect said reference to said another network information source within vet another network information source with which said particular given user is interacting.

28. The computer-readable non-transitory storage medium as recited in claim 20, wherein to notify said given user dependent upon said indication, the instructions are further executable to determine whether said indication satisfies a notification threshold and to conditionally notify said given user dependent upon said determining.

29. The computer-readable non-transitory storage medium as recited in claim 28, wherein said notification threshold is adjustable.

30. The computer-readable non-transitory storage medium as recited in claim 29, wherein said notification threshold is adjustable by said particular given user.

31. The computer-readable non-transitory storage medium as recited in claim 28, wherein said notification threshold is determined on behalf of said given user dependent upon a user segment to which said given user belongs.

32. The computer-readable non-transitory storage medium as recited in claim 20, wherein to notify said given user of possible undesirable content with respect to said another network information source, the instructions are further executable to display a message indicating possible undesirable content to said given user prior to displaying said another network information source to said particular given user.

33. The computer-readable non-transitory storage medium as recited in claim 32, wherein the instructions are further executable to display said another network information source to said given user contingent upon said given user acknowledging said message.

34. The computer-readable non-transitory storage medium as recited in claim 20, wherein to notify said given user of possible undesirable content with respect to said another network information source, the instructions are further executable to alter the visual appearance of a reference to said another network information source displayed within another network information source with which said particular given user is interacting.

35. The computer-readable non-transitory storage medium as recited in claim 34, wherein to alter the visual appearance of said reference to said another network information source, the instructions are further executable to prevent said reference from being displayed to said given user.

36. The computer-readable non-transitory storage medium as recited in claim 20, wherein said given network information source includes a content source.

37. The computer-readable non-transitory storage medium as recited in claim 36, wherein said content source is associated with a Uniform Resource Identifier (URI).

38. The computer-readable non-transitory storage medium as recited in claim 20, wherein said given network information source includes a navigation path among two or more content sources, wherein said indication is specific to said navigation path and does not apply to one of the two or more content sources for another navigation path to that content source.

39. A method, comprising:

detecting, at a computer system, a plurality of reports of adverse content events corresponding to a plurality of network information sources, wherein said different ones of the adverse content events are reported in response to activity of different ones of a plurality of users with respect to different ones of said plurality of network information sources;

determining, by the computer system, a respective indication corresponding to each network information source dependent upon said adverse content events for that network information resource, wherein each indication is determined dependent upon a weight for the corresponding network information source calculated from the adverse content events reported for that network information source;

storing, by the computer system, each respective indication; and

in response to a request to retrieve a respective one of the indications for a given one of the plurality of network information sources on behalf of a particular one of said plurality of users, conveying said respective indication to a client configured to display said given network information source, wherein said respective indication is based upon a plurality of previously reported adverse content events with respect to said given network information source that were previously reported by a plurality of different client computer systems on behalf of different ones of said plurality of users.

40. The method as recited in claim 39, wherein determining said indication is performed such that said indication is correlated with an indication of content interest associated with said given network information source and is inversely correlated with an adjustment value indicative of said adverse content event.

41. The method as recited in claim 40, wherein said indication of content interest is determined dependent upon content request traffic directed to said given network information source.

42. The method as recited in claim 40, wherein said indication of content interest is determined dependent upon a time rate of change of content request traffic directed to said given network information source.

43. The method as recited in claim 39, wherein determining said indication comprises determining an adjustment value configured to offset an indication of content interest, wherein said indication is determined dependent upon content request traffic directed to said given network information source.

44. The method as recited in claim 39, wherein said report of said adverse content event includes an indication of a particular one of a plurality of user segments to which said adverse content event corresponds, wherein said indication is included within a plurality of indications, wherein each of said plurality of indications corresponds respectively to said plurality of user segments, and wherein determining said indication corresponding to said given network information source dependent upon said adverse content event comprises selecting said indication from among said plurality of indications dependent upon said indication of said particular user segment.

45. The method as recited in claim 44, wherein said request to retrieve said indication includes a corresponding indication of a given one of said user segments to which said particular user belongs, and wherein conveying said indication to said client comprises selecting said indication from among said plurality of indications dependent upon said indication of said given user segment.

