Patent ID: 6952716

Claim:
A method of collecting data on-line using an information network including a database, at least one character-enabled network site and a user interface, said method comprising: storing a plurality of character data in the database, the character data including at least one of audio data and visual image data; storing a plurality of character-attribute data in the database, the character-attribute data including at least one of audio data and visual image data; linking the character attribute data with one or more of the character data; presenting to the user interface through the character-enabled site, one or more character data defining one or more characters for selection by the user; upon selection of a character, presenting in real time to the user interface through the character-enabled site, the selected character along with at least one of the character-attribute data linked to the selected character for selection by the user; upon selection of a character attribute, presenting in real time to the user interface through the character-enabled site, the selected character including the selected character attribute, and tallying the number of times the selected character attribute has been selected; storing data in the database indicative of the selected character and selected character attribute, the selected character and selected character attributes collectively defining a character persona; storing a plurality of character-persona data, different from the character data and the character-attribute data, in the database, the character-persona data including at least one of audio presentations and visual image presentations; linking the character-persona data with one or more of the character-attribute data; and presenting to the user interface through the character-enabled site, one or more character-persona data linked to the character persona.