Patent ID: 8019639
Filing Date: 2011-09-13
Classification: G06Q

Abstract:
1. A computer implemented method for conducting an online information service, the method comprising acts of: providing access for a plurality of registered users to an online information service hosted on a computer server, the plurality of registered users comprising at least information consumer users and information provider users; permitting, by the computer server, the information provider users and the information consumer users to create respective user defined events; permitting, by the computer server, the information provider users to submit opinions on user defined events; limiting, by the computer server, the information consumer users to creation of a respective user defined event and monitoring submitted opinions of the information provider users; providing a computer interface to at least one user of the plurality of registered users, wherein the computer interface is configured to accept information associated with a user defined event, wherein the information associated with the user defined event further comprises a possible outcome of a future event, and wherein the user interface is further configured to accept an observation associated with the possible outcome of the future event; accepting from the at least one user, over a communication network, information associated with the user defined event, including the possible outcome of the future event; collecting opinion information from a plurality of the registered information provider users, by the computer server, the opinion information relating to the user-defined event, wherein the opinion information collected from the plurality of information provider users includes at least a respective user's opinion on the possible outcome of the future event; calculating, by a processor, a consensus for the collected opinion information, wherein the consensus includes a determination for the possible outcome of the future event; compensating, by the computer server, the information provider users in response to submission of respective opinion information relating to the user defined event; limiting, by the computer server, a length of time for receiving compensation for submission of the opinion information, wherein the act of limiting includes at least one of an act of varying the compensation provided based on a timing of the submission of opinion information, and limiting the length of time based on the calculation of consensus; and transmitting, over a communication network, at least one of the opinion information and the consensus to at least one information consumer.