Patent ID: 7027993

Claim:
A method for computer networked consulting comprising; a) establishing a predetermined group comprising more than two members; b) receiving at a central location over a wide-area computer network, within a predetermined first time period for receipt of first electronic messages, a first electronic message from a first member of the group; c) providing the first message to a consultant for defining of a first query based on the first message; d) electronically sending the first query from the central location to at least a portion of the predetermined group and automatically starting monitoring of a predetermined second time period upon said sending; e) receiving over the wide-area computer network at the central location, within said predetermined second time period, at least one electronic message from at least one second member of the group comprising a response to the first query; f) preparing an analysis at the central location related to the first query and the response to it; g) electronically sending the analysis over the wide-area computer network from the central location to the predetermined group; h) electronically sending the first query from the central location to at least one non-group member if no messages are received within the predetermined second time period based on said monitoring; i) preparing a non-group analysis related to the non-group member responses to the first query; and j) electronically sending the non-group analysis from the central location to at least the first member of the group.