46. The method as recited in claim 39, wherein said report of said adverse content event includes an indication of a particular one of adverse content event types to which said adverse content event corresponds, wherein said indication is included within a plurality of indications, wherein each of said plurality of indications corresponds respectively to said plurality of adverse content event types, and wherein determining said indication corresponding to said given network information source dependent upon said adverse content event comprises selecting said indication from among said plurality of indications dependent upon said indication of said particular adverse content event type.

47. The method as recited in claim 39, wherein said given network information source includes a content source.

48. The method as recited in claim 47, wherein said content source is associated with a Uniform Resource Identifier (URI).

49. The method as recited in claim 39, wherein said given network information source includes a navigation path among two or more content sources.

50. A computer-readable non-transitory storage medium comprising instructions, wherein the instructions are executable to:

detect, at a computer system, a plurality of reports of adverse content events corresponding to a plurality of network information sources, wherein different ones of the adverse content events are reported in response to activity of different ones of a plurality of users with respect to different ones of said plurality of network information sources;

determine, by the computer system, a respective indication corresponding to each network information source dependent upon said adverse content events for that network information resource, wherein each indication is determined dependent upon a weight for the corresponding network information source calculated from the adverse content events reported for that network information source;

store, by the computer system, each respective indication; and

in response to a request to retrieve a respective one of the indications for a given one of the plurality of network information sources on behalf of a particular one of said plurality of users, convey said respective indication to a client configured to display said given network information source wherein said respective indication is based upon a plurality of previously reported adverse content events with respect to said given network information source that were previously reported by a plurality of different client computer systems on behalf of different ones of said plurality of users.

51. The computer-readable non-transitory storage medium as recited in claim 50, wherein the instructions are further executable to determine said indication such that said indication is correlated with an indication of content interest associated with said given network information source and is inversely correlated with an adjustment value indicative of said adverse content event.

52. The computer-readable non-transitory storage medium as recited in claim 51, wherein said indication of content interest is determined dependent upon content request traffic directed to said given network information source.

53. The computer-readable non-transitory storage medium as recited in claim 51, wherein said indication of content interest is determined dependent upon a time rate of change of content request traffic directed to said given network information source.

54. The computer-readable non-transitory storage medium as recited in claim 50, wherein to determine said indication, the instructions are further executable to determine an adjustment value configured to offset an indication of content interest, wherein said indication is determined dependent upon content request traffic directed to said given network information source.

55. The computer-readable non-transitory storage medium as recited in claim 50, wherein said report of said adverse content event includes an indication of a particular one of a plurality of user segments to which said adverse content event corresponds, wherein said indication is included within a plurality of indications, wherein each of said plurality of indications corresponds respectively to said plurality of user segments, and wherein to determine said indication corresponding to said given network information source dependent upon said adverse content event, the instructions are further executable to select said indication from among said plurality of indications dependent upon said indication of said particular user segment.

56. The computer-readable non-transitory storage medium as recited in claim 55, wherein said request to retrieve said indication includes a corresponding indication of a given one of said user segments to which said particular user belongs, and wherein to convey said indication to said client, the instructions are further executable to select said indication from among said plurality of indications dependent upon said indication of said given user segment.

57. The computer-readable non-transitory storage medium as recited in claim 50, wherein said report of said adverse content event includes an indication of a particular one of adverse content event types to which said adverse content event corresponds, wherein said indication is included within a plurality of indications, wherein each of said plurality of indications corresponds respectively to said plurality of adverse content event types, and wherein to determine said indication corresponding to said given network information source dependent upon said adverse content event, the instructions are further executable to select said indication from among said plurality of indications dependent upon said indication of said particular adverse content event type.

58. The computer-readable non-transitory storage medium as recited in claim 50, wherein said given network information source includes a content source.

59. The computer-readable non-transitory storage medium as recited in claim 58, wherein said content source is associated with a Uniform Resource Identifier (URI).

60. The computer-readable non-transitory storage medium as recited in claim 50, wherein said given network information source includes a navigation path among two or more content sources.