Patent ID: 8306874

Claim:
A computer-implemented method of selling comprising: operating through a computer network an online community having members that include one or more agents each having a self-determined identity; having the one or more agents include self-determined content information as part of their self-determined identities, the self-determined identities being stored in a database system; having the one or more agents endorse product or service information in their identities in exchange for the possibility of a reward, the agent being rewarded upon the purchase of the product or service endorsed by another member of the online community; determining by one or more computers a degree of closeness of a relationship between the agent being rewarded and the other member of the online community, and determining a reward value based upon the determined degree of closeness; maintaining the database connected to the computer network and having a storage memory, the database associating the self-determined content information and product or service information with the respective one or more agents, the database containing searchable data relating to products or services; displaying via a display viewable by the member a viewable representation of the product or service information data by: receiving a view request from the computer network to view a selected agent's self-determined content information; assembling data corresponding to said selected agent's content information, including in said content information associated product or service information, including product or service display data; sending a product/service request via the computer network for the associated product or service information data, including contacting external retail services to get up-to-date retailer information about the product or service, the request sent from a content service provider to a word of mouth selling service provider; selecting via a selection device the products or services requested by the product/service request and merging the products or services with the content information; sending a product or service selection signal including data from the computer network indicating that the member of the online community who sent the view request wants to purchase one or more of the products or services; and directing the member of the online community to one of said associated selling service providers to purchase the one or more products or services indicated by the product or service selection signal.