Patent ID: 8140691

Claim:
A method for controlling user access to a weblog, the method comprising: determining that a user of the weblog has a role in a workflow or does not have a role in the workflow, the weblog tracking the status of the workflow and the role being associated with a performance of at least one of a plurality of workflow steps of an instance of the workflow, the workflow being an application different from the weblog, the weblog displaying a plurality of first and second entries, the first entries being computer-generated and directly posted in response to being computer-generated during an execution of the instance of the workflow, the first entries relating to the user's tasks in the workflow, the second entries relating to the workflow or relating to non-workflow matters, the second entries posted by at least one of: the user of the weblog, a member having a role in the workflow, and an individual who fails to fulfill a role in the workflow; allowing the user to access at least a portion of the weblog in response to the determination of the role of the user; determining that the user has a granted permission in response to a determination that the user does not have a role in the instance of the workflow, the granted permission being dependent on a relationship between the user and the member having a role in the workflow; and allowing the user to access at least a portion of the weblog of which the user is assigned based on the role of the user in response to determining that the user has the granted permission.