Patent ID: 8005896

Claim:
A computer system that supports controlled exchange over a network of digital content information pertaining to a plurality of users, the computer system comprising: a networked server system accessible by remote user devices via the network, the networked server system comprising at least one processor and at least one memory storing executable program instructions; and one or more databases accessible by the networked server system and storing content information and exchange settings of registered users; the networked server system being programmed, via the executable program instructions, to: (a) store in the one or more databases the content information received from a first user for association with the first user, the content information comprising profile information about the first user and additional multimedia content of a plurality of data types, the content information comprising multiple data items which each correspond to a different subset of the content information; (b) store in the one or more databases the exchange settings received from the first user for specifying access to one or more of the multiple data items of the content information to one or more categories of requesting users so as to define one or more user profiles containing those of the one or more of the multiple data items specified as being accessible to a particular category of the requesting users; (c) receive a request from a second user to permit the exchange of content information with the first user; (d) send an electronic notification of the requested exchange to the first user; (e) provide an option for the first user to permit the requested exchange of the content information; and (f) receive permission for the requested exchange from the first user; and (g) establish the second user as a contact of the first user and provide the first user and the second user access to each of their respective user profiles via the network, wherein the second user is provided access to the particular user profile previously specified by the first user's exchange settings for a category of requesting users to which the second user has been associated by the first user.