Patent ID: 7899887

Claim:
A method for creating, editing, sharing and monitoring collaborative on-line multimedia albums at a central host system, the method comprising: receiving at the central host system, a request from a previously registered user to create and manage a collaborative on-line multimedia album at the central host system, dynamically allocating storage space on a data store coupled to the central host system to create the collaborative on-line multimedia album responsive to the said registered user request, providing the requesting registered user with exclusive authority as content manager of the collaborative on-line multimedia album for controlling, moderating and enforcing permissions and privileges associated with viewing, contributing and accessing content associated with the multimedia album, randomly receiving digital content contributions at the central host system from at least two content contributors for incorporation into the created multimedia album, making the received digital content contributions available in real-time for public and private viewing over one of a public or private network, wherein the digital content contributions are received at the central host system via one of a plurality of communication modes for receiving digital content from the at least two content contributors at the central host system, wherein the at least two content contributors comprise registered and anonymous content contributors, wherein the randomly contributed digital contributions are uploaded from said registered and anonymous content contributors to the central host system using non-proprietary software, and wherein the public and private viewing is hosted at the central host system, and wherein the public viewing comprises simultaneously viewing the received digital content contributions by a plurality of viewers in a public forum.