Patent ID: 7100195

Claim:
A method for enabling an e-commerce web site to manage user information for both site server users and regular web site users, the method comprising the steps of: (a) providing a site server comprising a membership directory component with directory information stored thereon including preferences, roles, and details identifying the users, wherein the details of the users include a user name and a legal name; (b) providing a database separate from the membership directory component of the site server, the database having table information stored in a plurality of database tables, including preferences, roles, and details identifying the users, wherein the details of the users include a user name and a legal name, wherein the preferences include a currency in which monetary values are displayed and a language in which text is displayed, and wherein the roles relating to the users include a customer, a manager, and an employee; (c) authenticating an identity of one of the users with an active server page, for determining whether the user is a site server user or a regular web site user; (d) providing a single interface framework of components which provides user information access by both site server users and regular web site users upon authentication of the identity of the user; (e) allowing site server users to view and change the information identifying the user that is stored on the membership directory component of the site server; and (f) allowing regular web site users to view and change the information identifying the user that is stored on the plurality of database tables in the database.