Patent ID: 7565344
Filing Date: 2009-07-21
Classification: G06Q,Y10S

Abstract:
1. A method for establishing a social connection, the method being implemented by one or more processors that combine to perform steps comprising: maintaining a list comprising a plurality of participants, wherein each participant in the plurality of participants corresponds to an organization or an individual, wherein the list includes information associated with at least some of the participants, and wherein the information associated with each participant includes biographical information, the biographical information identifying a geographic region that is associated with, or deemed a residing location, of each of at least some of the participants; enabling a user to communicate with a selected participant that (i) is not known to the user, and (ii) is familiar with a geographic region of interest to the user, in order for the user to learn more information about a problem or interest the user has that is specific to the geographic region, wherein enabling the user to communicate with the participant is performed by: presenting the user with a plurality of categories from which the user may make a selection of a category from the plurality of categories; receiving the selection of the category by the user; in conjunction with the selection of the category, receiving an electronic communication from the user for an unidentified respondent, wherein the electronic communication contains an inquiry of the user, the inquiry specifying a particular location that corresponds to the geographic region of interest; after receiving the selection of the category by the user, programmatically making a selection of at least one participant for receiving the electronic communication based at least in part on (i) the selection of the category, (ii) the information associated with the at least one participant, including the geographic region identified by the biographic information of the at least one participant corresponding to the particular location that is specified in the inquiry; sending the inquiry to one or more participants of the selection without identifying the one or more participants to the user; enabling any of the one or more participants to provide a response to the inquiry, wherein each response includes information about the participant sending the response; wherein the step of enabling any of the one or more participants to send a response to the inquiry to the user includes establishing an online communication forum for the user and the one or more participants to communicate on; sending one or more electronic communications to the user that correspond to the response provided by each of the one or more participants, wherein sending the one or more electronic communications includes providing at least a portion of the biographical information associated with each participant, while enabling at least one of that participant's identity or contact information to be shielded from the user; performing one or more actions to monitor at least one of the participants when that participant communicates with the user, the one or more actions include processing a feedback from the user about the at least one of the participants, the feedback including an indication from the user about a quality of the response from the one participant.