Abstract:
A method of and system for operating an electronic discussion based forum for users. The method comprising: receiving one or more topics for discussion from the users; posting the topics for discussion on the forum; receiving responses to the topics or responses to responses; posting the responses to the topic or the responses to responses on the forum; and providing periodic emails to the users of the forum indicating new responses have been posted.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
   The present invention relates to the field of communications between users over the World Wide Web (WWW) or a private network; more specifically, it relates to a method and system for tracking responses posted on forums accessible by users via the WWW or the private network. 
   BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   Computer users can access many resources including user discussion forums over an expansive international network of computer networks known as the Internet (WWW is a graphical sub-network of the Internet) or through private networks. When users access forums, they may post questions or answers to questions asked by other users. Generally, there is a delay of a few hours to a few days or more in a response to a posted question or answer. The forum users must continually return to the forum website (or site in the case of a private network) and search the forum for responses since the user has no way of knowing when or if a response has been posted. This can be a very time consuming process. Often the user forgets to check for many days, so the user then has very many responses to read through. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   A first aspect of the present invention is a method of operating an electronic discussion based forum for users comprising: receiving one or more topics for discussion from the users; posting the topics for discussion on the forum; receiving responses to the topics or responses to responses; posting the responses to the topic or the responses to responses on the forum; and providing periodic emails to the users of the forum indicating new responses have been posted. 
   A second aspect of the present invention is a system for operating an electronic discussion based forum for users comprising: means for receiving one or more topics for discussion from the users; means for posting the topics for discussion on the forum; means for receiving responses to the topics or responses to responses; means for posting the responses to the topic or the responses to responses on the forum; and means for providing periodic emails to the users of the forum indicating new responses have been posted. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS 
     The features of the invention are set forth in the appended claims. The invention itself, however, will be best understood by reference to the following detailed description of an illustrative embodiment when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein: 
       FIG. 1  is pictorial representation of the hierarchical structure of a user forum; 
       FIG. 2  is pictorial representation of the databases for tracking responses to a forum topic according to the present invention; 
       FIG. 3  is a block diagram of a server system for implementing the present invention; 
       FIG. 4  is a flowchart illustrating the method of the present invention; 
       FIG. 5  is pictorial representation of a tracking view according to the present invention; 
       FIG. 6  is a flowchart of a first method for a user to set up response tracking according to the present invention; 
       FIG. 7  is a flowchart of a second method for a user to set up response tracking according to the present invention; 
       FIG. 8  is pictorial representation of an interest selection screen according to the present invention; and. 
       FIG. 9  is a schematic block diagram of a general-purpose computer for practicing the present invention. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     FIG. 1  is pictorial representation of the hierarchical structure of a user forum. In  FIG. 1 , a forum may include multiple topics and each topic many include many responses. There are two types of responses possible. The first type of response is a response to the topic itself. The second type of response is a response to a previously posted response. Responses to responses may be nested. An exemplary set of responses is illustrated under topic  1 . The list of responses for a given topic and their interrelationship is called a thread. For clarity, responses to topics  2  through N are not illustrated. Each response includes a posting date. A posting date includes a date stamp and may include a timestamp as well. A posting date is defined as the date or date and time on which a response to a forum topic or a response to a response is placed on the forum site. The present invention will be described in a WWW/Internet environment. A person of ordinary skill in the art will understand that the invention is applicable to private networks such as local area networks (LAN)s as well. 
     FIG. 2  is pictorial representation of the databases for tracking responses to a forum topic according to the present invention. In  FIG. 1  a shell database  100  is linked to a forum database  105  and a user account database  110 . Shell database  100  includes web interface elements  115 , which essentially provide the means for displaying web pages and content. Shell database  100  also includes an agent  120  that assembles periodic tracking emails. Forum database  105  includes the hierarchy of topics and responses as illustrated in  FIG. 1  and described supra, for one or more forums. User account database  110  includes usernames, user passwords, user email addresses. User database also includes, for each user, a list of forums and topics (hereafter called interests), a temporal indication of when the last new responses were found for each interest and a cross reference to the actual file IDs of the tracked forums and topics. The temporal indication of the last time there were new responses may be a date that the last periodic email was sent, a date and a time that the last periodic email was sent, a date that agent  120  was last run or a date and a time that agent  120  was last run. The initial value of the temporal indication is the date or the date and time that the interest was enabled for tracking. Hereafter, the temporal indication of the time there were last new responses (i. e. the date that the last periodic email was sent, the date and a time that the last periodic email was sent, the date that agent  120  was last run or the date and a time that agent  120  was last run, will be referred to as the last new response date. 
   Agent  120  provides three functions. The first function provided by agent  120  is to read a tracking view (illustrated in  FIG. 5  and described infra) based on each users interests and the last new response date. Generation of the tracking view is illustrated in  FIG. 3  and described infra. The second function provided by agent  120  is to query forum database  105  for new responses. A new response is a response posted after the last new response date for a given interest. The third function of agent  120  is to cause a tracking email to be sent to each user having an interest to which a new response has been posted. After a tracking email is sent, agent  120  replaces the old last new response date with a new last new response date. 
