Patent ID: 7685231

Claim:
A method for registering a new member of a web-based information management system that includes a plurality of registered members, the method comprising: receiving permission to solicit the new member from a third-party source at the web-based information management system, the permission including new member identification data, the new member identification data including a new member email address; initiating a single interaction from the web-based information management system to the new member, the single interaction consisting of: a) communicating a solicitation message from the web-based information management system to the new member, the solicitation message including a unique identifier corresponding to at least the new member email address of the new member identification data, and b) receiving a confirmation message at the web-based information management system, the confirmation message in reply to the solicitation message and including the unique identifier corresponding to at least the new member email address of the new member identification data; matching the unique identifier corresponding to at least the new member email address of the new member identification data from the solicitation message to the unique identifier corresponding to at least the new member email address of the new member identification data from the confirmation message; and when the unique identifier corresponding to at least the new member email address of the new member identification data from the solicitation message matches the unique identifier corresponding to at least the new member email address of the new member identification data from the confirmation message, confirming the new member's ownership of the new member email address using the single interaction.