Patent ID: 8521819

Claim:
A method for social networking in a network, comprising: broadcasting, by a first device, a first set comprising a keyword representing an interest of a first user in the network; receiving, by the first device, a response from a second device operated by a second user in the network, the response indicating an interest in the interest of the first user; and connecting, by the first device, to a server in the network, where the server hosts a first group for supporting a communication between the first device and the second device, wherein the server is selected by: determining whether one or more servers in the network are already hosting a second group that is similar to the first group; selecting a server already hosting a second group that is similar to the first group that has a lowest internet protocol address, if one or more servers in the network are already hosting a second group similar to the first group; and determining whether one or more servers in the network are capable of hosting the first group, if no servers in the network are already hosting a second group similar to the first group.