Patent ID: 7117254

Claim:
In a computer system including a server computer and a database of registered users that stores for each registered user, a user ID of the registered user and user IDs of registered users who are directly connected to the registered user, a method of managing content associated with the registered users, the method comprising the steps of: storing content relating to a first registered user that is submitted by a second registered user; retrieving a maximum degree of separation, wherein two registered users who are directly connected are deemed to be separated by one degree of separation and two registered users who are connected through no less than one other registered user are deemed to be separated by two degrees of separation and two registered users who are connected through no less than N other registered users are deemed to be separated by N+1 degrees of separation; calculating a degree of separation between the first registered user and the second registered user; requesting approval of the content from the first registered user if the calculated degree of separation is greater than the maximum degree of separation; receiving approval of the content from the first registered user; and associating the content with the first registered user.