Patent ID: 8751327
Filing Date: 2014-06-10
Classification: G06Q

Abstract:
1. A computer-implemented method for an answer-providing service to interact with third-party users who submit questions to be answered based on responses from other third-party users, the interacting using email messages based on a defined messaging interface of the answer-providing service, the method comprising: receiving multiple questions to be answered that are each submitted by one of multiple third-party requester users in an email message received from the one requester user, each email message specifying information in a manner in accordance with the defined messaging interface of the answer-providing service; for each question specified by a requester user via an email message, receiving one or more command email messages that each indicate an action to be performed on behalf of an indicated requester user, wherein at least some of the received command email messages from indicated requester users are each to request performance of a command that is unrelated to any prior answer to any question; and for each of the received command email messages, automatically determining to perform the action indicated by the message on behalf of the indicated requester user only if the received command email message includes a tracking identifier that was previously generated by the answer-providing service and associated with the indicated requester user for a generated response email message sent to the indicated requester user, the automatic determining being performed by one or more programmed computing systems of the answer-providing service.