Patent ID: 8914443

Claim:
A method for managing an online service in which users interact with each other, the method comprising: creating a first forum having multiple instances thereof, wherein a first user is a member of a particular instance of the first forum; creating a second forum having multiple instances thereof, wherein a second user is a member of a particular instance of the second forum; receiving a request from the second user to join the first forum; identifying an interaction that occurred between the first and second users at a time when the first user was a member of the particular instance of the second forum; receiving a string of information from the first user, the string of information comprising an online address of the first user, wherein the online address is selected from a group consisting of an email address, an internet protocol address, and a domain name of a server; identifying the particular instance of the first forum based on the string of information; and in response to identification of the interaction and the request from the second user, placing the second user in the particular instance of the first forum.