Patent ID: 8311949

Claim:
A method performed by an automated system, the method enabling a registrant to receive comments from at least one person anonymously in a group of people known to the registrant, including the at least one person known to the registrant, the system including an internet connected server comprising a processor and the system also having a database connected to the processor, wherein the method comprises the steps of: (a) receiving via the internet, by the processor, a registrant's answers to multiple questions about the registrant and storing, by the processor, the registrant's answers in the database; (al) receiving via the internet, by the processor, an identifier associated with the registrant from a person other than the registrant, wherein the registrant and the person are previously known to each other, and the person uses the system anonymously; (a2) validating, by the processor, the identifier; (b) after the identifier has been validated, prompting, by the processor, the person over the internet, the person being previously known to the registrant and wanting to provide anonymous comments to the registrant, to answer a plurality of questions from the multiple questions about the registrant; (c) determining, by the processor, the person's knowledge of personal information about the registrant by comparing the person's answers to the registrant's stored answers in the database and enabling the person previously known to the registrant to communicate anonymously with the registrant depending upon the comparison of the person's answers to the registrant's stored answers meeting at least a threshold amount; (cl) determining, by the processor, a closeness rating of the person to the registrant, wherein the closeness rating comprises at least one of a number of questions answered correctly by the person and a type of questions answered correctly by the person; and (d) communicating, by the processor and via the internet, comments of the person anonymously to the registrant in conjunction with the closeness rating; (e) sending to the registrant, via the internet, anonymous feedback by persons known to the registrant; and (f) enabling utilization of the closeness rating, by the registrant, to determine a significance of the anonymous feedback provided by persons known to the registrant.