Patent ID: 7289980

Claim:
A method for identifying, categorizing, and sharing web site links over a communications network via a web key tool, comprising: receiving a request at a first user client system to incorporate information relating to a web site into the web key tool, wherein the request includes a link to the web site; launching the web key tool at a second user client system in response to the second user client system receiving the request from the first user client system; selecting an option on a menu screen's list of options provided by the web key tool, wherein the option relates to the request to incorporate the information; associating the information and the link with a category; transmitting the information and the link to a central storage location associated with the web key tool; processing the information and the link, the processing determining whether or not the information and the link are approved for storage in the central storage location, the processing including: checking to ensure that the information and the link are complete; checking to ensure that the information and the link are not a duplicate of information submitted by authorized system users; and verifying that a user at the first user client system is authorized to submit the request; and, if the information and the link are approved as determined by the processing, then saving the approved information and the approved link in said central storage location; updating related database files with respect to the approved information and the approved link; and providing authorized system users with access to the approved information and the approved link in the central storage location via an input option at the first user client system; and if approval is not granted, the user either aborts the process or returns to the category selection option and repeat the selection process.