   Tracking emails are sent only to users having an interest to which a new response to that interest has been posted. The content of a tracking email is either subjects of the responses themselves and a list of universal resource locators (URL) pointing to the qualified responses. It is possible to include the entire response, but doing so requires more server resources than including just the subject and URL of each response. 
     FIG. 3  is a block diagram of a server system for implementing the present invention. In  FIG. 3 , shell database  100 , forum database  105  and user accounts database  110  are contained in a WEB application server  125 . Web application server  125  generates the tracking view, which is stored in user accounts database  110 . Web application server  125  links to a multiplicity of user personal computers (PCs)  130 A through  130 X via the WWW. WWW may be replaced by a LAN. Each PC  130 A through  130 X includes an email client  135  for receiving email and a browser  140  for linking to Web application server  125  via the WWW. An example of a browser is NETSCAPE™. 
   Tracking emails are not sent by agent  120 , but rather by an email server  145  via WWW under the direction of agent  120 . As discussed supra, agent  120  assembles the tracking emails. 
     FIG. 4  is a flowchart illustrating the method of the present invention. In step  150 , the tracking view is generated. The tracking view is a list of users having interests that those users have indicated they want tracked. The tracking view is illustrated in  FIG. 5  and described infra. User selection of interests and tracking is discussed more fully infra, in reference to  FIG. 8 . In step  155 , the first or next user in the tracking view is selected. In step  160 , a blank email to the selected user is generated. In step  165 , the first/next interest for the current user is selected. In step  170 , the forum and topic of the current interest is queried for a response having a posting date or date and time later the last new response date. In step  175 , all new responses are selected. There may be multiple new responses. In step  180 , the new responses themselves or URLs to the new responses are embedded in the tracking email. In step  185 , it is determined if there is another interest for the current user. If there is another interest for the current user, the method loops to step  165 . If all the interests for the current user have been selected then the method proceeds to step  190 . In step  190 , several tracking email options exist and one or more options are executed. If there are one or more new responses, the email is sent to the current user as a tracking email. If there are no new responses, no tracking email is sent. An optional feature is to send an advisory email that a forum, a topic or one or more responses are archived and not directly available. Also, in step  190 , user accounts database  110  (see  FIG. 2 ) is updated to reflect a new date or date and time of the last new responses. In step  195 , it is determined if there is another user in the tracking view. If there is another user, the method loops to step  155 . If all the users in the tracking view have been selected then the method terminates. 
     FIG. 5  is pictorial representation of a tracking view according to the present invention. A tracking view may exist in any number of forms dependent upon the software and server environment. A tracking view contains the entire information agent  120  (see  FIG. 2 ) requires. In  FIG. 5 , the tracking view is organized into rows and columns. There are 1 through L rows, one row for each user. Each user appears only once. The first column of each row contains the username, the second column the user email address. Next are K interest columns subdivided into three sub-columns. The first sub-column identifies a tracked forum, the second sub-column identifies the topic and the third sub-column lists the last new response date. While the number of users may be unlimited or limited only by the physical constraints of the server, the number of tracked interests may be limited to the number K. For example, K may be 20, thus forcing users to manage the number of interests they want tracked to prevent overloading agent  120  (see  FIG. 2 ). 
     FIG. 6  is a flowchart of a first method for a user to set up response tracking according to the present invention. In step  200 , a user logs onto a website. In step  205 , the user selects a forum. In step  210 , the user selects a topic. In step  215 , the user request that the forum/topic be tracked and that tracking emails be sent. In step  220 , a screen is displayed on the user&#39;s computer showing the user&#39;s tracking selections and allowing tracking to be selectively enabled or disabled. This screen is illustrated in  FIG. 8  and described infra. In step  225 , an initial last new responses date is set to the current date or date and time. In step  230 , upon exiting the screen by returning to a forum or topic or exiting the Website, the interests (including forum and topic) and the initial last new response date is stored in user accounts database  110  (see  FIG. 2 ). In step  235 , the user either returns to a forum, a topic or logs off. Note that steps  205  through  230  may be repeated as many times as the user goes to new forum and steps  210  through  230  may be repeated as many times as the user goes to new topics. 
     FIG. 7  is a flowchart of a second method for a user to set up response tracking according to the present invention. In step  250 , a user logs onto a website. In step  255 , the user selects a forum. In step  260 , the user selects a topic. In step  265 , the user posts a response or posts a new topic. In step  270 , the user is asked if they want the to track responses to their posting. If the response is “yes” in step  270  then the method proceeds to step  275 . In step  275 , a screen is displayed on the user&#39;s computer showing the user&#39;s tracking selections and allowing tracking to be selectively enabled or disabled. This screen is illustrated in  FIG. 8  and described infra. Next in step  280 , an initial last new responses date is set to the current date or current date and time. In step  285 , upon exiting the screen, the interests (including forum and topic) and the initial last new response date is stored in user accounts database  110  (see  FIG. 2 ). In step  290 , the user either returns to a forum, a topic or logs off. Note that steps  255  through  290  may be repeated as many times as the user goes to new forum and steps  260  through  290  may be repeated as many times as the user goes to new topics. If the answer is “no” in step  270 , the method goes directly to step  290 . 
