Patent ID: 8356077

Claim:
A method for associating network-linked users with one another based on mutually-expressed indications of interest in device-accessible content, comprising: registering a user at a central user registry, the registering including recording at a non-transitory data storage medium information corresponding to an identity of the user; delivering to the registered user device-executable instructions configured, when executed by processing circuitry of a device network-linked to the user registry, to enable the user to register content at a central content registry, wherein the registration of the content includes: storing metadata of the content at a non-transitory data storage medium of the content registry, and associating with the content a marker comprising coded instructions configured, when executed on a data processing device, to present to the user a graphical user interface (GUI) object which, when selected by the registered user, initiates a network link with another user; detecting an action of another registered user upon content having metadata; detecting one or more similarities between metadata of content registered by the user and the metadata of the content acted upon by the other user; providing an interactive, network-enabled link between the registered user and the other registered user in response to selection by the registered user of the marker displayed at a display device associated with the registered user; and opening a new window on the user's display device in response to the registered user selecting the marker, wherein: the window includes a thumbnail representation of the content with which the marker was associated; the new window is configured to present to the registered user and to the other registered user a representation of a three-dimensional environment; and selecting an advertisement displayed within the three-dimensional environment, by an action of the registered user relative to the advertisement, causes the three-dimensional environment to display additional content posted by a sponsor of the advertisement.