Patent ID: 8756284

Claim:
A method of minimizing potential misdirection of an electronic communication, the method comprising: indicating, in a global directory of records for potential recipients of electronic communications, one or more potential recipients as ambiguous potential recipients, each potential recipient having an associated record of the global directory of records, and each potential recipient being susceptible to selection to indicate a wrong potential recipient of electronic communications, the global directory being shared by multiple originators of electronic communications, wherein the indicating comprises providing additional information associated with the records, of the global directory of records, associated with the ambiguous potential recipients as a guide to facilitate resolving potential ambiguity when an ambiguous potential recipient is selected to receive an electronic communication; receiving, based on a selection by an originator of an electronic communication, an indication of a potential recipient to receive the electronic communication; identifying an address for the potential recipient; identifying a record, of the global directory of records, to which the identified address for the potential recipient resolves, wherein the record is associated with the potential recipient, and wherein a portion of the additional information associated with the records is associated with the identified record; determining that the selected potential recipient is an ambiguous potential recipient based at least partially on the portion of additional information associated with the record, wherein the determining occurs absent any communication between the originator and the ambiguous potential recipient indicating the potential recipient as an ambiguous potential recipient; and based on the determining, automatically indicating to the originator, by a processor, that the selected potential recipient is an ambiguous potential recipient and providing to the originator at least some of the portion of additional information associated with the record to facilitate resolving any ambiguity and avoid possible misdirection of the electronic communication to the address for the potential recipient, wherein the at least some of the portion of additional information comprises a list of other potential recipients, and wherein the automatically indicating that the selected potential recipient is an ambiguous potential recipient includes providing a warning to the originator that the selected potential recipient is an ambiguous potential recipient and providing the list of other potential recipients as a guide of potential recipients that may have been intended to receive the electronic communication.