     FIG. 8  is pictorial representation of an interest selection screen according to the present invention. In  FIG. 8 , an interest tracking selections screen  300  includes a multiplicity of text display boxes  305 . Each text display box  305  includes a first portion  310  for displaying a forum name and a second portion  315  for displaying a topic name for the forum listed in first portion  310  of each text display box  305 . In one example, the forum and topic names are generated by web user interface elements  115  of shell database  100  (see  FIG. 2 ) and a cross-reference to the actual forum file ID and topic file ID stored in user accounts database  110  (see  FIG. 2 ). In a second example, the forum name, topic name or both the forum name and topic name are entered or may be overwritten by the user, though a cross-reference to the actual forum file ID and topic file ID are in user accounts database  110  (see  FIG. 2 ). 
   Interest tracking selections screen  300  also includes a multiplicity of check boxes  320  and buttons  325 . When a check box  320  is checked, then tracking emails for the corresponding interest is enabled. Alternatively, check boxes  320  would be replaced by buttons that open the interests and email check boxes would be displayed on individual interest screens. In the present example of  FIG. 8 , the user has selected only 17 of a maximum of 20 interests and of these 17 only 15 are enabled for actual response tracking (interests 9 and 10 are inactive). An option is to assign a “soft” maximum of 10 interests and then allow an increase to a “hard” maximum of 20 interests when a user requests an eleventh interest to be tracked. Check boxes  320  allow for temporary stopping of tracking emails for a topic. Button  325  allows selection of an interest  305  to be removed when the user no longer wishes to track an interest and permanently wants it removed or if a user has reached the maximum number of interests and wants to replace an older interest with a new interest. Interest tracking selections screen  300  includes a return button  330  and an exit button  335  for navigating the website. 
   Generally, the method described herein with respect to a method for tracking responses to a forum topic is practiced with a general-purpose computer and the method may be coded as a set of instructions on removable or hard media for use by the general-purpose computer.  FIG. 9  is a schematic block diagram of a general-purpose computer for practicing the present invention. In  FIG. 9 , computer system  400  has at least one microprocessor or central processing unit (CPU)  405 . CPU  405  is interconnected via a system bus  410  to a random access memory (RAM)  415 , a read-only memory (ROM)  420 , an input/output (I/O) adapter  425  for a connecting a removable data and/or program storage device  430  and a mass data and/or program storage device  435 , a user interface adapter  440  for connecting a keyboard  445  and a mouse  450 , a port adapter  455  for connecting a data port  460  and a display adapter  465  for connecting a display device  470 . 
   ROM  420  contains the basic operating system for computer system  400 . The operating system may alternatively reside in RAM  415  or elsewhere as is known in the art. Examples of removable data and/or program storage device  430  include magnetic media such as floppy drives and tape drives and optical media such as CD ROM drives. Examples of mass data and/or program storage device  435  include hard disk drives and non-volatile memory such as flash memory. In addition to keyboard  445  and mouse  450 , other user input devices such as trackballs, writing tablets, pressure pads, microphones, light pens and position-sensing screen displays may be connected to user interface  440 . Examples of display devices include cathode-ray tubes (CRT) and liquid crystal displays (LCD). 
   A computer program with an appropriate application interface may be created by one of skill in the art and stored on the system or a data and/or program storage device to simplify the practicing of this invention. In operation, information for or the computer program created to run the present invention is loaded on the appropriate removable data and/or program storage device  430 , fed through data port  460  or typed in using keyboard  445 . 
   In one example, the present invention is implemented in Lotus Notes™. In Lotus Notes™, shell database  100  (see  FIG. 2 ) is the file profile.nsf, user accounts database  110  (see  FIG. 2 ) is the file names.nsf in which agent  120  (see  FIG. 2 ) resides and where the tracking view is stored. In Lotus Notes, interests and tracking options are stored in the file my.notes.net and tracking emails received from MyLDD@notes.net. In Lotus Notes™ a topic is accessed through its Doc UNID and a forum through a Parent UNID. An example of a Lotus Notes™ website is the Lotus Developer Domain web site and an example of a forum within the website is the Notes/Domino 6 Forum. 
   The description of the embodiments of the present invention is given above for the understanding of the present invention. It will be understood that the invention is not limited to the particular embodiments described herein, but is capable of various modifications, rearrangements and substitutions as will now become apparent to those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the invention. Therefore, it is intended that the following claims cover all such modifications and changes as fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention.