U.S. patent application number 12/854082 was filed with the patent office on 2012-02-16 for social-topical adaptive networking (stan) system allowing for cooperative inter-coupling with external social networking systems and other content sources.
Invention is credited to James Beattie, Gideon Gimlan, Jeffrey A. Rapaport, Seymour RAPAPORT, Kenneth Allen Smith.
Application Number | 20120042263 12/854082 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 45565690 |
Filed Date | 2012-02-16 |
United States Patent
Application |
20120042263 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
RAPAPORT; Seymour ; et
al. |
February 16, 2012 |
SOCIAL-TOPICAL ADAPTIVE NETWORKING (STAN) SYSTEM ALLOWING FOR
COOPERATIVE INTER-COUPLING WITH EXTERNAL SOCIAL NETWORKING SYSTEMS
AND OTHER CONTENT SOURCES
Abstract
A cross-pollination subsystem is provided within a
Social-Topical Adaptive Networking (STAN) system. The
cross-pollination subsystem cooperatively interacts with external
platforms to bring fresh cross-pollination data to topic nodes or
on-topic Notes Exchange rings (TCONE's) of the STAN system. Users
are provided with an interface that allows them to browse through
the cross-pollinated topic space to thereby connect with online
content sources that are likely to correspond to topics of interest
currently on the minds of the STAN system users.
Inventors: |
RAPAPORT; Seymour; (Los
Altos, CA) ; Rapaport; Jeffrey A.; (Angeles City,
PH) ; Smith; Kenneth Allen; (Fremont, CA) ;
Beattie; James; (San Ramon, CA) ; Gimlan; Gideon;
(Los Gatos, CA) |
Family ID: |
45565690 |
Appl. No.: |
12/854082 |
Filed: |
August 10, 2010 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
715/753 ;
709/204 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G06Q 50/01 20130101;
G06Q 30/02 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
715/753 ;
709/204 |
International
Class: |
G06F 15/16 20060101
G06F015/16; G06F 3/01 20060101 G06F003/01 |
Claims
1. A cross-pollination urging method for use with a Social-Topical
Adaptive Networking (STAN) system and with external platform
systems, where the STAN system maintains a topic space populated by
unique topic nodes each having topic defining data logically linked
thereto, the method comprising: instantiating a software agent
(e.g., BOT) that is structured to convey potentially new or
different, and thus potentially cross-pollinating data signals to
the STAN system; causing the instantiated software agent to begin
collecting from the one or more external platform systems,
potentially new or different, and thus potentially
cross-pollinating data; and causing the instantiated software agent
to begin conveying collected potentially new or different, and thus
potentially cross-pollinating data as corresponding data signals to
the STAN system.
2. A machine-implemented, user interface structured to provide a
corresponding user with content source recommendations
corresponding to topics of interest that are probably currently on
the user's mind, said interface comprising: (a) a content source
recommendation presenting mechanism that can present one or more
recommendation-representing objects to the user that are
user-activatable and which, when activated by the user will connect
the user virtually to corresponding on-topic content, where the
recommendation-representing objects indicate at least one of: (a.1)
the topic of the content source that is being recommended by the
object, (a.2) the platform from which the on-topic content of the
object is being obtained; (a.3) a topic center to which the
on-topic content of the object is logically linked; (a.4) one or
more persons to which the on-topic content of the object is
logically linked; (a.5) one or more membership groups to which the
on-topic content of the object is logically linked; (a.6) a current
temperature of an attribute of the object; (a.7) a Notes Exchange
type that the on-topic content of the object has; and (a.8) a
launchable search BOT that can be launched from a topic node to
which the on-topic content of the object is logically linked.
3. The machine-implemented, user interface of claim 2 wherein the
launchable search BOT launches from a node in a cross-pollinated
topic space of a Social-Topical Adaptive Networking (STAN) system
with which said user interface interfaces.
4. The machine-implemented, user interface of claim 2 wherein the
topic center indicating object is user activatable and when
activated provides the user with a browsing view of a corresponding
neighborhood of a corresponding topic center in a cross-pollinated
topic space of a Social-Topical Adaptive Networking (STAN) system
with which said user interface interfaces.
5. A machine-assisted process of obtaining one or more answers to
questions of potentially esoteric nature, the method comprising:
(a) submitting a question to a STAN.sub.--2 system question
processing program; (b) interacting with the question processing
program so as to converge on one or more topic centers in
STAN.sub.--2 topic space whose respective topic or topics are well
connected with a topic intended by the posed question; (c)
receiving from the system question processing program a list of
Tipping Point Mavens or other consensus-wise elected experts who
are logically linked to the converged upon one or more topic
centers and whose works of expertise match one or more of keywords,
tags and/or URLs associated with the posed question; (d) picking a
subset of the listed experts; and (e) automatically forwarding the
posed question to the selected subset of experts.
Description
1. FIELD OF DISCLOSURE
[0001] The present disclosure of invention relates generally to
online networking systems and uses thereof. The disclosure relates
more specifically to social networking (SN) systems and in
particular to cases where one or more social-topical networking
(STN) systems are cooperatively coupled to other kinds of online
networking and/or content providing systems.
2A. CROSS REFERENCE TO CO-OWNED APPLICATION
[0002] The following copending U.S. patent application is owned by
the owner of the present application, and its disclosure is
incorporated herein by reference in its entirety as originally
filed:
[0003] (A) Ser. No. 12/369,274 filed Feb. 11, 2009 by Jeffrey A.
Rapaport et al. and which is originally entitled, Social Network
Driven Indexing System for Instantly Clustering People with
Concurrent Focus on Same Topic into On Topic Chat Rooms and/or for
Generating On-topic Search Results Tailored to User Preferences
Regarding Topic.
2B. CROSS REFERENCE TO PATENTS/PUBLICATIONS
[0004] The disclosures of the following U.S. patents or Published
U.S. patent applications are incorporated herein by reference:
[0005] (A) U.S. Pat. App. 2008/0,065,468 A1, published Mar. 13,
2008 on behalf of Berg; Charles John; et al. and entitled "Methods
for Measuring Emotive Response and Selection Preference".
3. DEFINITIONS
[0006] As used herein, the terms "software", "software agent",
"BOT", "virtual BOT", "virtual agent", and the like do not mean a
purely nonphysical abstraction. Claims appended hereto which use
terms such as "software", "software agent", "BOT", "virtual BOT",
"virtual agent", and the like do not preclude others from thinking
about, speaking about or similarly non-usefully using abstract
ideas, laws of nature or naturally occurring phenomenon. When in an
active (e.g., an executing) mode, a "software" entity, be it a BOT,
a spyware program or the alike is understood to be a physical
ongoing process being carried out in one or more real physical
machines where the machine(s) entropically consume(s) electrical
power and/or other forms of real energy per unit time as a
consequence of said physical ongoing process being carried out
there within. When in a static (e.g., non-executing) mode, an
instantiated "software" entity, be it an instantiated BOT,
instantiated spyware program or the alike is understood to be
embodied as a substantially unique and functionally operative
pattern of transformed physical matter preserved in a more than
elusively transitory manner in one or more physical memory devices
so that it can functionally cooperative interact with a software
instructable machine as opposed to being merely descriptive and
nonfunctional matter, where the one or more physical memory devices
include, but not limited to, memory devices which utilize
electrostatic effects to represent stored data, memory devices
which utilize magnetic effects to represent stored data, memory
devices which utilize magnetic and/or other phase change effects to
represent stored data, memory devices which utilize optical and/or
other phase change effects to represent stored data, and so on.
[0007] As used herein, the terms, "signaling", "transmitting",
"informing" "indicating", "logical linking", and the like do not
mean purely nonphysical and abstract events but rather physical and
not elusively transitory events where the former physical events
are ones whose existence can be verified by modern scientific
techniques. Claims appended hereto that use the aforementioned
terms, "signaling", "transmitting", "informing", "indicating",
"logical linking", and the like or their equivalents do not
preclude others from thinking about, speaking about or similarly
using in a non-useful way abstract ideas, laws of nature or
naturally occurring phenomenon.
BACKGROUND AND DESCRIPTION OF RELATED TECHNOLOGY
[0008] The above identified and herein incorporated by reference
U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/369,274 (filed Feb. 11, 2009)
discloses a type of Social-Topical Adaptive Networking (STAN)
System (hereafter, also referred to as "Sierra#1" and
"STAN.sub.--1") which enables isolated online users of a network
(or even strangers at a social gathering, e.g., a large business
conference) to automatically join with one another (electronically
or otherwise). The joinder may occur at times when they are in the
mood to do so (to join in a so-called Notes Exchange session) and
when they have roughly concurrent focus on same or similar content
and/or when they have approximately concurrent interest in a same
or similar particular topic or topics and/or when they have current
personality co-compatibility for instantly chatting with, or for
otherwise exchanging information with one another in short order
online (or even in person) and for example with regard to the
content and/or topic of shared current focus or with regard simply
to a likelihood that they have current personality co-compatibility
for instantly chatting online (or even in person) with each other
and potentially developing focus on a particular topic of common
interest. Because the network system (STAN.sub.--1) disclosed in
Ser. No. 12/369,274 operates to adaptively change a topics defining
map thereof (which has physically represented topic nodes or the
like defined by recorded data signals) according to changing moods
of user populations as well as individual users (e.g., user mood or
other current user persona), it may be referred to as a
Social-Topical `Adaptive` Networking (STAN) system.
[0009] In the case where two or more online users join (make
contact) with one another (e.g., electronically) based on
commonality of topic(s) of concurrent interest, the joint activity
between the users may be termed as "Social-Topical Networking"
(STN). In one embodiment, the place for such an over-the-line
exchange of notes may be termed as a "TCONE" (Topic Center Owned
Notes Exchange), which terminology will be elucidated on below as
being directed to a physical meeting mechanism such as an online
chat room where that room is primarily "owned" by a topic defining
mechanism known as a topic node or a topic center (TC). The
STAN-mediated or in-TCONE activity can be differentiated from
conventional "Social Networking" (SN). In the conventional form of
social networking (SN), instantiation of a private dialog often
requires the existence of a pre-defined and pre-recorded "buddies"
list or "accepted friends" list or "accepted contacts" list before
participants can join electronically and privately with one another
on a spur of moment and in a so-called, online discussion group to
discuss no pre-ordained topic in particular. In other words, in the
conventional form of social networking (SN), there is no
system-driven automated mechanism for defining Topic Centers (TC's,
also referred to herein as `Topic Nodes`) and for generating
adaptive association data wherein a private or public Social Notes
Exchange (SNE) is primarily "owned" by a first topic center but may
adaptively drift so as to be primarily owned by a different TC if
and when, for example, the electronically-facilitated exchange of
notes (or of other data) drifts onto a different or narrower or
broader topic.
[0010] As those skilled in the art of conventional online social
networking (SN) will appreciate, the so-called "accepted friends"
list is an operative part of the widely-used FaceBook.TM. online
system. Similarly, the "buddies" list is an operative part of the
earlier developed AOL.TM. Instant Messaging (AIM.TM.) system. A
similar mechanism exists in the also well-known, MySpace.TM. SN
system and LinkedIn.TM. system. In these mentioned examples there
are pre-defined "friends", "buddies", vouched-for "contacts" listed
on co-mutual and pre-recorded friend/buddy permission lists. Based
on the current permission settings, one friend/buddy may be allowed
to (or not, if he/she has been "de-friended") join electronically
for a "private" conversation (e.g., a "behind the (privacy) wall"
conversation) with another friend/buddy for an online chat or an
alike online social interaction that has no pre-ordained topic in
particular to be discussed.
[0011] By contrast, according to one aspect of the "Social-Topical
Networking" (STN) approach disclosed in the here incorporated
"STAN.sub.--1" patent application (Ser. No. 12/369,274), people who
are substantially strangers to each other rather than being
pre-recorded as "buddies" or "friends" or known "contacts" may
nonetheless meet electronically (or otherwise) and privately or
semi-privately (where `semi-privacy` may be due to constraints on
who and how many can enter an STNE (Social-Topical Notes Exchange))
for a mutually beneficial exchange based on machine-determined
mutuality of a concurrent topic of interest (TOI) as well as based
on other filtering criteria (e.g., overlap of chat
co-compatibilities, of expertise requirements, etc.). In one
embodiment, the STAN.sub.--1 system automatically invites
co-compatible strangers (but they could be friends as well) to
privately or semi-privately meet up online with one another. The
system may be viewed as one that provides real time
"in-STAN-vitations".TM. to plural people based on mutuality of a
concurrent topic of interest (as guessed at by automated means of
the STAN.sub.--1 system) and usually based on overlap of current
content being focused upon by them and possibly based on a number
of other invitation filtering criteria (e.g., co-compatibility to
now chat with one another, level of expertise, trustworthiness,
etc.).
[0012] The above identified and herein incorporated U.S. patent
application Ser. No. 12/369,274 (filed Feb. 11, 2009)
("STAN.sub.--1") also provides as one embodiment thereof, a cloud
computing system that evolves with use (in other words, it is
adaptive) so as to provide real time changing, topic indexing trees
having hierarchically interconnected nodes (topic nodes, which
terminology is herein used interchangeably with the terminology,
topic centers or TC's) representing both broad and narrower topics
of interest of STAN.sub.--1 users, where the configuration of the
tree can change adaptively and dynamically in response to real time
reactions of the STAN.sub.--1 system users to online or otherwise
shareable content they are detected to be focusing upon as well as
new contributions by STAN.sub.--1 system users. Real time reactions
of the STAN.sub.--1 system users are determined in one embodiment
by means of uploaded, Current Focus indicating record signals
(CFi's) and Current Vote indicating record signals (CVi's). In one
embodiment, nodes of the STAN.sub.--1-maintained topic-nodes tree
correspond to topics in a dynamically changing topics space and the
nodes link to on-topic private, semi-private or public chat rooms
(in other words, to gathered groups of on-topic focusing users)
and/or to on-topic other content sources. If a logged-in user
connects to a first topic node within the STAN.sub.--1 tree, he (or
she) can then use the tree hierarchy structure to navigate to
nearby parent, child or sibling topic nodes so as to then connect
(via logical linking) through those other nodes to further content
that is sourced through those other topic nodes. Over-the-line
conversations (SNE's) that are monitored by the STAN.sub.--1 system
(using the CFi, CVi mechanism) can drift from one topic node to
another as the central topic of the respective conversation drifts.
In one embodiment, participants in the conversation can vote
implicitly or explicitly on which one or more STAN.sub.--1 topic
nodes the conversation should primarily belong to and if so, to
what degree of linkage. A STAN.sub.--1 system tracked Notes
Exchange session (e.g., chat room session) can swing in Tarzan-like
style from being primarily logical linked (tethered) to one topic
node and then a next and yet another one.
[0013] In one variation, the STAN.sub.--1 system assumes that all
its users will be logged-in (registered and STAN.sub.--1-tracked
via CFi's or CVi's) into the STAN.sub.--1 cloud computing system.
In one variation, the STAN.sub.--1 system assumes that most
in-STAN.sub.--1 users will be using on-topic chat rooms sponsored
by, entry-wise controlled by and tracked by the STAN.sub.--1 system
(in other words, persistently ties to a STAN.sub.--1 maintained
topic node) to interact with one another and to gain access to
on-topic content sourced through the on-topic chat room or through
a topic node with which the chat room is logically associated
(logically associated by association data stored and maintained by
the STAN.sub.--1 system).
[0014] However, the Internet is a vast network of many different
kinds of computerized networks and content sources, used by a vast
number of different people and thus the Internet can be hosting
numerous topic-directed exchanges (e.g., tweets, emails, social
games, Gmails.TM., GoogleWaves.TM., GoogleBuzz(es).TM., Google
Social Search(es).TM., FriendFeed(s).TM., blogs, Wikipedia.TM.
posts and discussions, Stumbles.TM., ClearSpring.TM. shares,
Yelps.TM., list-serves, etc.) and these can be providing numerous
on-topic content sources and/or on-topic notes exchanging sessions
where a bulk of these lie outside of the finite set of STAN.sub.--1
sponsored chats being tracked by, controlled by, and indexed (in
its topics tree) by the STAN.sub.--1 cloud computing environment.
For example, registered users of a social networking system known
as LinkedIn.TM. can spontaneously form Groups and then form
Discussion threads under Discussion Group Domains. The discussions
which take place in the LinkedIn.TM. Discussion threads space
(where LinkedIn.TM. is here mentioned merely as an illustrative
example) may by happenstance co-relate to broad or narrow topics
being simultaneously covered by STAN.sub.--1-sponsored chat rooms.
It may be mutually beneficial for users of the heretofore separate
systems (e.g., the STAN.sub.--1 system and the LinkedIn.TM. system)
to learn of one another's existence and of their concurrent
interest in a specific common topic and it may be mutually
beneficial for them to join into larger or re-shuffled group
exchanges of information, opinions and so forth about the common
topic of interest under the auspices of either one or both of a
Social-Topical Adaptive Networking (such as the STAN.sub.--2 system
disclosed herein) and/or a more conventional social networking (SN)
system such as that of a vintage year 2009 FaceBook.TM.,
MySpace.TM. or LinkedIn.TM. system. The here given example of
on-topic Notes Exchange sessions occurring within LinkedIn.TM.
discussion groups is understood to be non-limiting. On-topic Notes
Exchange sessions may take place in online role playing and/or
social networking games such as SecondLife.TM. and the like
wherein, despite the fact that role-playing characters or avatars
are portrayed as animated beings, the information output by and
exchanged between such player characters is controlled by
character-driving human beings.
[0015] It is to be understood that this background of technology
section is intended to provide useful background for understanding
the here disclosed inventive technology and as such, the technology
background section may and probably does include ideas, concepts or
recognitions that were not part of what was known or appreciated by
those skilled in the pertinent art prior at corresponding invention
dates of invented subject matter disclosed herein. As such, this
background of technology section is not to be construed as an
admission regarding what is or is not prior art.
SUMMARY
[0016] In accordance with one aspect of the present disclosure,
cross-pollination (CP) is provided manually and/or automatically as
between two or more social networking (SN) systems where at least
one of the systems is a Social-Topical Adaptive Networking (STAN)
system. The cross-pollination may be of a kind that improves,
expands, advances or helps to evolve one or more of: (a)
user-to-user associations (U2U) regarding common topics of
interests, (b) user-to-topic associations (U2T--in both directions;
so therefore topic-to-user as well), (c) topic-to-topic
associations (T2T) and (d) topic-to-content associations (T2C--in
both directions) as may be provided by cooperative exchanges of
information allowed between the two or more social networking (SN)
systems.
[0017] More specifically, in accordance with a first aspect of the
present disclosure, techniques are provided for causing one or more
of the following machine-implemented processes to take place: (a)
an automated software agent (a `BOT`) automatically brings from out
in the `untracked/unmonitored` field and to a so-called
STAN.sub.--2 system, a proposed-content package (a pCPD package)
containing for example, hyperlinks (e.g., URL's) to potentially
on-topic content that exists in an external platform but which
probably co-relate to current topics of one or more topic centers
(TC's) defined by and maintained as stored data signals in a topic
space of the STAN.sub.--2 system; (b) the relevance of the
BOT-brought content (as linked to or carried by the
proposed-content package) to the topic of the TC (or to the
specific topic of a TC-owned, TCONE) is voted on by in-node users
(or by the in-TCONE users) and/or by an automated content-intake
filtering mechanism of the TC or TCONE such that the most
relevant-to-topic content of the pCPD package (or relevant-to-TCONE
content) is logically absorbed into and logically positioned
(ranked as being) as being closer to a core center point of the
topic center (TC) or of the TCONE and such that less
relevant-to-topic content of the pCPD package is either rejected or
logically positioned (ranked) farther away from the node's or
TCONE's core center point; (c) the ranking of most to least
relevant-to-topic content is repeatedly updated over time as the
population of in-node users (or in-TCONE users) changes and as
newer BOT-brought content is proposed for addition to the on-topic
node and it is voted on (ranked) for corresponding rejection or
acceptance and logical positioning within the TC or TCONE; (d)
STAN.sub.--2 users who are currently focusing upon a given topic
(which focus is in one embodiment determined automatically and in
the background by machine-implemented processes) preferably do not
navigate directly to a content-supplying one URL but instead they
navigate to the on-topic STAN.sub.--2 node (topic center or TC)
which has been cross-pollinated with the freshest on-topic
cross-pollinating content packages and the topic center (TC) is
then used as a logical linking source for conveying the latest
on-topic content (including on-topic dialogs) to those STAN.sub.--2
users who are interested in learning the latest about the
corresponding topic. The STAN.sub.--2 users typically enter as
participants into a TCONE (topic center owned note exchange, e.g.,
chat room) whose entry criterion (e.g., level of expertise) closely
matches their current status (e.g., current level of
expertise).
[0018] As alluded to above, the current topic of interest of a
given user may be determined automatically and in the background by
one or more machine-implemented processes which attempt to reduce
ambiguity as to which specific topic the user is most probably now
thinking about (consciously or subconsciously) by gathering and
processing (e.g., competitively ranking) a dynamic flow of
so-called "encodings" which encodings can provide contextual clues
as to what the user is most likely thinking to be his or her
current topic of interest. An example of one "encoding" in a stream
of encodings can be a single keyword that the user appears to be
intensely and primarily physically focusing upon (e.g., with
his/her eyes) at the moment. Another example of an "encoding" in a
stream of other kinds of encodings can be a facial grimace or other
significant facial expression (as defined for example by the user's
active PEEP record--the user's pre-recorded Personal Emotion
Expression Profile) that an automated facial expressions detection
sub-system of the here disclosed STAN.sub.--2 system picks up as
having been made by that user in conjunction with his physically
focusing upon a primary keyword encoding.
[0019] Suppose for example that the primary keyword of focus is the
one word, "bridge". Suppose the user is determined by the machine
system to have significantly raised an eyebrow in conjunction with
this intensely focused upon primary keyword. However, even with
those two determinations as givens, a term like "bridge" can be
highly ambiguous. What specific version of "bridge" is the user
thinking about and perhaps raising an eyebrow over? Is it a card
game called "bridge`? Is it a road structure that crosses over a
river, a room on board a ship from where the ship's captain
commands, a portion of the human nose, some other noun that
qualifies as "bridge" or perhaps none of the above and instead the
verb sense of "bridge" or its adjective sense (e.g., bridge
loan)?
[0020] More peculiarly, what if "bridge" at this moment means a
magical kind of bridge that has one end thereof connected to the
given user and the other end extending through a fog to unseen
shores but nonetheless automatically swinging to connect to content
and/or people which/who are highly relevant to a topic the given
user is currently thinking about? What if this magic bridge has a
pushbutton at the user's end that says "Bring it on"? What if the
given user merely has to provide a single primary keyword and then
simply press the single magical button ("Bring it on") at his end
of the "bridge" and then in response, the magic "bridge"
automatically conveys a stream of informational traffic to the
given user where that stream puts the user into virtual contact
with on-topic content and/or with co-compatible people who are now
exchanging discussion or other forms of signaled notes (also
referred to herein as Notes Exchange session) on the same topic the
user intended when he supplied his end of the magical bridge with
the one primary keyword (e.g., "bridge") and then pressed the
"Bring it on" pushbutton?
[0021] In accordance with the present disclosure, an automated
machine system (e.g., the STAN.sub.--2 system) is provided that
automatically seeks to do something like that. However the here
disclosed machine system does not operate by magic. Instead it
automatically tries to disambiguate ambiguous first encodings
(e.g., a primary keyword such as "bridge) by trying to collect
additional and/or substantially contemporaneous further "encodings"
that give more context to one or more primary, but often ambiguous
encodings (e.g., the exemplary primary keyword, "bridge). The
disambiguating other encodings may be automatically collected
signals that indicate where the given user is in terms of time,
space, planning and/or perhaps emotional moods. In one embodiment,
a continuous flow of encodings surrounding the user either
physically and/or logically are persistently being collected and
analyzed by the STAN.sub.--2 system (when so-called "monitoring" is
turned on) for the purpose of reducing or eliminating the ambiguity
as to which specific topic the user currently has in mind
(consciously or subconsciously). The persistently collected other
"encodings" may include identifications of on-screen or off-screen
other information that appears currently or in recent usage history
of the user (in the dynamic flow of the user's recent life) to be
correlated to current primary encodings (e.g., to the primary
keyword, "bridge"). These additional encodings can help place the
primary keyword(s) (e.g., "bridge") in better context for the
machine system and can thus enable the automated machine system
(the STAN.sub.--2 system) to appear as if it has intuitively
guessed what was on the user's mind without subjecting the user to
an endless list of ambiguity reducing questions.
[0022] More specifically, and by way of a first example, suppose
the here described system (the STAN.sub.--2 system) automatically
acquires from the user's in-hand, personal data processing device
(e.g., his GPS-enabled, Apple iPhone.TM.) a signal indicating he is
currently located at coordinates (including altitude and/or
building floor number) matching those of owned properties of a
branch office of a banking company. Suppose the here described
STAN.sub.--2 system also automatically acquires from the user's
personal data processing device (e.g., his iPhone.TM.) a second
signal indicating that his iPhone.TM. is in close proximity (e.g.,
6 feet or less away) from an information-sharing second personal
computer (could also be an iPhone.TM.) that reports itself to
belong to a loan officer of the bank's. Suppose the here described
STAN.sub.--2 system also automatically determines that it is 10:00
AM on a Monday morning (for the user) and the STAN.sub.--2 system
further automatically acquires from a meeting-calendaring file of
the user that he was scheduled to meet with a bank loan officer on
this Monday morning to negotiate a bridge loan for his
business.
[0023] All these contextually enriching and automatically collected
encodings acquired by the STAN.sub.--2 system increase the
probability that the primary keyword, "bridge", if so presented by
that user at that time and place to his personal data processing
device (e.g., his palm-held computer phone) is intended to mean
that the user is thinking about a "bridge loan" and not about a
bridge that crosses a river.
[0024] However, suppose further that a so-called history of recent
topics of interest (rTOI's) of the given user exists and this
recorded and machine system readable history indicates the user has
been recently using a STAN.sub.--2 topic node directed to the
question of what lowest rate can someone like himself obtain for a
bridge loan. In that case, the STAN.sub.--2 system can further
automatically deduce that the more specific topic of interest (TOI)
on the given user's mind probably is: "What is the lowest rate that
I can negotiate for myself right now and here when trying to obtain
a bridge loan from this banking company, and perhaps even from this
particular loan officer?" Accordingly, and in response to the given
user having submitted just the single keyword, "bridge", the
STAN.sub.--2 system can automatically present to the user an
informational offering (also referred to herein as a "content
source recommendation") that basically says, "Press here to obtain
more informational content and/or to obtain online connection to
other STAN.sub.--2 users who are currently interested in the
question of "What is the lowest rate that I can negotiate for
myself right now and here when trying to obtain a bridge loan from
this banking company?"
[0025] But that is not all. Suppose that the STAN.sub.--2 instant
offering to connect the user with on-topic content sources (e.g.,
instant chat opportunities corresponding to the specific exemplary
topic of "What is the lowest . . . bridge loan from this banking
company?") include not only instant chat opportunities (and/or
other Notes Exchange sessions) that are being supported by
STAN.sub.--2 system resources (e.g., STAN.sub.--2 server computers
or STAN.sub.--2 cloud computing data centers) but also Notes
Exchange sessions that are being supported by external platforms
and are nonetheless on-topic. How can that be done? It will be
disclosed herein how the STAN.sub.--2 system can operate to
automatically and persistently enrich its so-called topic nodes or
topic centers (TC's) with additional, on-topic and
cross-pollinating, and substantially contemporaneous data obtained
from out-of-STAN resources.
[0026] Given the above example (the "bridge loan" example) and in
further summary thereof, in one embodiment, the here-disclosed
machine system automatically seeks to determine where and when the
user is disposed in terms for example of one or more of physical
location, proximity to other persons or things, in terms of time
zone, calendar date and pre-scheduled events--which calendar date
could be a holiday or a scheduled vacation day (and optionally in
terms of other metrics such as what velocity, acceleration, owned
real estate spaces) and in terms of topics of interest (TOI's)
recently declared by the user (implicitly or explicitly) to be
recent topics of interest (rTOI's) of that user. The STAN.sub.--2
system may further seek to determine what sounds, smells,
additional content, or other attributes currently surround the user
(physically and/or virtually) so as to better be able to determine
the user's current topic of interest. Is the user at home, at work,
driving a car, visiting a bank or at the eye glass store (for
example)? This work of determining most probable current topic of
interests (cTOI) is preferably performed in the background by
machine-implemented automated processes so that the user is not
distracted by having to answer infrastructural questions and
instead the machine system gives the appearance to the user of
being able to intuitively read the user's mind and understand from
one or a few keywords (e.g., "bridge") or other such encodings what
the user is thinking about; and better yet to guide that user to,
or recommend to the user, content sources (including recommended
instant chat rooms to connect to or recommended people to contact
for example) that are, with a high degree of probability, on-topic
with and highly relevant to what the user is currently thinking
about.
[0027] The above is to be contrasted with machine systems that
force the user to consciously and explicitly define his or her
current topic of interest (cTOI) at the infrastructural level
(e.g., by explicitly modifying the search strategy). When the mind
is forced to jump to an infrastructural level of detail, it can
often lose track of the higher-level, substantive material it was
concentrating on. More specifically, suppose the user is thinking
about Wheatstone bridges (these are a type of sensitive electronic
measuring circuits) but the search engine the user is employing
comes back annoyingly and asks: "Did you mean Whitestone Bridge?"
(where the latter is a popular river crossing in New York City).
Needless to say, the user is now distractingly thrown off his/her
main track of thought and has to annoyingly deal with the
infrastructural mechanics of getting the automated search tool to
navigate away from its incorrect guess and towards the correct
current topic of interest (cTOI). The better approach would be to
have an automated machine system which seems to intuitively know
that when "this" user (who for example is currently logged in as
"Stanley the Engineer") uses the word "bridge" in his current
location (e.g., the office at the electronics design company) and
at this time (e.g., normal business hours) he probably means,
"bridge" as in the topic of Wheatstone type bridge circuits and not
some other topic that might have "bridge" as one of its keywords
(or tags, or meta-tags, etc.). Various means by way of which an
automated machine system can be made to appear to have such
intuition are described herein.
[0028] In accordance with another aspect of the present disclosure,
various user interface techniques are provided for allowing a user
to conveniently interface with resources of the STAN.sub.--2
system.
[0029] Other aspects of the disclosure will become apparent from
the below detailed description.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0030] The below detailed description section makes reference to
the accompanying drawings, in which:
[0031] FIG. 1A is a block diagram of an electromagnetically linked
(e.g., electronically and/or optically linked) networking
environment that includes a Social-Topical Adaptive Networking
(STAN.sub.--2) sub-system in accordance with the present disclosure
and includes other network sub-systems whose resources may be used
for cross-pollination and for thereby improving benefits obtained
by users of the one or more of the sub-networks due to
cross-pollination actions provided by the STAN.sub.--2
sub-system;
[0032] FIG. 1B is a combination of a first process flow chart, of
sample pop-up windows which may be displayed to a user of the
STAN.sub.--2 sub-network system of FIG. 1A and of an aliases
cross-referencing data structure generated by the flow charted
process;
[0033] FIG. 2 is a perspective view type of mapping diagram showing
how topic-to-topic associations (T2T), user-to-topic associations
(U2T), user-to-user associations (U2U) and/or topic-to-content
associations (T2C) may be enhanced by actions for example of
Cross-Pollinating Automated Persona bots (CPAP's) which are
automatically generated by the STAN.sub.--2 sub-network system of
FIG. 1A and sent out into the field to bring back proposed
on-topic-content;
[0034] FIG. 3A is a diagram showing a drag-and-drop operation and
also showing one possible on-screen presentation whereby a live
user is invited to enlist as a cross-pollinating un-artificial
persona (CPUP) at times when this CPUP will be using an external SN
system while his focus is not being tracked in real time by the
STAN.sub.--2 sub-network system;
[0035] FIG. 3B is a diagram showing a first on-screen presentation
wherein STAN.sub.--2 monitoring (e.g., CFi uploading) is turned off
and an enlisted cross-pollinating un-artificial persona (CPUP) is
nonetheless surveyed about attributes of potential
cross-pollinating material which might warrant being linked
into;
[0036] FIG. 3C is a diagram showing a second on-screen presentation
wherein STAN.sub.--2 monitoring is turned off and the enlisted CPUP
of FIG. 3B is further surveyed about attributes of the potential
cross-pollinating material;
[0037] FIG. 3D is a diagram showing a third on-screen presentation
wherein STAN.sub.--2 monitoring is turned off and the enlisted CPUP
of FIG. 3B is further surveyed about attributes of the potential
cross-pollinating material;
[0038] FIG. 4A is a combination flow chart and data structure
showing diagram illustrating how incoming cross-pollination
material may be processed in accordance with one embodiment;
[0039] FIG. 4B is a combination flow chart and data structure
showing diagram illustrating how the mission guiding data structure
of a to be launched CPAP is formulated; and
[0040] FIGS. 4C-4D are a combination flow chart and data structure
showing diagram illustrating how an initially formed (instantiated)
mission guiding template can be augmented with alternate language
and/or alternate disciplinary area encodings and pointers to
alternate areas of search.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0041] FIG. 1A is a block diagram of an electromagnetically
inter-linked (e.g., electronically and/or optically linked)
networking environment 100 that includes a Social-Topical Adaptive
Networking (STAN.sub.--2) sub-system 110 in accordance with the
present disclosure and which environment 100 includes other
sub-network systems (e.g., Non-STAN subnet 120) and whose resources
may be used to enhance online experiences of real person users
(e.g., 131, 132) of the one or more of the sub-networks 110, 120,
etc. due to cross-pollination actions instigated by the
STAN.sub.--2 sub-network system 110.
[0042] Background descriptions on how a Social-Topical Adaptive
Networking (STAN) sub-system may operate can be found in the
above-cited and here incorporated U.S. application Ser. No.
12/369,274 filed Feb. 11, 2009 by Jeffrey A. Rapaport et al. and
originally entitled, "Social Network Driven Indexing System for
Instantly Clustering People with Concurrent Focus on Same Topic
into On Topic Chat Rooms and/or for Generating On-topic Search
Results Tailored to User Preferences Regarding Topic". As such, a
detailed repetition of said incorporated by reference material will
not be provided here. For sake of avoiding confusion between the
drawings of Ser. No. 12/369,274 and the figures of the present
application, drawings of Ser. No. 12/369,274 will be identified by
the prefix, "giF." (which is Fig. written backwards) while figures
of the present application will be identified by the normal figure
prefix, "Fig.".
[0043] In brief, giF. 1A of the here incorporated '274 application
shows how topics of current interest to (not to be confused with
content being currently `focused upon` by) individual online
participants may be automatically determined based on detection of
certain content being currently and emotively `focused upon` by the
respective online participants and based upon pre-developed
profiles of the respective users (e.g., registered and logged-in
users of the STAN.sub.--1 system). (Incidentally, in the here
disclosed STAN.sub.--2 system, the notion is included of
determining what a user is not, or is less focusing upon as well as
what the user is most focusing upon for automatically determining
most probable topic(s) of current interest. For example, if a
user's personal profile records (e.g., DsCCp's) indicate that focus
upon Topic `A` usually occurs when the user is focusing on both
URL1 and keyword2, but it is clear that in the instance the user is
not focusing on URL1, then the STAN.sub.--2 system can for some
users automatically determine that the user's thought patterns are
probably not focusing upon Topic `A` but rather on some alternate
topic that is also heavily linked to the same keyword2.)
[0044] Further in brief, giF. 1B of the incorporated '274
application shows a data structure of a first stored chat
co-compatibility profile that can change with changes of user
persona (e.g., change of mood); giF. 1C shows a data structure of a
stored topic co-compatibility profile that can also change with
change of user persona (e.g., change of mood, change of
surroundings); and giF. 1E shows a data structure of a stored
personal emotive expression profile of a given user, whereby
biometrically detected facial or other biotic expressions of the
profiled user may be used to deduce emotional involvement with
on-screen content and thus degree of emotional involvement with
focused upon content. One embodiment of the STAN.sub.--1 system
disclosed in the here incorporated '274 application uses uploaded
CFi (current focus indicator) packets to automatically determine
what topic or topics are most likely ones that each user is
currently thinking about based on the content that is being
currently focused upon with above-threshold intensity. The
determined topic is logically linked by operations of the
STAN.sub.--1 system to topic nodes (herein also referred to as
topic centers or TC's) within a hierarchical parent-child tree
represented by data stored in the STAN.sub.--1 system.
[0045] Yet further and in brief, giF. 2A of the incorporated '274
application shows a data structure of a stored CFi record while
giF. 2B shows a data structure of an implied vote-indicating record
(CVi) which may be automatically extracted from biometric
information obtained from the user. The giF. 3B diagram shows an
exemplary screen display wherein so-called chat opportunity
invitations (herein referred to as in-STAN-vitations.TM.) are
provided to the user based on the STAN.sub.--1 system's
understanding of what topics are currently of prime interest to the
user. The giF. 3C diagram shows how one embodiment of the
STAN.sub.--1 system (of the '274 application) can automatically
determine what topic or domain of topics might most likely be of
current interest for a given user and then responsively can
recommend, based on likelihood rankings, content (e.g., chat rooms)
which are most likely to be on-topic for that user and compatible
with the user's current status (e.g., level of expertise in the
topic).
[0046] Moreover, in the here incorporated '274 application, giF. 4A
shows a structure of a cloud computing system that may be used to
implement a STAN.sub.--1 system on a geographic region by
geographic region basis. Importantly, each data center of giF. 4A
has an automated Domains/Topics Lookup Service (DLUX) executing
therein which receives up- or in-loaded CFi data packets (Current
Focus identifying records) from users and combines these with user
histories uploaded form the user's local machine and/or user
histories already stored in the cloud to automatically determine
probable topics of current interest then on the user's mind. In one
embodiment the DLUX points to so-called topic nodes of a
hierarchical topics tree. An exemplary data structure for such a
topics tree is provided in giF. 4B which shows details of a stored
and adaptively updated topic mapping data structure used by one
embodiment of the STAN.sub.--1 system. Also each data center of
giF. 4A further has one or more automated Domain-specific Matching
Services (DsMS's) executing therein which are selected by the DLUX
to further process the up- or in-loaded CFi data packets and match
alike users to one another or to matching chat rooms and then
presents the latter as scored chat opportunities. Also each data
center of giF. 4A further has one or more automated Chat Rooms
management Services (CRS) executing therein for managing chat rooms
or the like operating under auspices of the STAN.sub.--1 system.
Also each data center of giF. 4A further has an automated Trending
Data Store service that keeps track of progression of respective
users over time in different topic sectors and makes trend
projections based thereon.
[0047] The here incorporated '274 application is extensive and has
many other drawings as well as descriptions that will not all be
briefed upon here but are nonetheless incorporated herein by
reference.
[0048] Referring now to FIG. 1A of the present disclosure, in the
illustrated environment 100 which includes a more advanced
STAN.sub.--2 system 110, a first real and living user 131 (also
USER-A, also "Stan") is shown to have access to a first data
processing device 131a (also CPU-1). The first user 131 may
routinely log into and utilize the illustrated STAN.sub.--2
Social-Topical Adaptive Networking system 110 by causing CPU-1 to
send a corresponding user identification package 131u1 (e.g., user
name and user password data signals) to a log-in interface portion
118 of the STAN.sub.--2 system 110. In response to validation of
such log-in, the STAN.sub.--2 system 110 automatically fetches
various profiles of the logged-in user (131, "Stan") from a
database (DB, 119) thereof for purpose of determining the user's
currently probable topics of prime interest, moods, chat
co-compatibilities and so forth. In one embodiment, a same user
(e.g., 131) may have plural personal log-in pages, for example, one
that allows him to log in as "Stan" and another which allows that
same user to log-in under the alter ego identity of say, "Stewart"
if that user is in the mood to assume the "Stewart" persona at the
moment rather than the "Stan" persona. If a user (e.g., 131)
logs-in via interface 118 with a second alter ego identity (e.g.,
"Stewart") rather than with a first alter ego identity (e.g.,
"Stan"), the STAN.sub.--2 Social-Topical Adaptive Networking system
110 automatically activates personal profile records (e.g.,
CpCCp's, DsCCp's, PEEP's) of the second alter ego identity (e.g.,
"Stewart") rather than those of the first alter ego identity (e.g.,
"Stan"). Topics of current interest to the logged-in persona may be
identified as being logically associated with specific nodes
(herein also referred to as TC's or topic centers) on a topics
domain-parent/child tree structure such as the one schematically
indicated at 115 within the drawn symbol that represents the
STAN.sub.--2 system 110 in FIG. 1A. A corresponding stored data
structure that represents the tree structure in the earlier
STAN.sub.--1 system (not shown) is illustratively represented by
drawing number giF. 4B. The topics defining tree 115 as well as
user profiles of registered STAN.sub.--2 users may be stored in
various parts of the STAN.sub.--2 maintained database (DB) 119
and/or in the user's local and/or remotely-instantiated data
processing equipment (e.g., CPU-1, CPU-2, etc.). The database (DB)
119 may be a centralized one or one that is semi-redundantly
distributed over different service centers of a geographically
distributed cloud computing system. In the distributed cloud
computing environment, if one service center becomes nonoperational
or overwhelmed with service requests, another somewhat redundant
service center can function as a backup (yet more details are
provided in the here incorporate STAN.sub.--1 patent
application).
[0049] As used herein, the term, "local data processing equipment"
includes data processing equipment that is remote from the user but
is nonetheless controllable by a local means available to the user.
More specifically, the user (e.g., 131) may have a so-called
net-computer (e.g., 131a) in his local possession where that
net-computer is operatively coupled to a virtual computer or
desktop instantiated in one or more servers on a connected to
network (e.g., the Internet 101) and through operations of the
relatively minimally equipped net-computer that cooperate with
greater computing resources (hardware and/or software) available in
the instantiating server(s), the user is made to feel as if he a
has a much more resourceful computer locally in his possession
(more resourceful in terms of hardware and/or software, both of
which are physical manifestations as those terms are used herein)
even though that might not be true. For example, the user's locally
possessed net-computer (e.g., 131a) may not have a hard disk or a
key pad but rather only a touch-sensitive display screen. However
the server (or cloud) instantiated virtual machine that services
that net-computer can project itself as having an extremely large
hard disk and a versatile keyboard that appears with context
variable keys on the user's touch-responsive display screen.
Occasionally the term "downloading" will be used herein under the
assumption that the user's personally controlled computer (e.g.,
131) is receiving the downloaded content. However, in the case of a
net-book or the like, downloaded is to be understood as including
the more general notion of inloaded, wherein a virtual computer on
the network (or in a cloud computing system) is inloaded with the
content rather than having that content being "downloaded" from the
network to an actual local and complete computer. Of course,
certain resources such as the illustrated GPS-2 peripheral of CPU-2
may not always be capable of being operatively mimicked with an
in-net or in-cloud virtual counterpart; in which case it is
understood that the GPS resource is local. (On the other hand, cell
phone triangulation technology and/or other technologies may be
used to mimic the effect of having a GPS unit although one might
not be present.)
[0050] It is to be understood that the CPU-1 device (131a) used by
first user 131 when interacting with (e.g., being tracked in real
time by) the STAN.sub.--2 system 110 is not limited to a desktop
computer having for example a "central" processing unit (CPU), but
rather that many varieties of data processing devices having
appropriate minimal intelligence capability are contemplated as
being usable, including laptop computers, palmtop PDA's, tablet
computers, net-computers, 3rd generation or higher smart-phones
(e.g., an iPhone.TM., and Android.TM. phone) and so on. The CPU-1
device (131a) used by first user 131 may have any number of
different user interface (UI) and environment detecting devices
included therein such as, but not limited to, one or more
integrally incorporated webcams (one of which may be robotically
aimed to focus on what off screen view the user appears to be
looking at), one or more integrally incorporated audio (e.g.,
Bluetooth.TM.) interfacing devices, an integrally incorporated GPS
(Global Positioning System) location identifier and/or other
automatic location identifying means, an integrally incorporated
accelerometer and/or other such MEMs devices
(micro-electromechanical devices), various biometric sensors (e.g.,
pulse, respiration rate, eye blink rate, eye focus angle) that are
operatively coupleable to the user 131 and so on. As those skilled
in the art will appreciate from the here incorporated STAN.sub.--1
disclosure, automated location determining devices such as
integrally incorporated GPS and/or audio pickups may be used to
determine user surroundings (e.g., at work versus at home, alone or
in noisy party) and to thus infer from this sensing of environment,
the current user persona (e.g., mood, frame of mind, etc.). One or
more (e.g., stereoscopic) first sensors may be provided in one
embodiment for automatically determining what off-screen or
on-screen object(s) the user is currently looking at; and if
off-screen, a robotically amiable further sensor (e.g., a webcam)
may be automatically trained on the off-screen view in order to
identify and categorize it. In one embodiment, an automated image
categorizing tool such as GoogleGoggles.TM. may be used to
automatically categorize imagery that the user appears to be
focusing upon. The categorization data of the automatically
categorized image may then be used as an additional "encoding" for
assisting the STAN.sub.--2 system 110 in determining what topic or
finite set of topics the user (e.g., 131) currently most probably
has in mind. It is within the contemplation of the present
disclosure that alternatively or in addition to having an imaging
device near the user and using an automated image categorizing tool
such as GoogleGoggles.TM., other encoding detecting devices and
automated categorizing tools may be deployed such as, but not
limited to, sound detecting, analyzing and categorizing tools;
ambient chemistry and temperature detecting, analyzing and
categorizing tools (e.g., What human olfactorable and/or
unsmellable vapors, gases are in the air surrounding the user and
at what changing concentration levels?); velocity and/or
acceleration detecting, analyzing and categorizing tools (e.g., Is
the user in a moving vehicle and if so, heading in what
direction?); and virtually-surrounding or physically-surrounding
other people detecting, analyzing and categorizing tools (e.g., Is
the user in virtual and/or physical contact with other personas,
and if so what are their current attributes?).
[0051] Each user (e.g., 131, 132) may project a respective one of
different personas (e.g., an "inside" versus "outside" persona)
based on the specific environment (including presence of other
people virtually or physically) that the user finds him or herself
in. For example, there may be an at-the-office or work-site persona
that is different from an at-home or an on-vacation persona. More
specifically, one of the many personas that the first user 131 may
have is one that predominates in a specific environment 131e2
(e.g., as geographically detected by integral GPS-2 device of
CPU-2). When user 131 is in this environmental context (131e2),
that first user 131 may choose to identify him or herself with (or
have his CPU device automatically choose for him/her) a different
user identification (UAID-2, also 131u2) than the one utilized
(UAID-1, also 131u1) when typically interacting in real time with
the STAN.sub.--2 system 110. A variety of automated tools may be
used to detect, analyze and categorize user environment (e.g.,
place, time, calendar date, velocity, acceleration,
surroundings--objects and/or people, etc.). These may include but
are not limited to, webcams, GPS, electronic time keeper, MEMs,
chemical sniffers, etc.
[0052] When operating under this alternate persona (131u2), the
first user 131 may choose (or pre-elect) to not be monitored in
real time by (and through the CFi, CVi mechanisms) or to otherwise
be generally interacting with the STAN.sub.--2 system 110. Instead,
the user 131 may elect to log into a different kind of social
networking (SN) system 120 or other content providing system (e.g.,
148, 160) and to fly, so-to-speak, solo inside that external
platform 120. While so interacting with the alternate SN system 120
(e.g., FaceBook.TM., MySpace.TM., LinkedIn.TM., YouTube.TM.,
GoogleWave.TM., ClearSpring.TM., etc.), the user may develop
user-to-user associations (U2U, see block 111) that are different
than those developed under real time tracking auspices of the
STAN.sub.--2 system 110. Moreover, the user 131 may, while
interacting only with the alternate SN system 120 (and possibly
under an alternate ID and/or persona 131u2--i.e. "Stewart" instead
of "Stan"), develop user-to-topic associations (U2T, see block 112)
that are different than those developed under auspices of the
STAN.sub.--2 system 110. Also, topic-to-topic associations (T2T,
see block 113) that are operative within the context of the
alternate SN system 120 may be different from those that at the
same time have developed inside the STAN.sub.--2 system 110.
Additionally, topic-to-content associations (T2C, see block 114)
that are operative within the context of the alternate SN system
120 may be different from those that at the same time have
developed inside the STAN.sub.--2 system 110.
[0053] Before providing a more concrete example of how a given user
(e.g., Stan/Stew 131) may have multiple personas and may interact
differently when influenced by contexts of different social
networking (SN) or other platforms, a brief discussion about those
possible other SN's or other platforms is provided here. There are
many well known dot.COM websites (140) that provide various kinds
of social interaction services. One of the currently most well
known and used ones is the FaceBook.TM., system 141 (hereafter also
referred to as FB). FB users establish an FB account and set up
various permission options that are either "behind the wall" and
thus relatively private or are "on the wall" and thus viewable by
any member of the public. Only pre-identified "friends" (e.g.,
friend-for-the-day, friend-for-the-hour) can look at material
"behind the wall". FB users can manually "de-friend" and
"re-friend" people depending on who they want to let in on a given
day or other time period to the more private material behind their
wall.
[0054] Another well known SN site is MySpace.TM. (142) and it is
somewhat similar to FB. A third SN platform that is gaining
popularity amongst so-called "professionals" is the LinkedIn.TM.
platform (144). LinkedIn.TM. users post a public "Profile" of
themselves which typically appears like a resume and publicizes
their professional credentials in various areas of professional
activity. LinkedIn.TM. users can form networks of linked-to other
professionals. The system automatically keeps track of who is
linked to whom and how many degrees of linking separation, if any,
are between people who appear to the LinkedIn.TM. system to be
strangers to each other because they are not directly linked to one
another. LinkedIn.TM. users can create Discussion Groups and then
invite various people to join those Discussion Groups. Online
discussions within those created Discussion Groups can be monitored
(censored) or not monitored by the creator (owner) of the
Discussion Group. For many Discussion Groups, an individual has to
be pre-accepted into the Group (for example, accepted by the Group
moderator) before the individual can see what is being discussed
behind the wall of the members-only Discussion Group. Accordingly,
as is the case with "behind the wall" conversations in
FaceBook.TM., Group Discussions within LinkedIn.TM. may not be
viewable to relative "strangers" who have not been accepted as a
linked-in friend or contact for whom an earlier member of the
LinkedIn.TM. system sort of vouches for by "accepting" them into
their inner ring of direct (1st degree of operatively connection)
contacts.
[0055] The Twitter.TM. system (145) is somewhat different because
any member of the public can "follow" the "tweets" output by
so-called "tweeters". A "tweet" is conventionally limited to only
140 characters. Twitter.TM. followers can sign up to automatically
receive indications that their favorite "tweeters" have tweeted
something new and then they can look at the output "tweet" without
need for any special permissions. Typically, celebrities such as
movie stars output many tweets per day and they have groups of fans
who regularly follow their tweets. It could be said that the fans
of these celebrities consider their followed "tweeters" to be
influential persons and thus the fans hang onto every tweeted
output sent by their worshipped celebrity (e.g., movie star).
[0056] The Google.TM. Corporation (Mountain View, Calif.) provides
a number of well known services including their famous online and
free to use search engine. They also provide other services such a
Google.TM. controlled Gmail.TM. service (146) which is roughly
similar to many other online email services like those of
Yahoo.TM., EarthLink.TM., AOL.TM., Microsoft Outlook.TM. Email, and
so on. The Gmail.TM. service (146) has a Group Chat function which
allows registered members to form chat groups and chat with one
another. GoogleWave.TM. (147) is a project collaboration system
that is still maturing at the time of this writing. Incidentally,
Microsoft Outlook.TM. in whole also provides calendaring and
collaboration scheduling services whereby a user can propose,
declare or accept proposed meeting or other events to be placed on
the user's computerized schedule. It is within the contemplation of
the present disclosure for the STAN.sub.--2 system to periodically
import calendaring and/or collaboration/event scheduling data from
the user's Microsoft Outlook.TM. and/or other alike scheduling
databases (irrespective of whether those scheduling databases
and/or their support software are physically local within a user's
computer or they are provided via a computing cloud; and if
importation is permitted by the user) so that the STAN.sub.--2
system can use such imported scheduling data to infer at the
scheduled dates, the user's more likely environment. Incidentally,
it is within the contemplation of the present disclosure that
essentially any database and/or automated service that is hosted in
and/or by one or more of a user's physically local data processing
device, a website's web serving and/or mirroring servers and parts
or all of a cloud computing system or equivalent can be ported in
whole or in part so as to be hosted in and/or by different one of
such physical mechanisms. With net-computers, palm-held convergence
devices (e.g., iPhone.TM., iPad.TM. etc.) and the like, it is
usually not of significance where specifically the physical
processes of data processing take place but rather that timely
communication and connectivity are provided so that the user
experiences substantially same results. Of course, some acts of
data acquisition and/or processing may by necessity have to take
place at the physical locale of the user such as the acquisition of
user responses (e.g., touches on a touch-sensitive tablet screen)
and of local user encodings (e.g., what the user's local
environment looks, sounds and/or smells like). Returning back to
the digressed-away from method of automatically importing
scheduling data to thereby infer at the scheduled dates, the user's
more likely environment, a more specific example can be this: If
the user's scheduling database indicates that next Friday he is
scheduled to be at the Social Networking Developers Conference (a
hypothetical example) and more particularly at events 3, 5 and 7 in
that conference at the respective hours of 3:00 PM, 5:00 PM and
7:00 PM, then when that date and corresponding time segment comes
around, the STAN.sub.--2 system may use such information as one of
its gathered encodings for then automatically determining the
user's likely mood, surroundings and so forth. On the other hand,
if the user's scheduling database indicates that next Friday he is
planning to take off from work and go to a named vacation resort,
the STAN.sub.--2 system may use that alternate imported information
for automatically determining the user's likely mood, surroundings
and so forth at the corresponding dates and times.
[0057] Additionally, the Microsoft Outlook.TM. product also
provides a Tasks tracking function wherein various to-do items and
their criticalities (e.g., flagged as a must-do today, must-do next
week, etc.). It is within the contemplation of the present
disclosure for the STAN.sub.--2 system to periodically import Task
tracking data from the user's Microsoft Outlook.TM. and/or other
alike task tracking databases (if permitted by the user) so that
the STAN.sub.--2 system can use such imported task tracking data to
infer during the scheduled time periods, the user's more likely
environment and moods. More specifically, if the user's task
tracking database indicates that the user has a high priority, high
pressure work task to be completed by end of day, the STAN.sub.--2
system may use this imported information to deduce that the user's
mind is most likely focused on topics related to the must-be-done
task(s) as their deadlines approach and they are listed as not yet
complete. Similarly, the user may have Customer Relations
Management (CRM) software that the user regularly employs and the
database of such CRM software might provide exportable information
(if permitted by the user) about specific persons, projects, etc.
that the user will more likely be involved with during certain time
periods and/or when present in certain locations. It is within the
contemplation of the present disclosure for the STAN.sub.--2 system
to periodically import CRM tracking data from the user's CRM
tracking database(s) (if permitted by the user) so that the
STAN.sub.--2 system can use such imported CRM tracking data to
infer the user's more likely environment and moods based on
detected time and place and/or then-in-contact other persons.
[0058] The StumbleUpon.TM. system (148) allows registered users to
recommend websites to one another. Users can click a thumb-up icon
to vote for a website they like and can click on a thumb-down icon
to indicate they don't like it. The voted upon websites can be
categorized by use of "Tags" which generally are one or two short
words to give a rough idea of what the website is about.
[0059] Another well known social networking (SN) system is the
so-called SecondLife.TM. network (160). The SecondLife.TM. network
presents itself to its users as an alternate, virtual landscape in
which the users appear as "avatars" (e.g., animated 3D cartoon
characters) and they interact with each other as such. The Second
Life.TM. system allows for Non-Player Characters (NPC's) to appear
within the SecondLife.TM. landscape. These are avatars that are not
controlled by a real life person but are rather computer controlled
automated characters. The avatars of real persons can have
interactions within the SecondLife.TM. landscape with the avatars
of the NPC's.
[0060] Aside from these various kinds of social networking (SN)
platforms (e.g., 141-148, 160), other social interactions may take
place through email exchanges, list-serve exchanges, comments
posted on "blogs". Various organizations (dot.org's, 150) and
content publication institutions (155) may publish content directed
to specific topics (e.g., to outdoor nature activities such as
those followed by the Field-and-Streams.TM. magazine) and that
content may be freely available to all members of the public or
only to subscribers in accordance with subscription policies
generated by the various content providers.
[0061] A user (e.g., 131) of the STAN.sub.--2 system 110 may also
be a user of one or more of these various other social networking
(SN) and/or other content providing platforms (120, 140, 150, 155,
160, etc.) and at times the user (e.g., 131) may choose to be
disconnected from (e.g., not logged-into and/or not monitored by)
the STAN.sub.--2 system 110 while instead interacting with one or
more of these various social networking (SN) and other content
providing platforms (120, 140, 150, 155, 160, etc.). So now a
hypothetical example will be studied where User-A (131) is going to
be interacting with an out-of-STAN.sub.--2 subnet 120 (where the
latter could be any one of outside platforms like 141, 142, 144
etc.).
[0062] In this hypothetical example, the same first user 131
(USER-A) employs the username, "Stanley" (or "Stan" for short) when
logged into and being tracked in real time by the STAN.sub.--2
system 110 (and may use a corresponding Stanley-associated
password) while on the other hand, the same first user 131 employs
the username, "Stewart" (or "Stew" for short) when logging into the
alternate SN system 120 (e.g., FaceBook.TM., MySpace.TM.,
LinkedIn.TM., etc.) and he then may use a corresponding
Stewart-associated password. The Stewart persona (131u2) may favor
focusing upon topics related to music and classical literature
whereas the Stanley persona (131u1) may favor focusing on topics
related to science and politics (this being merely a hypothesized
example). Accordingly, the Stewart persona (131u2) may more
frequently join and participate in music/classical literature
discussion groups when logged into the alternate SN system 120. By
contrast, the Stanley persona (131u1) may more frequently join and
participate in science/politics topic groups when logged into or
otherwise being tracked by the STAN.sub.--2 system 110. The local
interface devices (e.g., CPU-1, CPU-2) used by the Stanley persona
(131u1) and the Stewart persona (131u2) may be a same device (e.g.,
same laptop computer) or different ones or a mixture of both
depending on hardware availability and mood of the user. The
environments (e.g., work, home, coffee house) used by the Stanley
persona (131u1) and the Stewart persona (131u2) may also be same or
different ones depending on a variety of circumstances.
[0063] Despite the possibilities for such difference of persona and
interests, there may be instances where user-to-user associations
(U2U) and/or user-to-topic associations (U2T) developed by the
Stewart persona (131u2) while operating exclusively under the
auspices of the SN system 120 environment and outside the tracking
radar of the STAN.sub.--2 system 110 may be of cross-pollination
value to the Stanley persona (131u1)--and/or to other users (e.g.,
132u1) of the STAN.sub.--2 system 110.
[0064] More specifically, a cross-discipline discussion may erupt
within a given Discussion Group (e.g., node 129x) of the external
SN system 120 (e.g., LinkedIn.TM.) that involves both politics and
classical literature. (Recall that the `Stewart` persona likes
literature while the `Stanley` persona of user 131 likes politics.)
In such a case, it may be beneficial to join together (by
invitation) some of the out-of-STAN2 participants in the given
external Discussion Group (e.g., 129x) with some in-STAN2
participants who are currently interacting under a co-related topic
node (115x, understood to be a node of the in-STAN.sub.--2 topics
tree 115) and are equally enthusiastically involved in the same
point of interest that encompasses a cross-discipline crossover
between politics and classical literature.
[0065] But how is such a joinder of out-of-STAN2 participants
(coupled to node 129x) and in-STAN2 participants (coupled to node
115x) to take place? It should be recalled that the first user 131
is operating under his Stewart persona (131u2) when participating
enthusiastically in this hypothetical example with the out-of-STAN2
Discussion Group (e.g., 129x) of the external SN system 120. In the
heat of discussion at node 129x, it may never occur to user 131 (in
his Stewart persona) to think of alerting an in-STAN2 participant
of node 115x to come take a look at what is happening at the moment
inside discussion node 129x. Moreover, a random in-STAN2
participant of node 115x might not be a member of the out-of-STAN2
platform 120 and thus cannot quickly and easily pop in to take a
look. (That other user may first have to register and get
"accepted" as a friend, buddy etc. where all this takes time.)
[0066] Suppose that at a later time, long after the heated
discussion about politics and classical literature erupted at
outside node 129x, the first user 131 finally logs-in (via
interface 118) into the STAN.sub.--2 system 110. By that time, this
first user 131 may have already forgotten what transpired inside
discussion node 129x of external SN system 120. Moreover, that
first user 131 may not at this time navigate his topic focus to
coincide with the topic covered by in-STAN2 node 115x. So the
participants of the out-of-STAN2 Discussion Group (e.g., 129x) do
not get an opportunity to link together with the participants of
the in-STAN2 node 115x even though such cross-platform linkage
might beneficially enhance the Internet using experiences of all
involved. If this kind of failure-to-link was happening under
auspices of the older, STAN.sub.--1 system (not shown), the
STAN.sub.--1 system might have no way of knowing that it should
"invite" the Stanley persona (131u1) of user 131 to take another
look internal node 115x and also at external discussion 129x even
if the STAN.sub.--1 system (not shown) were cognizant of the
existence of that external discussion node 129x.
[0067] However, the STAN.sub.--2 system 110 (FIG. 1A) is different
as compared to the older STAN.sub.--1 system (not shown).
[0068] Firstly, the STAN.sub.--2 system 110 actively tries to
develop and store so-called External SN Profile records 131p2,
132p2 for each of its registered members (e.g., 131, 132
respectively). The External SN Profile records (e.g., 131p2, 132p2)
may reflect user compatibility characteristics (e.g.,
co-compatibilities to other users, compatibilities to specific
topics) of one or more external personas (e.g., 131u2, 132u2) of
registered members of the STAN.sub.--2 system 110 who agree to have
their out-of-STAN.sub.--2 characteristic indicating records
automatically scanned into (imported into) and periodically
re-scanned by the STAN.sub.--2 system 110. In one embodiment, the
out-of-STAN.sub.--2 characteristic indicating records may
alternatively or additionally be partly or wholly manually entered
into records of the STAN.sub.--2 database (DB) 119 and optionally
validated by entry checking software or other means and thereafter
incorporated into the user's External SN Profile records.
[0069] The external profile importing mechanism is more clearly
illustrated for the case of second user 132. In one embodiment,
while this second user 132 was logged-in into the STAN.sub.--2
system 110 (e.g., under his STAN.sub.--2 persona as "Tom", 132u1),
a somewhat intrusive and automated first software agent (BOT, see
process 170 of FIG. 1B) of system 110 invited the second user 132
to reveal by way of a survey his UBID-2 information (his user name,
"Thomas" and optionally his corresponding password) which he uses
to log into interface 128 of the Out-of-STAN other system 120, and
if applicable; to reveal the identity and grant access to the
alternate data processing device (CPU-4) that user 132 uses when
logged into the Out-of STAN other system 120. The automated
software agent (not explicitly shown in FIG. 1A) then recorded an
alias record into the STAN.sub.--2 database (DB 119) where the
stored record (see 184 of FIG. 1B) logically associates the user's
UAID-1 of the 110 domain with his UAID-2 of the 120 domain. Yet
another alias record would make a similar association between the
UAID-1 identification of the 110 domain with some other
identifications, if any, used by user 132 in yet other external
domains (e.g., 141, 142, 144, etc.) Then the agent began scanning
that alternate data processing device (CPU-4) for local friends
and/or buddies lists 132L2 stored in the local memory of CPU-4. The
automated importation scan may also cover local email contact lists
132L1 and Tweet following lists 132L3 held in that alternate data
processing device (CPU-4). If it is given the alternate site
password for temporary usage, the STAN.sub.--2 automated agent also
logged into the Out-of-STAN domain 120 while pretending to be
"Thomas" (with user 132's permission to do so) and began scanning
that alternate contacts/friends/followed tweets/etc. listing site
for remote listings 132R of Thomas's email contacts, Gmail.TM.
contacts, buddy lists, friend lists, accepted contacts lists,
followed tweet lists and so on depending on predetermined knowledge
held by the STAN.sub.--2 system of how the external content site
120 is structured. Different external content sites (e.g., 120,
141, 142, 144, etc.) may have different mechanisms for allowing
logged-in users to access their private (behind the wall) and
public friends, contacts and other such lists based on unique
privacy policies maintained by the various external content sites.
In one embodiment, database 119 of the STAN.sub.--2 system 110
stores accessing know-how data (e.g., knowledge base rules) for
known ones of the external content sites. In one embodiment, a
registered STAN.sub.--2 user (e.g., 132' of FIG. 2) is enlisted to
serve as a sponsor into the Out-of STAN platform for automated
agents output by the STAN.sub.--2 system 110. In one embodiment,
cooperation agreements are negotiated and signed as between
operators of the STAN.sub.--2 system 110 and operators of one or
more of the Out-of STAN other platforms (e.g., external platforms
120, 141, 142, 144, etc.) that permit automated agents output by
the STAN.sub.--2 system 110 or live agents coached by the
STAN.sub.--2 system to enter the other platforms and operate
therein in accordance with restrictions set forth in the
cooperation agreements.
[0070] Referring now to FIG. 1B, shown is a machine-implemented and
automated process 170 by way of which user 132 might be coaxed into
allowing the STAN.sub.--2 system 110 to import all or a
filter-criteria determined subset of the second user's external
lists, 132L, 132R into STAN.sub.--2 stored profile records 132p2 of
that second user 132.
[0071] Process 170 is initiated step 171 (Begin). The initiation
might be in automated response to the STAN.sub.--2 system
determining that user 132 is not heavily focusing upon any
on-screen content of his CPU (e.g., 132a) at this time and
therefore this would likely be a good time to push an unsolicited
usage survey or favor request on user 132.
[0072] The unsolicited usage survey push begins at step 172. Dashed
logical connection 172a points to a possible survey dialog box 182
that might then be displayed to user 132 as part of step 172. The
illustrated content of dialog box 182 may provide one or more
conventional control buttons such as a virtual pushbutton 182b for
allowing the user 132 to quickly respond to the pushed (e.g.,
popped up) survey proposal 182. Reference numbers like 182b do not
appear in the popped-up survey dialog box 182. Embracing hyphens
like the ones around reference number 182b (e.g., "-182b-")
indicate that it is a nondisplayed reference numbers. A same use of
embracing hyphens is used in other illustrations herein of display
content to indicate nondisplay thereof.
[0073] More specifically, introduction information 182a of dialog
box 182 informs the user of what he is being asked to do.
Pushbutton 182b allows the user to respond affirmatively in a
general way. However, if the STAN.sub.--2 has detected that the
user is currently using a particular content site (e.g.,
FaceBook.TM., MySpace.TM., LinkedIn.TM., etc.) more heavily than
others, the popped-up dialog box 182 may provide a suggestive and
more specific answer option 182e for the user whereby the user will
not have to push a sequence of numerous answer buttons to navigate
to his desired conclusion. If the user does not want to be now
bothered, he can click on (or otherwise activate) the Not-Now
button 182c. In response to this, the STAN.sub.--2 system will
understand that it guessed wrong on user 132 being in an idle mode
and thus ready to participate in such a survey. The STAN.sub.--2
system will adaptively alter its survey option algorithms for user
132 so as to better guess when in the future (through a series of
trials and errors) it is better to bother user 132 with such pushed
(unsolicited) surveys. Pressing of the Not-Now button 182c does not
mean user 132 never wants to be queried about such information,
just not now. The task is rescheduled for a later time. User 132
may alternatively press the Remind-me-via-email button 182d. In the
latter case, the STAN.sub.--2 system will automatically send an
email to a pre-selected email account of user 132 inviting him to
engage in the same survey (182, 183) at a time of his choosing. The
More-Options button 182g provides user 132 with more action options
and/or more information. The other social networking (SN) button
182f is similar to 182e but guesses as to an alternate network
account which user 132 might now want to share information about.
In one embodiment, each of the more-specific affirmation (OK)
buttons 182e and 182f includes a user modifiable options section
182s. More specifically, when a user affirms (OK) that he or she
wants to let the STAN.sub.--2 system import data from the user's
FaceBook.TM. account(s) or other external platform account(s), the
user may simultaneously wish to agree to permit the STAN.sub.--2
system to automatically export (in response to import requests from
those identified external accounts) some or all of shareable data
from the user's STAN.sub.--2 account(s). In other words, it is
conceivable that in the future, external platforms such as
FaceBook.TM., MySpace.TM., LinkedIn.TM., GoogleWave.TM.,
GoogleBuzz.TM., Google Social Search.TM., FriendFeed.TM., blogs,
ClearSpring.TM., YahooPulse.TM., Friendster.TM., Bebo.TM., etc.
might evolve so as to automatically seek cross-pollination data
from the STAN.sub.--2 system and by future agreements such is made
legally possible. In that case, the STAN.sub.--2 user might wish to
leave the illustrated default of "2-way Sharing is OK" as is.
Alternatively, the user may activate the options scroll down
sub-button within area 182s of OK virtual button 182e and pick
another option (e.g., "2-way Sharing NOT OK"--option not
shown).
[0074] If in step 172 the user agreed to now being questioned, then
step 173 is next executed. Otherwise, process 170 is exited in
accordance with an exit option chosen by the user in step 172. As
seen in the next popped-up and corresponding dialog box 183, the
user is again given some introductory information 183a about what
is happening in this proposed dialog box 183. Data entry box 183b
asks the user for his user-name as used in the identified outside
account. A default answer may be displayed such as the user-name
(e.g., "Tom") that user 132 uses when logging into the STAN.sub.--2
system. Data entry box 183c asks the user for his user-password as
used in the identified outside account. The default answer may
indicate that filling in this information is optional. In one
embodiment, one or both of entry boxes 183b, 183c may be
automatically pre-filled by identification data automatically
obtained from the encodings acquisition mechanism of the user's
local data processing device. For example a built-in webcam
automatically recognizes his/her face, a built-in audio pick-up
automatically recognizes his/her voice and/or a built-in wireless
key detector automatically recognizes presence of the user
possessed key device whereby manual entry of the user name and/or
password is not necessary and step 173 can be performed
automatically without the user's awareness. Pressing button 183e
provides the user with additional information and/or optional
actions. Pressing button 183d returns the user to the previous
dialog box (182). In one embodiment, if the user provides the
STAN.sub.--2 system with his password (183c), an additional pop-up
window asks the user to give STAN.sub.--2 some time (e.g., 24
hours) before changing his password and then advises him to change
his password thereafter for his protection.
[0075] Although interfacing between the user and the STAN.sub.--2
system is shown illustratively as a series of dialog boxes like 182
and 183 it is within the contemplation of this disclosure that
various other kinds of control interfacing may be used to query the
user and that the selected control interfacing may depend on user
context at the time. For example, if the user (e.g., 132) is
currently focusing upon a SecondLife.TM. environment in which he is
represented by an animated avatar, it may be more appropriate for
the STAN.sub.--2 system to present itself as a survey-taking avatar
(e.g., a uniformed NPC with a clipboard) who approaches the user's
avatar and presents these inquiries in accordance with that motif.
On the other hand, if the user (e.g., 132) is currently interfacing
with his CPU (e.g., 132a) by using a mostly audio interface (e.g.,
a BlueTooth.TM. microphone and earpiece), it may be more
appropriate for the STAN.sub.--2 system to present itself as a
survey-taking voice entity that presents its inquiries (if
possible) in accordance with that predominantly audio motif, and so
on.
[0076] If in step 173 the user provided one or more of the
requested items of information (e.g., 183b, 183c), then in
subsequent step 174 the obtained information is automatically
stored into an aliases tracking portion (e.g., record(s)) of the
system database (DB 119). An exemplary DB record structure is shown
at 184. For each entered data column, the top row identifies the
associated SN or other content providing platform (e.g.,
FaceBook.TM., MySpace.TM., LinkedIn.TM., etc.). The second row
provides the username or other alias used by the queried user
(e.g., 132) when logged into that platform (or presenting himself
otherwise on that platform). The third row provides the user
password and/or other security key used by the queried user (e.g.,
132) when logging into that platform (or presenting himself
otherwise for validate recognition on that platform). Since
providing passwords is optional in data entry box 183c, some of the
password entries in DB record structure 184 are recorded as
not-available (N/A) this indicating the user (e.g., 132) chose not
to share this information. As an optional substep in step 173, the
STAN.sub.--2 system 110 may first grab the user-provided username
(and optional password) and test these for validity by
automatically presenting them for verification to the associated
outside platform (e.g., FaceBook.TM., MySpace.TM., LinkedIn.TM.,
etc.). If the outside platform responds that no such username
and/or password is valid on that outside platform, the STAN.sub.--2
system 110 flags an error condition to the user and does not
execute step 174. Although exemplary record 184 is shown to have
only 3 rows of data entries, it is within the contemplation of the
disclosure to include further rows with additional entries such as,
alternate UsrNm and password (optional) used on the same platform,
user name of best friend(s) on the same platform, user names of
currently being "followed" influential personas on the same
platform, and so on.
[0077] In next step 175, the STAN.sub.--2 system uses the obtained
username (and optional password and optional other information) for
locating and beginning to access the user's local and/or online
(remote) friend, buddy, contacts, etc. lists (132L, 132R). The user
may not want to have all of this contact information imported into
the STAN.sub.--2 system for any of a variety of reasons. After
having initially scanned the available contact information and how
it is grouped or otherwise organized in the external storage
locations, in next step 176 the STAN.sub.--2 system presents a set
of import permission options to the user, including the option of
importing all, importing none and importing a more specific and
user specified subset of what was found to be available. The user
makes his selection(s) and then in next step 177, the STAN.sub.--2
system imports the user-approved portions of the externally
available contact information into a STAN.sub.--2 data storage area
(not shown). The STAN.sub.--2 system checks for duplicates and
removes these.
[0078] Then in step 178 the STAN.sub.--2 system converts the
imported external contacts data into formats that conform to data
structures used within the External STAN Profile records (131p2,
132p2) for that user. With completion of step 178 for each
STAN.sub.--2 registered user (e.g., 131, 132) who has allowed for
external contacts information to be imported, the STAN.sub.--2
system 110 can now automatically inform that user of when his
friends, buddies, contacts, best friends, followed influential
people, etc. as named in external sites are already present within
or are being co-invited to join a chat opportunity such as 315b and
315c in below described FIG. 3A. This kind of additional
information (e.g., displayed as 315b1 and 315c1 and 315d1 in FIG.
3A) may be helpful to the user (e.g., 132) in determining whether
or not he wishes to accept a given in-STAN-vitation.TM. (e.g., a
STAN-provided content source recommendation like 315b and/or 315c)
to view a recommended content source and/or to save (e.g., into
336) some associated data of that given in-STAN-vitation.TM..
Additionally, the External STAN Profile records (131p2, 132p2) for
the corresponding user (e.g., 132) can now be used as part of the
co-compatibility and desirability analysis when the STAN.sub.--2
system is automatically determining in the background the rankings
of chat or other connect-to opportunities that STAN.sub.--2 system
might be recommending to the user for example in the opportunities
banner area 315 of the display screen 300 shown in FIG. 3A (which
area 315 is incidentally optionally out-and-in scrollable as an
opaque or shadow shade--described below) based on the monitored
activities (e.g., as reported by up- or in-loaded CFi's) of the
user in for example, open windows 317 (the user's FaceBook.TM.
account data), 330a (the user's research results from using the
GoogleWave.TM. tool) and 330d (the user's research results from
using the GoogleGoggles.TM. tool).
[0079] When the STAN.sub.--2 system 110 is processing various ones
of possible connect-to recommendations (e.g., chat opportunities
like 315b) in the background to thereby determine which connect-to
recommendations should be ranked as highest priority for
recommending to the user and which as lower ranked and thus perhaps
not even presented, recommendations to the user, the STAN.sub.--2
system may be generating ranking scores based on data provided in:
(a) the user's Current Personality-based Chat Compatibility
profiles (CpCCp's, as described in conjunction with giF. 1B of the
STAN.sub.--1 application); (b) the user's Domain Specific Current
Chat compatibility Profiles (DsCCp's, as described in conjunction
with giF. 1C of the STAN.sub.--1 application); (c) the user's
Personal Emotion Expression Profile (PEEP, as described in
conjunction with giF. 1E of the STAN.sub.--1 application); and (d)
the user's Current Focus Indicators (CFi's, as described in
conjunction with giFs. 2A and 3C of the STAN.sub.--1 application).
The STAN.sub.--2 system 110 may be cross-correlating data and/or
preference rules extracted from such CpCCp's (a), DsCCp's (b),
PEEP's (c), CFi's (d) with attributes and/or joinder rules of
possibly matching topic nodes (such node 450' of giF. 3C) and/or
on-topic chat rooms as defined within the STAN.sub.--2 system's
topics tree (115 of FIG. 1A of this application, see also 215 of
FIG. 2). In one embodiment, the automated cross-correlating and
automated recommendation making rules of the STAN.sub.--2 system
include rules (where these rules are configured for use by
corresponding rule-driven knowledge base algorithms) that are
selectively activated if the user has corresponding data contained
in the user's External STAN Profile record (e.g., 131p2,
132p2).
[0080] One default, but over-rideable, knowledge base rule might
say: IF user's External STAN Profile record exists and includes
imported FaceBook.TM. friends AND topic node under consideration
has at least one such friend connected to that topic node THEN
increase compatibility score of that topic node by +1, and IF the
topic node under consideration has at least three such friends now
connected to that topic node THEN increase compatibility score of
that topic node by an additional +3. In other words, by default,
the STAN.sub.--2 system 110 automatically begins to give greater
preference toward recommending connect-to opportunities (e.g.,
on-topic chat rooms) if the user's external site "friends" (and
better yet, "best friends") are already connected to the content
source that is being considered as a connect-to recommendation.
[0081] In one embodiment, premium subscription users of the
STAN.sub.--2 system 110 are allowed to override the default
external friends rules with specific rules of their choosing or
creation. It may be that a given user prefers not to be connected
to (or given the recommendation to do so) to a content source
(e.g., an online chat room) in accordance with a user provided
exception rule such as: IF Topic=Vacation Plans AND Contacts
already connected to potential content source (e.g., chat room)
include LinkedIn.TM. contacts THEN add -5 to Recommendation Score.
In other words, for a certain topic and/or if certain people are
already at the target site (e.g., chat room), this user prefers to
not connect to that site and/or not to have that content source
recommended to him by the STAN.sub.--2 system. Specialized
knowledge base rules that use data from the user's External STAN
Profile record may be incorporated within the STAN.sub.--2 system
into: (a) the user's Current Personality-based Chat Compatibility
profiles (CpCCp's, see 175 of giF. 1B); (b) the user's Domain
Specific Current Chat compatibility Profiles (DsCCp's, see 195 of
giF. 1C); and (c) the user's Personal Emotion Expression Profile
(PEEP, see 199 of giF. 1E but add to it a friend-related rule such
as: IF Ken54 (TPP) is present THEN increase Gladness by +5). (Here,
TPP stands for influential Tipping Point Persona as shall be better
explained immediately below.)
[0082] In one embodiment, premium subscription users of the
STAN.sub.--2 system are allowed to categorize their imported
friends or other contacts, as for example, "Tipping Point"
Personalities (TPP's) and more specifically, categorized as
"Tipping Point" Early Adapter/Salesman, "Tipping Point" Maven and
"Tipping Point" Influential Connector in conformance for example
with the book, "The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big
Difference" (ISBN 0-316-31696-2) by Malcolm Gladwell, whose
concepts are incorporated herein by reference. As explained in the
book, "Tipping Point" people can be critical to getting an emerging
meme to take root and there are different categories of "Tipping
Point" people: Salesmen, Mavens, and Connectors. By categorizing
their imported friends using a categorizing function like this of
the STAN.sub.--2 system 110, users enable the STAN.sub.--2 system
to specially flag out such people with a TP icon (e.g., the
flashing Toilet Paper icon at 315f in FIG. 3A). Such system
flagging of a given person as being a recognized TPP may be based
on consensus voting by numerous users instead of, or in addition to
such designation by an individual user. Consensus-wise elected
TPP's may be specially flagged out as sTPP's (super Tipping Point
persons). Then if a user spots such a TPP-indicating icon (315f) or
an sTTP-indicating icon (not shown), the user can elect to drag and
drop an attribute of the Connect-to Recommendation (e.g., of Chat
Opportunity 315d) into a Favorites or Saved attributes list (e.g.,
336 of FIG. 3A). In one embodiment, the savable attributes include
one or more of: (a) a link to the topic node (also called Topic
Center or TC) that is associated with the Connect-to
Recommendation; (b) an identification of another user such as a
"Tipping Point" person 315f displayed in associated with the
Connect-to Recommendation; and (c) a link to the content source
(e.g., Chat Room D2--not shown but to be popped open if user double
clicks on center area of 315d) that the Connect-to Recommendation
(e.g., Chat Opportunity 315d) is recommending. In the example of
FIG. 3A, the user is shown at 315e' to be using his mouse (having
counterpart hand icon 336e) to drag and drop a copy of TC flag 315e
into the Saved Topic Centers area of scrollable list 336. The user
could have instead dragged and dropped a copy of TP icon 315f or a
copy of the Chat Opportunity border to list 336. More will be said
on this when FIG. 3A is discussed in yet further detail.
[0083] Incidentally, "Tipping Point" Personalities (TPP's and
sTPP's) are a nonlimiting example of personas who may be logically
linked to a given chat room (e.g., pointed to by 315d) or to
another form of recommended content source (e.g., a blog, a
listserve, etc.) and/or who may be logically linked to a given
topic center (TC) and/or to a given TCONE (topic center owned note
exchange). Depending on topic and context, consensus-wise elected
authors of publications (e.g., peer reviewed publications),
lecturers (e.g., college professors), expert witnesses (e.g., those
who have testified in courtroom cases) and so on (including medical
professional who specialize for example in esoteric diseases) may
be so logically linked to a TC or TCONE within the STAN.sub.--2
system 110/210. One process that can usefully exploit such logical
linking to TC's and/or TCONE's will be detailed when bounce back
operation 229c of the FIG. 2 is explained below. Briefly, in one
example, a general practice physician who is trying to diagnose a
patient with an unusual set of symptoms navigates to a
medicine-related topic center (TC), retrieves identifications of
topic center noted experts and then contacts the experts in hopes
of obtaining from them directly-on-topic advice about the unusual
set of symptoms.
[0084] Referring again to FIG. 1B, after an external list of
friends, buddies, contacts and/or the alike have been imported for
a first external social networking (SN) platform (e.g.,
FaceBook.TM.) and the imported contact identifications have been
optionally categorized (e.g., as TPP's and/or other), the process
can be repeated for other external content resources (e.g.,
MySpace.TM., LinkedIn.TM., etc.). As a last step 179a before
exiting process 170 for each external resource, in one embodiment,
the user is asked to schedule an updating task for later updating
the imported information. Alternatively, the STAN.sub.--2 system
automatically schedules such an information update task. In yet
another variation, the STAN.sub.--2 system alternatively or
additionally, provides the user with a list of possible triggering
events that may be used to trigger an update attempt at the time of
the triggering event. Possible triggering events may include, but
are not limited to, detection of idle time by the user, detection
of the user registering into a new external platform (e.g., as
confirmed in the user's email--i.e. "Thank you for registering into
platform XP2, please record these as your new username and password
. . . "); detection of the user making a major change to one of his
external platform accounts (e.g., again flagged by a STAN.sub.--2
accessible email that says--i.e. "The following changes to your
account settings have been submitted. Please confirm it was you who
requested them . . . "). When a combination of plural event
triggers are requested such as account setting change and user idle
mode, the user idle mode may be detected with use of a user
watching webcam as well as optional temperature sensing of the user
wherein the user is detected to be leaning back, not inputting via
a user interface device for a predefined number of seconds and
cooling off after an intense session with his machine system. Of
course, the user can also actively request initiation (171) of an
update. The information update task may be used to add data (e.g.,
user name and password in 184) for newly registered into external
platforms and new, nonduplicate contacts that were not present
previously, to delete undesired contacts and/or to recategorize
various friends, buddies, contacts and/or the alike as different
kinds of "Tipping Point" persons (TPP's) and/or as other kinds of
noteworthy personas. The process then ends at step 179b but may be
re-begun at step 171 for yet a another external content source when
the STAN.sub.--2 system 110 determines that the user is probably in
an idle mode and is probably willing to accept such a pushed survey
182.
[0085] Referring again to FIG. 1A, it may now be appreciated how
some of the major associations 111-114 can be enhanced by having
the STAN.sub.--2 system 110 cooperatively interacting with external
platforms (120, 141, etc.) by, for example, importing external
contact lists of those external platforms. More specifically, the
user-to-user associations (U2U) 111 can be strengthened by virtue
of a displayed window such as 300 of FIG. 3A being able to now
alert the user as to when friends, buddies, contacts and/or the
alike of an external platform (e.g., 141, 144) are already
associated with a displayed Connect-to Recommendation (e.g., 315b,
315c of FIG. 3A). The user-to-topic associations (U2T) 112 can be
strengthened by virtue of a displayed window such as 300 of FIG. 3A
being able to now show the viewing user how certain influential
individuals (e.g., Ken54 TPP) are associated with a specific topic
center (e.g., TC 315e) due to their being associated with a
Connect-to Recommendation (e.g., 315d) that comes under the flag
(315e) of that topic center (e.g., TC 315e).
[0086] Referring next to FIG. 2, it will now be explained from a
different perspective how cross-pollination actions instigated by
the STAN.sub.--2 system 110 can work to enhance (enhancement shown
as action 121) user-to-user associations (U2U, 111), to enhance
(122) user-to-topic associations (U2T, 112), to expand/evolve (123)
topic-to-topic associations (T2T, 113), and to expand/evolve (124)
topic-to-content associations (T2C, 114). Two platforms, 210 and
220 are respectively represented in the multiplatform space 200 of
FIG. 2. A first of the platforms, 210 (corresponding to 110 of FIG.
1A) is schematically represented as a 3-dimensional lower prismatic
structure having a respective 3D axis frame 210xyz. A second of the
platforms, 220 (corresponding to 120 of FIG. 1A) is schematically
represented as a 2-dimensional upper planar structure having
respective 2D axis frame 220xy. Each of the first and second
platforms, 210 and 220 is shown to respectively have a
compilation-of-users-of-the-platform space, 211 and 221; and a
messaging-rings supporting space, 215 and 225 respectively.
[0087] The planar first platform 220 will be described first
because it follows a conventional approach such as that of
FaceBook.TM. and LinkedIn.TM. for example. Assume first that the
upper messaging-rings supporting space, 225 of platform 220 is
completely empty (it has no rings like 226). A single
circle-creating user 203 starts things going by launching (for
example in a figurative boat 205) a nascent discussion proposal 206
from space 221 into space 225. In the LinkedIn.TM. environment this
is known as simply starting a discussion by attaching a headline
message to it (example: "What do you think about what the President
said today?") and pushing it (206 in its outward bound boat 205)
out into the then empty space 225 where it can be seen by other
members (e.g., 222) of a predefined Discussion Group 224. The
launched discussion proposal 206 transforms into a fixedly attached
child ring 226 of parent node 226p (attached with linking branch
227), where 226p is merely an identifier of the Discussion Group
but does not have message exchange rings like 226 inside of it.
Typically, child rings like 226 attach to growing branch 227
according to date of attachment. The LinkedIn.TM. platform will
thus have proposed discussions posted thereon according to date and
ID of its launcher (e.g., posted 5 days ago by discussion leader
Jones).
[0088] At this stage the launched and attached discussion proposal
226 has only one member of the discussion group 224 associated with
it, namely, its single launcher 203. If no one else (e.g., a
friend, a discussion group co-member) joins into that solo-launched
discussion proposal 226, it remains empty and just sits there,
aging at its attached position along growing branch 227 and under
parent node 226p. On the other hand, if another member 222 of the
discussion group 224 jumps into (228) the affixed discussion
proposal 226 (e.g., "What do you think about what the President
said today?") by posting a responsive comment inside that ring 226,
for example, "Oh, I think what the President said today was good.",
then the discussion has begun. The discussion launcher/leader 203
may post a counter comment or other members of the discussion group
224 may also jump in and add their comments. Irrespective of how
many other members of the discussion group 224 jump into the ring
226 or later leave the ring 226, that ring 226 stays affixed to the
parent node 226p in the historical position where it originally
attached. Some discussion rings in LinkedIn.TM. can grow to have
hundreds of comments and a like number of members commenting
therein. Other launched discussion rings (206) of LinkedIn.TM. may
remain forever empty while still remaining affixed to the parent
node in their historical position and having only the one
discussion launcher 203 logically linked to that otherwise empty
discussion ring.
[0089] It is to be understood that not all discussion group rings
like 226 need to be carried out in a single common language such as
lay-person's English. It is quite possible that some discussion
groups conduct their internal exchanges in respective other
languages such as, but not limited to, German, French, Italian,
Swedish, Japanese, Chinese or Korean. It is also possible that some
discussion groups have members who are multilingual and thus
conduct internal exchanges within certain discussion groups with
mixed use of several languages, for example, throwing in French or
German loan phrases (e.g., Schadenfreude) into a mostly English
discourse where no English word quite suffices. It is also possible
that some discussion group keywords are of a mixed or alternate
language type. It is also possible that some discussion groups have
members who are experts in certain esoteric arts (e.g., patent law,
computer science, medicine, economics, etc.) and use art-based
jargon that lay persons not skilled in such arts would not normally
understand or use.
[0090] The birth (instantiation) in the lower platform space 210
(corresponding to the STAN.sub.--2 system 110) of a messaging ring
(irrespective of whether its discourse is to be conducted in lay
English, French or mixed languages or specialized jargon) is often
(there are exceptions) a substantially different affair. Firstly, a
nascent messaging ring 208 is generally not launched by only one
member of platform 210 but rather by at least two such members 207
(assumed to both be ordinary-English speaking in this example). In
other words, at the time of launch (of figurative boat 205') the
two or more launchers 207 of the nascent messaging ring 208 have
already agreed to enter into an ordinary-English based discussion
(or another form of "Notes Exchange" which is the NE suffix of the
TCONE acronym) within ring 208. Accordingly, as a general rule,
ring 208 never launches with a solo-rower and as a having-no-joined
other members-therein ring, as its boat (205') floats into the
messaging-rings supporting space 215 of platform 220. Instead and
as a general proposition herein (there could be exceptions such as
if one launcher immediately drops out for example or when a
credentialed expert launches a course-to-be taught ring), each
nascent messaging ring like 208 enters a corresponding
ring-supporting and mapping (e.g., indexing) space 215 while
already having at least two members joined in discussion (or in
another form of mutually understandable "Notes Exchange") therein
as its figurative boat 205' sets temporary anchor in a not-fixed
floating position within the topics supporting space 215 of
platform 220. Discussion about how an initially launched
(instantiated) and anchored (moored) Social Notes Exchange (SNE)
can become a drifting one that swings from one anchoring node (TC)
to a next, in other words, it become a dSNE 216d will be provided
shortly.
[0091] First however, it is to be observed that the birth of a
messaging ring (e.g., 208) in the lower platform space 210 not only
often involves at least two joined launchers 207 (typically using a
common and mutually understood exchange language, e.g., lay
person's English) but also that it involves the attachment of a
temporary topic center flag 209 to the launched boat 205'. It is
the two or more joined launchers 207 who initially decide (directly
or indirectly; consciously or subconsciously) what the initial
"topic" of their jointly launched messaging ring 208 will be. The
launched messaging ring 208 is not necessarily married for life to
one or more of its birthing launchers. All the initial launchers
can abandon ship (so to speak) and other STAN.sub.--2 members can
jump onboard and take control as new captains over the drift
direction of that already launched messaging ring 208. This too
will be explained shortly. In one embodiment, each discussion ring
(a.k.a. TCONE) within topic space 215 is recorded by the
STAN.sub.--2 system as having a named set of birthing launchers
(e.g., 207) and first anchored position (birth place), a named set
of current anchor-controlling members (a.k.a. current captains, can
be same 207 or different members) with corresponding current
anchored-to position or positions, and a named set of currently
most influential mutineers who wish to drift the boat so it becomes
more so anchored (tethered) to one or more new positions (different
TC's). These respective birthers (207), current captains and rebels
(those seeking change of course and/or mooring points) can be
identified in many other ways besides by their user names (e.g., by
STAN.sub.--2 issued unique user identification numbers). Stated
otherwise, each TCONE is tracked where the tracking records store
the identifications of two or more of its initial parents and
initial one or more anchoring positions in topic space 215,
identifications of one or more of its current captains and current
anchoring positions in topic space (plus optionally, current drift
direction) and identifications of one or more of its want-to-be-new
captains and their desired new anchoring position(s) in topic space
(plus optionally, new drift direction).
[0092] It is assumed that when original launchers 207 first join in
a Notes Exchange session (or are invited by STAN.sub.--2 to do so),
each launcher has a respective, on-topic thought pattern (207a and
207b respectively, and not necessarily expressed verbally and/or
visually) in his her mind. The on-topic portion of the thought
pattern (207a or 207b) may be subconscious or conscious or both.
Each launcher is understood to "encode" his respective on-topic
thought pattern(s) (207a and 207b) with a corresponding one or more
topic-directed and objectively detectable "encodings" (207aa and
207bb respectively). A nonlimiting example of such encodings may be
a respective keyword proposed by each launcher for what the topic
is "about". More specifically, launcher-A might first say, `I think
the keyword for our shared topic is Apples` while launcher-B might
first say, `I think the keyword for our shared topic is Oranges`
and thereafter they may agree that a better set of keywords for
defining the topic of their mutually launched TCONE (208) is
`Apples, Oranges and like fruit`. Later, if the instantiated boat
is taken over by new captains, they may redefine what topic(s) the
launched boat most closely is tethered to as being `all fruit`.
This of course, is a relatively simplistic example. If the boat's
topic is switched to `all fruit`, the machine-implemented
definition of what topic node(s) the boat is now tethered to may
jump up a level in a hierarchical topic tree where `Apples` and
`Oranges` are two discrete topic nodes that are children of broader
and thus parent, "All Fruits" topic node.
[0093] Keyword-based encoding of the topic definition (as agreed to
implicitly or explicitly by discussion boat launchers 207) is but
one of many options. Another for-example could be pictures or
sounds. Launcher-A might first explicitly or implicitly indicate
(e.g., through his up- or inloaded CFi's): `I think attached
image-A and SoundTrack-A best represent our common topic`. On the
other hand, Launcher-B might first explicitly or implicitly
indicate: `No, I think attached image-B and SoundTrack-C best
represent our common topic`. As indicated, the encodings of the
on-topic thought patterns may be generated consciously,
subconsciously or by both ways. Uploaded (or in-loaded) CFi's and
CVi's from TCONE members who currently control topic definition may
be combined (through a voting process or otherwise) to implicitly
indicate the consensus topic definition. More generally speaking,
topic defining and/or topic-directed "encodings" (207aa and 207bb)
may be expressed in the form of any one or more encoded (and thus
storable and transmittable) expression-representing signals
including, but not limited to, on-topic keywords; on-topic tags;
on-topic meta-tags; on-topic graphic images; on-topic whole or
partial content pointed to by a URL; on-topic sound tracks;
on-topic haptics (e.g., tactile sensations) on-topic kinesics
(e.g., muscles tensings), on-topic olfactics (e.g., smells, tastes
as detected and characterized by standardized chemical sniffing or
tasting devices), identifications of key (e.g., famous) persons
associated with the topic and their association to it, hyper-links
to the foregoing, and so on. As already explained in the here
incorporated STAN.sub.--1 application, up- or in-loaded CFi's and
CVi's may be used to automatically convey these various expressible
encodings to an automated encodings-weighting and
encodings-processing device that then automatically defines the
probable "initial topic" for each launcher (of respective thought
patterns 207a, 207b) based on predetermined profiles (e.g.,
CpCCp's, DsCCp's) of the respective launchers 207. Often there will
be at least one or more common encodings (207cc) that are shared by
the launchers 207 (e.g., "fruit") because, for example, they both
encoded with a same keyword and/or a same tag/meta-tag and/or by
emotively focusing on same whole or partial content (e.g., an image
of a fruit store) pointed to by a common URL or equivalent URL's
pointing to similar content or because their respective but
different encodings (207a, 207b) nonetheless logically group under
a same encompassing other encoding 207dd (e.g., apples and oranges
are fruit) where the definition of the encompassing encoding (e.g.,
fruit) and its encompassed sub-encodings (e.g., apples, oranges,
bananas) is stored in DB 119, maintained therein (automatically
updated) and automatically consulted by the STAN.sub.--2 system
220. The preceding are non-limiting examples. The STAN.sub.--2
system 210 can use the common encodings 207cc and/or its own
logical linked and augmenting-wise provided and/or encompassing
encoding(s) 207dd to automatically determine where in topic space
215 the initially launched topic 209 initially should be tethered
to.
[0094] Yet another example of not-just-word-based encoding of topic
definition may play out like this. A first jazz musician is sitting
at his music keyboard in a New Orleans Cajun restaurant (he's
getting ready for tonight's show) and taking in the sights, sounds,
smells (e.g., cooking smells) and tastes (e.g., nibbling on a Cajun
dish before him) of his environment and because of that he gets a
notion for a new variation on a jazz musical score he had been
collaborating with a friend across town. He calls up his friend
using his newest convergence type palm-held data processing device
(in the nature of an advanced iPhone.TM., Android.TM. device) and
says, `Turn on your sniff-onometer, I want you to feel this and
help me out with this new musical idea I have`. H is friend's
convergence type palm-held or forearm worn data processing device
has a standardized chemical sniffing/tasting device built into it
(e.g., using MEMs style chemical detection technology) that outputs
chemical composition detection and concentration signals similar to
those of the first musician's device whereby, as the second
musician moves around a Cajun kitchen he happens to work at, he can
find a spot that smell-wise and/or taste-wise feels roughly the
same as that of the first musician. This is so because the two
convergence type palm-held data processing devices can upload
respective chemical signature signals to a common and automated
analysis and comparison machine system (e.g., included in one
embodiment of the STAN.sub.--2 system 210) and the smell/taste
analysis and comparison machine system can feedback indications of
how far apart their surrounding smell/taste environments are. A
high quality audio pick up on the first musician's palm-held or
forearm worn data processing device relays the new music track he
is playing to the sound output of the second musician's wireless
device where the relay flows through the STAN.sub.--2 system (of
this embodiment). At least one of the musicians has his
STAN-monitoring control (like 312 of FIG. 3A) turned ON. This means
that the STAN.sub.--2 system is monitoring the CFi's up or
in-loaded from that at least one musician's and is looking for
corresponding chat or other Notes Exchange sessions to recommend as
being intuitively on-topic. The up or in-loaded CFi's include the
sound tracks and sniff-onometer's output signals. The STAN.sub.--2
system automatically infers from the encodings (see again 207aa) it
is receiving from the at least one being-monitored musician's
device and from his personal profiles (e.g., DsCCp's) that his
current on-mind topic is most likely experimental jazz and that he
probably would like to share the on-topic experience with other
co-compatible jazz musicians who are also currently being similarly
monitored by the STAN.sub.--2 system. As a result, the STAN.sub.--2
system automatically finds a third jazz musician who is at the
moment substantially on-topic (based on his up or in-loaded and
possibly nonverbal encodings) with the first two jazz musicians and
automatically makes a recommendation (e.g., like 315d of FIG. 3A)
that they should virtually connect based on their current
co-compatibilities as to topic and direction of its development. As
a result, all three musicians collaborate and come up with a new
music innovation.
[0095] It is to be understood that the above example of three
collaborating musicians could instead have involved collaborating
chefs whose convergence type palm-held or forearm worn data
processing devices with standardized chemical sniffing/tasting
devices built into them also had radiant temperature detectors as
well as steam tolerant webcams so that the chefs can cross-exchange
nonverbal notes about cooking temperatures, odors and visuals of
their ongoing cooking efforts with one another on-the-fly and so
that an embodiment of the STAN.sub.--2 system 210 can recommend
online joinder with similarly situated other chefs, thereby
providing for online meeting and collaboration based at least in
part on nonverbal encodings. And of course, over-the-net jamming
musicians and over-the-net collaboratively cooking chefs are but
two examples of many other such cross-collaborations that can be
instigated on the basis of nonverbal encodings (e.g., optionally
within 207aa and 207bb of FIG. 2). Other examples of
cross-collaborations that might be instigated by the STAN.sub.--2
system on the basis of nonverbal encodings may include: wine
tasters, cigar smokers, bird watchers (who use long distance sound
pickups) and clothing or other apparel buyers. In the case of
clothing/apparel buyers, the specific textures (haptically detected
and analyzed) of different cloths or other worn materials may be an
important factor as well as possibly smells and visuals. Thus in
the latter cases, their convergence type palm-held or forearm worn
data processing devices with standardized chemical sniffing/tasting
devices built into them may also have standardized texture
detecting and reporting devices incorporated into them where the
texture reporting signals are up or in-loaded into the STAN.sub.--2
system so that remote seekers of same or similar clothes and/or
other apparels (e.g., shoes, purses, etc.) may compare their
findings online with similarly interested, co-compatible and
STAN.sub.--2 found users. The palm-held or forearm worn data
processing devices may also include software means for deciphering
2D and/or 3D (e.g., holographic) bar codes and up or in-loading
those to the STAN.sub.--2 system so that brand name products can be
compared based on online specifications. More specifically, the
scenario may play out like this. A shopaholic is out shopping at
her favorite apparel store for a new sweater, blouse, shoes, etc.
She finds something that appears to be of value but she is not sure
about price and quality. Her iPhone.TM. like device has a cloth
texture feeler and cloth chemicals sniffer. She uses an embodiment
of the STAN.sub.--2 system to hook up (via chat room or otherwise)
with a similar but remote shopaholic who is studying a similar item
of similar texture, chemical off-gassing attributes and in roughly
the same price range. They exchange notes and each decides based on
those exchanged notes whether to buy her being-examined item. This
is another example where spaced apart users of the STAN.sub.--2
system who may previously be strangers to one another can
nonetheless find one another for mutually beneficial (e.g.,
mutually supportive) sharing of experience and of impressions about
things that are of current interest to both (or all) of them.
[0096] Referring back to the TCONE-birthing parents 207 of FIG. 2
and for sake of simplicity, let it be assumed that launching
parents 207 have agreed (by consensus, e.g., by means of commonly
shared encodings 207cc and/or encompassing but STAN.sub.--2
provided encoding(s) 207dd) that their launched ring 208 should
initially buoy itself (tether itself) to a pre-existing topic
center 219a located as a "topic node" somewhere on a hierarchical
topics tree data structure maintained in space 215 by the
supporting platform 210 (where 210 can be 110 of FIG. 1A and where
topic space 215 is defined by data records stored in database (DB)
119 of system 110). When their boat 205' arrives and anchors at
topic center 219a, the launchers may be surprised to discover that
there are other rings already moored to (tethered to), or stacked
up along a Z-axis pole 219a of that topic space location. The
launchers' ring 208 will be automatically stacked up by the
STAN.sub.--2 system onto that shared Z-axis pole 219a along with
other rings that have chosen for themselves (directly or
indirectly) to anchor at that same "topic node". For sake of
example, let us assume that the collectively defined topic of
shared Z-axis pole 219a is: "What do you think about what the
President said today?" (Common keywords or tags for this topic
might include the words: U.S.A., President, speech and latest.)
However, not all rings (216a) stacked up on Z-axis pole 219a are
the same in their respective attributes. Some of the messaging
rings (or "TCONEs" as they are alternatively here referred to)
require all members inside that messaging ring to have a high
degree of expertise in the subject matter that the President was
talking about (let it be assumed to be foreign affairs). Such
expertise demanding rings may be visualized as having relatively
small diameters because only a rare few members qualify to enter
into discussion within that ring (e.g., chat room). By contrast,
others of the "topic center owned note exchanges" (TCONEs) 216a may
have much looser restrictions on who can enter the ring (e.g., chat
room) and participate in its discussion. The latter may be
visualized as having relatively larger diameters because a larger
number of members qualify to enter into discussion within those
less restrictive rings.
[0097] The stacked collection of rings (TCONEs) 216a centered on
the Za pole 219a (where such stacking implies that pole 219a is the
controlling or primary tethering node for those rings) may be
visualized as forming a 3D cone composed of removable hoops or
rings of varying diameters. For any given Z-pole in topic space 215
there does not have to be a hoop at the Z=0 level and hoops may be
disposed in negative Z territory as well as or in opposition to
other hoops disposed in positive Z territory. More specifically and
by way of example, hoops in positive Z territory may be constrained
to discussion groups that lean one way politically and hoops in
negative Z territory may be constrained to discussion groups that
lean in an opposed direction politically. This is just an example.
The stacked hoops do not have to form a cone shape (i.e. a single
cone) in any given territory of the Z-axis. There could be
cylinders, undulating forms and so on. It would have been
convenient if the acronym, TCONE corresponded to the 3D cone shown
at 219a. But it does not. The TCONE, or more fully, the Topic
Center Owned Note Exchange ring, is just one Z-pole ringing hoop
(or tethered thereto hoop) among a potentially large number of
other such figurative hoops that are currently (but not necessarily
permanently) primarily "owned" by the Topic Center (TC) 219a.
[0098] Because in the general case, the topic center Z-pole 219a
can have a large number of primarily-owned TCONEs hooped onto it,
the topic center Z-pole 219a can have a life of its own that
becomes independent of the life of any one TCONE hooped around it.
A topic center Z-pole 219a can start to "drift" in one direction on
an XY plane of 3D axis 210xyz while one or a few (but not all) of
its hoops (i.e. drift-apart hoop 216d) drift off in an opposed
direction and attach more strongly to (tether to) other Z-poles.
The mechanisms that make this possible are already spelled out in
the here incorporated STAN.sub.--1 application and thus will not be
repeated. The STAN.sub.--1 application described the phenomenon as
akin to a Tarzan character using vines to swing from one tree to a
next, where at one point in the swing the Tarzan character can of
course simultaneously be holding onto the vines of two trees.
Briefly and in more detail, members of an individual TCONE (e.g., a
chat room) can vote to change the definition of topic of their
individual TCONE (e.g., 216d). At the same time the collective
members of a stack of TCONEs hooped around one topic center Z-pole
219a can collectively vote to change the definition of topic of
their collectively hooped Z-pole 219a. Accordingly, a rogue
individual TCONE (e.g., 216d) can drift off in one direction and
the rest of the hooped Z-pole 219a can drift off in a different
direction. In one embodiment, the controlling majority of members
whose TCONEs are hooped around a given topic node (a.k.a. TC) such
as that of Z-pole 219a can vote implicitly (e.g., with their CVi's)
and/or explicitly so as to constantly and dynamically redefine how
the topic of the TC is encoded (e.g., via its Top N keywords, its
Top N' meta-tags, its Top P pointers (e.g., URL's) to on-topic
content and so on).
[0099] In the STAN.sub.--2 system (as represented by lower space
210 of FIG. 2), a registered member (e.g., 212) can be
in-STAN-vitated.TM. to join a recommended one TCONE among the stack
216a of TCONEs hooped onto Z-pole 219a. Briefly, this is done in
the embodiment 300 of FIG. 3A (detailed below) by the user
double-clicking (opening up) on a banner-displayed
TweetView-Opportunity glyph such as 315a, in which case a
corresponding content displaying window like 316a opens up (could
be a Tweet.TM. stream instead of a chat room transcript) and the
invitation accepting user can then view content provided by, and/or
can interact with the members already linked with the content of
the newly-opened window 316a. This is an example of a STAN.sub.--2
member entering into the discussion ring of a given TCONE. (In one
embodiment, each so-opened Notes Exchange session; e.g., Room A0
(316a), Room B3 (316b), has a topic center flag gadget (e.g.,
316aa, 316bb respectively) attached to it and, as will be better
detailed for flag gadget 315e below, activation of the TC flag
gadget initiates navigation to a corresponding topic node in system
topic space.) As indicated in exemplary banner 315, the opened
Notes Exchange session can be a Tweet.TM. stream (315a), or an
instant chat room (315b), or a blog commenting area (icon not shown
in the recommendations banner area 315) or any other appropriate
online mechanism by way of which members can exchange on-topic
notes, data, pointers, etc. with one another in real time or over
prolonged periods of time (e.g., in the sense for example of chess
players exchanging next moves with one another by way of once-a-day
emails). In one embodiment, prior to opening up a Notes Exchange
session such as 316a (Room A0) by double clicking on a headline
recommendation (e.g., 315a) of banner 315, the user may first
actuate (e.g., by left clicking on it) an encoding inquiry tool
portion of the recommendation (e.g., 315a) such as by actuating the
boxed question mark tool 315a5 of headline recommendation area
315a. In response to this actuation, the user interface mechanism
automatically presents an indication (e.g., connection flaring
315a6) of which, on-screen one or more keywords (e.g., 315a7), tags
or other encodings are being deemed as being primarily
representative of the topic of the correspondingly headlined
TweetView-Opportunity (315a) or of the corresponding other such
content source recommendation (e.g., 315b, 315c, 315d). In the
illustrated example, actuation of the encoding inquiry tool 315a5
causes a color coded and translucent connection flaring 315a6 to be
temporarily displayed while at the same time the corresponding
on-screen encoding (e.g., keyword 315a7) is also highlighted (e.g.,
color reversed, or flashed or otherwise differentially flagged
out). Release of depression of the mouse button and/or removal of
the cursor from hovering over the encoding inquiry tool 315a5
causes the temporarily flared connection beam (315a6) to disappear
and also the temporary flagging (315a7) of the corresponding
encoding (e.g., key.a5) to be undone. In an alternate embodiment,
the temporarily flared connection beam 315a6 is not presented and
instead only the corresponding encoding (e.g., key.a5) is
temporarily flagged out (315a7). In the same or an alternate
embodiment, depressing the keyboard Control key while hovering over
any boxed question mark tool (like 315a5 of glyph 315a) of any of
the presented content source recommendations (e.g., 315b, 315c,
315d) causes differently colored connection beams (like 315a6) from
all the respective recommendation glyphs to extend from those
glyphs to all corresponding topic-related encodings then present on
the screen. Thus a user can quickly tell, if he wants to, which
on-screen encodings (e.g., keywords, tags, images, etc.) belong to
a given one or more of the then presented recommendations (e.g.,
315a, 315b, 315c, 315d).
[0100] It is also within the contemplation of the present
disclosure to have the logical link between a given encoding and a
corresponding one or more recommendation glyphs (e.g., 315a, 315b,
315c, 315d) temporarily light up (e.g., with use of a reverse
flaring beam like 315a6) when the user hovers the cursor (335) over
a selected and potential encoding (e.g., 315a7) and the user hits a
predefined hot keys combination. If the suspected encoding (e.g.
key.a5) is indeed logically linked to one or more of the then
displayed recommendation glyphs (e.g., 315a) the suspected encoding
becomes temporarily flagged out (e.g., with flag out mechanism
315a7) and the reverse connection beam (like 315a6) flares from the
suspected encoding to the correlated recommendation glyphs (e.g.,
315a). If the suspected encoding (e.g. key.a5) is not logically
linked to any of the recommendation glyphs then basically nothing
happens (the user's compute may however sound a failure bell tone).
Logical linkage between a suspected encoding (e.g. key.a5) and its
corresponding recommendation glyphs (e.g., 315a, 315b, 315c, 315d)
may be temporarily indicated in a variety of other ways including a
case where the reverse flaring beam (like 315a6) is not
displayed.
[0101] In one embodiment, the nature and type of each
Notes-Exchange that is being recommended in the recommendations
banner area 315 (an optionally scrollable area) of FIG. 3A is
indicated by a showing of a given title (e.g., as shown in 315c)
for the corresponding content and by showing of an appropriate
Notes Exchange session-type indicating icon. For example, an icon
showing a singing bird 315a2 may be displayed as attached to the
Tweet.TM. recommending area 315a to intuitively indicate to the
user that this recommended content source points to a Tweet.TM. or
to a stream of on-topic Tweets. By way of another example, a pair
of talking balloon heads 315b2 may be displayed as attached to the
chat room recommending area 315b to intuitively indicate to the
user that this content source recommendation 315b logically links
to a corresponding on-topic chat room (which room will be
automatically opened and displayed in side area 316a-316f of the
screen if the user double clicks on recommendation providing area
315b). In one embodiment, a wide variety of intuitive
type-of-source indicators and gadget icons may be displayed as
being attached to a corresponding content source recommendation
glyph. For example, source recommendation glyph 315c is shown to
have the talking balloon heads 315c2 attached to it as well as a
transcript recording gadget 315c3 and a BuZZ-Me gadget 315c4.
Moreover, source recommendation glyph 315d is shown to have TC
gadget 315e attached to it as well as transcript recording gadget
315r and temperature-indicating gadget 315g and a TP flag 315f.
Some of these indicators or gadgets have been described above and
some may be described in more detail below. Displaying all
indicators or gadgets at once can create undesired clutter in the
recommendations banner area 315. Accordingly, in one embodiment,
the user is given access to a banner display options menu (not
shown) through which the user can specify which indicators or
gadgets are to be displayed and if so, in what manner (e.g., large
icons, small icons, with or without text labels, with or without
unique color codings, etc.). In one embodiment, when the user
hovers his cursor (e.g., 335) over, or right clicks on the desired
source recommending (source headlining) glyph (e.g., 315b, 315c,
315d), one of the options displayed to the user is that of
controlling settings for all, or specific types of source
recommending glyphs where the settings specify what indicators or
gadgets will be displayed by default for that type and if so, in
what manner. Another option is that of now showing all indicators
or gadgets for the hovered-over or right-clicked on recommendation
glyph as being attached to that glyph or alternatively displayed in
a sideline frame (not shown).
[0102] In the illustrated example of the recommendations-providing
banner 315, the banner is organized like a top-headlines showing,
multi-column newspaper (e.g., a four column headlined format in the
case of FIG. 3A) where a headlining having the implied message of
"click-here-to-read-more" is provided in the displayed horizontally
extending area of banner 315 in the form of a limited number of
currently hottest and headlined recommendations (e.g., the four
shown respectively at 315a, 315b, 315c, 315d). Banner 315 acts as a
sort of hottest-now radar screen that lets the user know what
additional Notes Exchange sessions (besides the sessions already
popped open on his main screen, e.g., at 316a, 316b, 317) the user
might want to take a look at because those additional Notes
Exchange sessions (a.k.a. in one form as chat opportunities) are
now deemed by the STAN.sub.--2 system to be on-topic with what
currently uploading CFi's are indicating as being the topics that
are now most prominent on the user's mind. If a newer topic shifts
into the apparent top focused upon ones of the user (because his
CFi's have started implying the newer topic) and one of the
previous top topics drops out of favor (again because the user's
latest CFi's have started implying that) then the falling out of
favor headline (one of recommendations 315a, 315b, 315c, 315d) is
seen to slowly fall down in its respective newspaper column while a
newer headline descends to take its place in the respective,
newspaper like column. In this way the user is given the intuitive
understanding that the previous recommendation (the before
headline) has dropped down in rating and the newer one has dropped
in to take its place. However, if the user wants to keep the older,
or before recommendation--say it is 315b--still on his top
headlines row of banner 315, in one embodiment, the user clicks on
the down scroll arrow of arrow pair 315b45 and the older
recommendation scrolls back up while a bottom piece of the newer
recommendation remains displayed in that newspaper-like column to
remind the user there is newer and deemed more "hot" recommendation
awaiting above. The user may later click on the up-pointing scroll
arrow of arrow pair 315b45 to see the next newer one, or even one
above that, as desired. Each of the newspaper-like columns of
banner 315 has its own respective set of up and down scroll control
arrows like the arrow pair 315b45 identified in opportunity
recommending area 315b. In the illustrated example, the separations
between the newspaper-like columns of banner 315 are indicated by
thickened separation lines (vertical lines) 315v. Left and right
pointing arrow tools to the left (315z) and to the right (315zz) of
the four central newspaper-like columns of banner 315 allow the
user to see other side columns which the STAN.sub.--2 system is
determining to be less on-topic with what the user probably has in
mind. Sometimes, of course, the STAN.sub.--2 system can be wrong in
its guesses as to what specific topics (e.g., top 1, 2, 3 or 4
topics) are on the user's mind and by scrolling left (315z) or
right (315zz) and clicking on one of those off-center
newspaper-like columns, the user implicitly lets the STAN.sub.--2
system know (and lets the STAN.sub.--2 system adaptively alter
itself accordingly) that it is the more sidelined topic that the
user actually had in mind.
[0103] The exemplary newspaper-like headlined columns format of
banner 315 is just one of many possible formats that can be used
and is not to be seen as limiting. In one embodiment, the user is
allowed to change the banner (e.g., 315) to have a different
format, for example, a four quadrant Picture-in-Picture format
where the four quadrant PiP structure (not shown) floats as a
moveable and resizeable window on the main screen 300 along with
other windows like windows 317, 330a and 330d.
[0104] Still referring to the method wherein the user double-clicks
on (and thus indicates a desired opening up operation) on a
banner-displayed TweetView-Opportunity recommendation glyph such as
315a, there is a more advanced action that a STAN.sub.--2 member
can take. Rather than jumping right into the midst of a
system-recommended first TCONE (e.g., one recommended by a glyph
such as 315a or 315d), the user can elect to instead navigate
himself to the primary Z-pole 219a (herein also referred to as the
topic center or topic node) of the system-recommended TCONE and to
browse about the neighborhood of that primary Z-pole 219a (or
optionally about the neighborhood of a secondary Z-pole if the
TCONE is tethered to more than one). Such a navigating to, and
browsing about operation, may encompass the STAN.sub.--2 system
generating a 3D or 2D displayable image that maps the TC or TCONE
neighborhood onto a local view screen for viewing by the user. The
displayed map image may very well include coned shaped 3D
structures such as that shown 219a of FIG. 2. The displayed map
image may also include 3D fractal structures such as that
represented by glyph 216f, where the latter will be described
below. The STAN.sub.--2 system generated representation of its
topic space 215 may of course take on other forms including, but
not limited to, two-dimensional or multi-dimensional tabular
representations.
[0105] In one embodiment, each system-recommended Social Notes
Exchange (SNE; a.k.a. discussion ring or TCONE) that is iconically
recommended on the user's data processing device (e.g., CPU-1 of
FIG. 1A) also has a gadget icon connected to it that represents the
location of the topic center (the TC prefix of the TCONE acronym)
within the topic nodes tree map (215) of the STAN.sub.--2 system
110/210. More specifically, in FIG. 3A, the TC flag 315e that pokes
up from the block representing Chat Opportunity A2 (315d) may be
double clicked on and then in response the system automatically
displays a section of the topics tree map (215) to the user that
shows the corresponding Z-pole 219a and the TCONEs that are
currently tethered to that pole, and also some neighboring poles
like Zb (219b) and the TCONEs that are currently tethered to that
other pole. In one embodiment, the TC flag icon 315e includes a
circle and a cross-hair centered on that circle so as to
intuitively indicate that it flags out a center point. Right
clicking on the flag icon 315e provides the user with some synopsis
information about the targeted topic node (e.g., 219a, 219b)
without yet opening up a map of the corresponding area in the topic
nodes space (215). More specifically, the synopsis information may
provide the user with a name and brief description of the topic of
that TC (topic center), an indication of how many TCONEs (e.g.,
chat rooms or other Social Notes Exchanges (SNEs)) are currently
tethered to that TC, and an indication of various TCONE entry
restrictions (example: "Minimum level of expertise needed to enter
least restrictive chat room here is High School Diploma, Minimum
level of expertise needed to enter most restrictive chat room here
is PhD in World History").
[0106] Once a user (e.g., 212) has navigated his way (e.g., via
path 218 of FIG. 2) to the Z-pole (219a) of a chosen topic center,
the user may request admittance into any one of the displayed
TCONEs (e.g., chat rooms). In one embodiment, Premium service
subscribers to the STAN.sub.--2 system get to see more displayed
TCONEs than base service registrants. In one embodiment, the
STAN.sub.--2 system automatically prevents display to a user (e.g.,
212) who has navigated to a TC point on the map 215 of TCONEs which
the user clearly cannot gain participating admittance into because
his currently active user profiles (e.g., CpCCp's, DsCCp's) and
more current CFi's indicate he does not qualify to enter and/or he
would not want to enter. A user (e.g., 212) who has navigated (218)
to a TC point on the map 215 of TCONEs may not succeed in gaining
entry as an active participant (with commenting privileges) into
one or more of the displayed TCONEs for any number of reasons
including, but not limited to, that the limit of allowed active
participants in that TCONE (ring) has been reached or that the user
does not meet the stringent restriction rules established for
participating entry or even watching/lurking entry into that TCONE.
For those TCONEs that the user manages to obtain at least
watching/lurking entry into, the user can learn the user names of
the active participants in that TCONE and can see (or otherwise
perceive, or get a copy of) what they are discussing or otherwise
exchanging notes about (including on-topic content data and/or
links to on-topic content data and/or links to other on-topic or
near-topic nodes of mapped space 215 and, in one embodiment, to
nodes of outside platform space 225 that are on-topic or
near-topic).
[0107] A user (e.g., 212) who has navigated his way (e.g., via path
218 of FIG. 2) to the Z-pole (e.g., 219a, 219b) of a chosen topic
center, need not request admittance into any one of the displayed
TCONEs (e.g., chat rooms) in order to make use of the visited topic
center (TC, a.k.a. Z-pole). Many of the topic centers (a.k.a. topic
nodes) will have their own content and pointers to content where
the topic center's content and/or pointers are directed to the
general topic of that topic center and access to this material is
not restricted by potential access restrictions of specific TCONEs
now tethered to that TC. Aside from having its own (not TCONE
controlled) content and pointers, a visited TC may have, as
logically linked thereto and stored as such in the DB 119, various
encodings (e.g., keywords, tags, meta-tags, etc.) that define the
general topic of that TC taken in whole (in the averaged aggregate)
as opposed to the in-TCONE topic definitions of specific ones of
the rings now tethered to that TC. A user who is browsing just to
the TC itself and not into any of the specific TCONEs currently
owned by the TC may take advantage of the TC's general on-topic
content and/or topic definitions.
[0108] The following is an exemplary but non-limiting example of
such usage. A general practice physician (GP MD) has a patient who
has been taking drugs D and P for a long time to treat chronic
conditions. However recently, the patient has begun to exhibit
allergic reactions to drug P, this indicating that P is now
Poisonous in so far as the allergically reacting patient is
concerned. The GP MD is thinking about prescribing a new drug named
N to the patient to replace the now poisonous P. However the GP MD
is worried about possible adverse interactions as between drugs D
and N. Usage of the combination of the D and N is not widespread in
the population and thus there are no generally-available guidelines
on such a unique drug combination (D and N). The GP MD is not sure
how to phrase a keyword search looking for esoteric online articles
about unique drug combination D+N. The GP MD uses the STAN.sub.--2
system to navigate (browse) to a topic node (a TC) that has both of
D and N as its keywords are other primary encodings (e.g., as its
tags, meta-tags, etc.). When browsing at such a topic center (e.g.,
Z-pole 219a), the GP MD finds additional keywords, tags, meta-tags,
etc. that the physician feels will be useful for isolating esoteric
online content addressing his unique problem. While still logically
linked to this TC, the GP MD user requests instantiation and launch
of a so-called Me-Serving Search BOT (see 255 of FIG. 2) from that
TC and on behalf of himself. In response, the STAN.sub.--2 system
automatically asks the GP MD to specify the primary encodings
(e.g., keywords, tags, meta-tags, etc.) that will be loaded into a
mission guiding data structure of the to be launched, Me-Serving
Search BOT (255).
[0109] A better representation of such a mission guiding data
structure is provided as icon 116b in FIG. 1A and shown to be
logically linked to an instantiated BOT 116a being launched from
node 115x of the STAN.sub.--2 system 110. When a BOT 116a (a
virtual robotic or software agent) is armed with such a mission
guiding data structure 116b and launched as such a combination
(116a plus 116b) from the corresponding launch point (e.g., 115x),
the launched BOT combination 116a/116b may be viewed as morphing
into a launched CPAP 117 (a Cross-Pollinating Artificial Persona).
The logically attached mission guiding data structure (116b) may
instruct the CPAP 117 as to where out there on vast territory of
the Internet 101 to start searching and how to search and what to
look for. More will be said about this below in conjunction with
FIGS. 4C-4D. However, for purpose of the present hypothetical where
the GP MD user has asked the STAN.sub.--2 system to launch a
Me-Serving Search BOT (255), the identification of the requesting
user is logically attached to the launched BOT and the BOT is aimed
towards out-of-STAN and/or in-STAN content sources that the visited
TC (e.g., 219a) generally points to as having on-topic content
(e.g., its Top P pointers to on-topic content sources).
Accordingly, the launched Me-Serving Search BOT (e.g., 255) is
being pointed to search areas that have likelihood of possessing
on-topic content (because those areas have been vetted to be such
on-topic content sources by earlier users of the visited TC, e.g.,
219a). At the same time the launched Me-Serving Search BOT is
loaded with a search-narrowing specific search request formulated
by the GP MD user and thus the Me-Serving Search BOT will search
the probably on-topic areas for presence of the more narrowly
defined and specifically sought content. In one embodiment, the
STAN.sub.--2 system automatically augments the specific search
request formulated by the GP MD user, for example by adding
cross-language translations and cross-disciplinary frame
translations to the mission guiding data structure (116b). That
aspect will be explained below in conjunction with FIGS. 4C-4D.
When the launched Me-Serving Search BOT (a.k.a. CPAP) returns to
the node (e.g., TC 219a) from which it was originally launched, an
email or alike other alert is automatically sent to the search
requesting GP MD user to let him know useful results may now be
available.
[0110] The package contents 256 brought back by the returning
Me-Serving Search BOT 255 will all be accessible to the user (the
general practice physician or GP MD) who requested its specific
instantiation and launching. In one embodiment, the alert email
sent to the GP MD includes a first hyperlink to the TC or TCONE
(216c) from within whose jurisdiction the user requested the
launching and a second hyperlink to all the returned contents 256
being brought back by the automated BOT 255. Using the second
hyperlink, the user can browse through the returned material 256
and determine whether any of it helps answer his problem. The
returned material 256 may include, but is not limited to: (a)
hyperlinks to external platform nodes (e.g., 226) whose content
cross-correlated well with the user's search criteria, (b) lists of
the alternate keywords or alternate encodings which the user may
wish to employ in the future within his search criteria in place
of, or in additional to the keywords and/or other encodings he
submitted, (c) identifications of STAN.sub.--2 internal user names
and/or of user names on external platforms (where names are
attached to external platform ID) where postings by those users
appear to cross-correlated well with the user's search criteria,
and (d) short summaries or synopses or biographies of the found
on-topic material and on-topic other users. The request generating
GP MD may then go through this returned material and determine
which is on-point and credible and which, in his opinion, is to be
rejected. Additionally, the request generating GP MD may next
formulate an improved search request based on the BOT-returned
material 256. Alternatively or additionally, the request generating
GP MD may try to contact the other users whose user names (or other
ID's) were returned by the Me-Serving Search BOT 255 in hope that
those other users will be willing to and able to help him with his
inquiry. In one embodiment, expert other users who respond to such
requests are automatically given monetary or other rewards for
their cooperation. In one embodiment, the STAN.sub.--2 system
110/210 automatically presents one or more survey questions to the
user (e.g., the GP MD) who caused launching of the Me-Serving
Search BOT 255 and who returned to examine the brought back
contents 256. The posed survey questions may ask the user how
satisfied he is with the returned results 256 and may ask further
questions (if the user has patience for such) that will help the
STAN.sub.--2 system improve its automated formulation of the
Me-Serving Search BOTS (e.g., 255).
[0111] That is not necessarily the end of process however. In one
embodiment, the material 256 brought back by the Me-Serving Search
BOT 255 is automatically tested for its usefulness to other members
of the TC or TCONE (216c) from which the first user launched that
BOT. It could be that part or all of the brought back material is
useful to them as well. This testing process includes passage of
the brought back material 256 through a buffering or filtering
outer layer 216b of the TC or TCONE (216c), where such buffering
may employ automated filters and/or voting by selected members of
the corresponding TC or TCONE (216c). If the voting and/or
filtering ranks the material (in part or in whole) as being useful,
it is absorbed into inner or outer planetary circles (e.g., the one
between 216b and 216c) of the TC or TCONE according to a
cross-correlation score that logically positions it in ranked
relation relative to other absorbed content of the corresponding TC
or TCONE (216c). (This process will be further detailed below as
well.) While Me-Serving Search BOTS are generally instantiated and
launched at the instigation of specific users or user groups, there
are other kinds of Search BOTS (also denoted as 255) which are
automatically instantiated and launched on behalf of a respective
TC or TCONE (216c) on a regular basis and/or in response to various
predefined triggering events (e.g., increased user activity
detected at the respective TC or TCONE). These other Search BOTS,
which may be referred to as TC-Serving or TCONE-Serving Search BOTS
can be regularly and automatically bringing back cross-pollination
data (e.g., 262/264/252) to their respective launch pads (a TC or
TCONE) for assessment by the respective launch pads (e.g., by
manual voting on and/or by automated filtering of returned package
material) and for possible incorporation of the returned material
into the TCONE and/or its associated topic nodes (TC's) based on
the assessment. Accordingly, various ones of the TC's and/or TCONEs
in topic space 215 of the STAN.sub.--2 system 220/110 are being
periodically or even constantly updated by cross-pollination
material being automatically brought back to those TC's and/or
TCONEs by corresponding Search BOTS (a.k.a. a species of CPAP's)
and/or by corresponding CPUP's (human agents, aided by spyware
software 132s as shall be described in conjunction with 318 of FIG.
3A).
[0112] User-launched or TCONE-launched or TC-launched Search BOTS
are one species of CPAP's. The STAN.sub.--2 system 220/110 can
alternatively or additionally utilize other types of BOT's
including Lurking BOT's, User-following BOT's and Web-Crawling
BOT's. Briefly, Lurking BOT's (e.g., 116c of FIG. 1A) are assigned
to hover at (to lurk at) a predefined external and content sourcing
area of the Internet 101 such as for example, inside a particular
room of a role playing game such as SecondLife.TM., and to behave
therein as a NPC (Non-Player Character) if need be, and to simply
collect data as it comes into that lurked at area and sift through
the data looking for noteworthy indications of emphasis. The
indications of emphasis can be predefined by the STAN.sub.--2
system and may include, but are not limited to, meta-tagged data,
XML-tagged data; bolded, underlined, italicized, in-quotes,
highlighted, all-capitalized or otherwise so differentially
emphasized data, hyperlinked words and phrases, and so on. The
Lurking BOT (e.g., 116c) returns such differentially emphasized
data as CFi data to an automated Domains/Topics Lookup Service
(DLUX) of the STAN.sub.--2 system 110 and in response, the
STAN.sub.--2 system generates signals indicating the most probable
topic nodes (a.k.a. TC's or topic centers) to which the CFi data
(the differentially emphasized data returned by the Lurking BOT
e.g., 116c) belongs. The probable topic nodes identification data
(produced by the DLUX) is thereby logically linked to the lurked-at
location (e.g., a SecondLife.TM. room, a website, a Podcast, a
Tweet.TM. stream, etc.) which the Lurking BOT (e.g., 116c) was
assigned to lurk at. A number of different subsequent actions can
then follow. In one embodiment, the combination of the DLUX output
signals (e.g., identifications of top T topic nodes) and the
associated CFi data signals and the signal identifying the
lurked-at location (e.g., SecondLife.TM. room) is automatically
transmitted to automated Domain-specific Matching Service (DsMS) of
the STAN.sub.--2 system and the DsMS automatically finds a matching
one or more TCONEs to which it forwards the so-combined and
re-package data. The receiving TCONE(s) (see 216c of FIG. 2 as an
example) then use(s) automated and/or manual filtering means
(buffer 216b) thereof to determine what to do with the so-packaged
and received combination data. In one embodiment, the TCONE can
absorb it, reject it, or redirect it to another spot (e.g., 216n)
in the topic space 215 of the STAN.sub.--2 system. In one
embodiment, the receiving TCONE automatically uses the so-packaged
and received data for formulating a more sophisticated
TCONE-Servicing BOT (e.g., 116a) which then goes out to investigate
the associated data and content sourcing location in more detail
for the purpose of bringing back more on-topic cross-pollination
data (e.g., 262/264/252).
[0113] In summary, instantiated and activated Lurking BOT's (e.g.,
116c) operate as if they were a dumbed down STAN.sub.--2 user who
remains at one pre-assigned and content sourcing location on the
Internet (e.g., a single and periodically refreshed webpage) and
keeps feeding CFi's back to the system DLUX server(s) as new and
noteworthy data appears at that assigned location. In one
embodiment, associated dummy user profiles of the Lurking BOT
(e.g., 116c) are automatically formed as an amalgamation of user
profiles of real STAN.sub.--2 users, more specifically, of
STAN.sub.--2 users who are known to frequent the lurked at site
under their STAN.sub.--2 personas and/or under their alter ego
personas (see 184 of FIG. 1B). The associated dummy user profiles
of the Lurking BOT (e.g., 116c) may be automatically varied from
time to time so as to provide some dynamic variation to the
corresponding results. As taught in the here incorporated
STAN.sub.--1 application, the DLUX server(s) automatically combine
the user's profiles (e.g., CpCCp and DsCCp's) when automatically
determining from the received CFi's what the most likely associated
topic(s) is/are.
[0114] User-following BOT's (e.g., 116e of FIG. 1A) are another
form of instantiated and activated BOT's and these assigned a
particular one or more STAN.sub.--2 users (e.g., 131) to follow or
one or more out-of-STAN users (e.g., 222 of FIG. 2) to follow (as
best as such users can be followed) while those followed users
utilize out-of-STAN content sources while not at the time being
monitored by the STAN.sub.--2 system 110. More specifically, the
User-following BOT's (e.g., 116e) may subscribe to various external
platform services that allow its users (including permitted NPC
users) to sign up for "following" and receiving alerts about the
activities of certain followed other users. In other words, certain
ones of external platforms provide follower-alerting notifications
indicating new recent activities of the followed personalities.
More specifically, in the LinkedIn.TM. system, registered members
may sign up as "followers" of the other members. Then, when the
"followed" other member joins a new discussion group or launches a
proposed discussion, a notification of that new event is made
available to his or her "followers". The User-following BOT's
(e.g., 116e) of the STAN.sub.--2 system accordingly subscribe to
such follow-notification services and periodically refresh or check
in on their follower's-notification area in wait for the
follow-notification alerts to appear regarding the being-followed
users that have been assigned to them by the STAN.sub.--2 system.
Since the aliases storing record 184 of FIG. 1B provides
cross-linked external user names and ID's of users of the
associated external platforms (e.g., FaceBook.TM., MySpace.TM.,
LinkedIn.TM., etc.), the STAN.sub.--2 system has ready access to
external platform identifications of some users; and as will be
seen below, can gather external platform identifications of
identifications of other users through cross-pollination mechanisms
actuated by the STAN.sub.--2 system.
[0115] In one embodiment, the to-be followed users of the
User-following BOT's (e.g., 116e) include influential and/or famous
persons or personas (see fTPP's 229 of FIG. 2). The User-following
BOT's try to keep track of what new discussion groups or new other
content sources their followed-users join and/or what older
discussion groups or older content sources their followed-users
frequent and report the same as CFi data back to the system DLUX
server(s) of the STAN.sub.--2 system. The resulting combination
data (CFi's plus probable topics plus identification of source) is
then forwarded to corresponding automated Domain-specific Matching
Service (DsMS) of the STAN.sub.--2 system and so on as is the case
described above for the Lurking BOT's. User-following BOT's (e.g.,
116e) may also gather differentially emphasized content output by
their respectively followed users in various discussion group
sessions or other Notes Exchange sessions and report the gathered
data as CFi signals back to the system DLUX server(s) of the
STAN.sub.--2 system, where after the CFi data is treated in similar
fashion to the way that other such CFi data is treated.
[0116] In one embodiment, the results obtained from the feedback
data of the User-following BOT's (e.g., 116e) and/or the Lurking
BOT's (e.g., 116c) are processed by automated Trending Data Store
services of the STAN.sub.--2 system and respective trend
projections are generated for the targets of those respective BOTS.
As a result, trending projections for watched external sites
(lurked at sites) and trending projections for watched (followed)
users (including especially "influential" TPP or other users) are
automatically produced by the STAN.sub.--2 system 110. These
generated trending projections are then automatically
cross-correlated by the STAN.sub.--2 system with those of alike,
watched external sites (lurked at sites) and/or with those of
alike, watched (followed) users to thereby generate more general
trending projections for groups of alike watched targets. The more
general trending projections may then be used by STAN.sub.--2
system operators to manually modify the STAN.sub.--2 topic space
215 by for example, creating special groupings of TC's or TCONE's.
The special groupings are discussed elsewhere herein.
[0117] In one embodiment, Lurking BOT's (e.g., 116c) are assigned
(via their mission control commands e.g., 116d) to scan through
assigned sets of audio PodCasts that have XML files attached
thereto and to report back as CFi's, the differentially treated
content of the scanned audio PodCasts as meta-tagged by their
respective XML files. In one embodiment, Lurking BOT's are assigned
to scan through multi-media presentations (e.g., PowerPoint.TM.
slides) and to detect differentially treated content therein and to
report the same back as CFi signals to the STAN.sub.--2 system. The
scanned through multi-media presentations may include video
presentations that have XML and/or other semantic providing data
logically linked to them. In one embodiment, the Lurking BOT's
(e.g., 116c) keep track of the number of Notes Exchanges (e.g.,
back and forth talking points) generated by different users per
unit of time (e.g., per 5 minute interval, per hour, etc.). When
the Notes Exchanging rate exceeds a predetermined threshold for the
watched site, the Lurking BOT automatically feeds that information
back as a noteworthy CFi. In this way, the STAN.sub.--2 system can
detect when discussions (or other Notes Exchanges) are becoming
"heated" at various watched content sourcing locations on the
Internet 101 and can automatically take further investigatory
action as deemed appropriate for the corresponding nature of the
watched location.
[0118] Web-Crawling BOT's (not shown, but similar to Lurking BOT's
e.g., 116c of FIG. 1A) are also used in one embodiment of the
STAN.sub.--2 system. Unlike Lurking BOT's, the Web-Crawling BOT's
are commanded by their attached mission control data structures
(e.g., 116d) to randomly step through randomly selected online
content (if it is accessible to the public) and to look for
differentially treated content therein and to then report the same
back as CFi signals to the STAN.sub.--2 system for further analysis
and use. The Web-Crawling BOT's may alternatively or additionally
be commanded by their attached mission control data structures
(e.g., 116d) to use one or more search engines (e.g., Yahoo.TM.,
Bing.TM., Google.TM.) as a means of scouting out content having
differentially treated content provided therein and to then report
that differentially treated content back as CFi signals to the
STAN.sub.--2 system for further analysis and use. In one
embodiment, the feedback CFi signals of the Web-Crawling BOT's (not
shown) are automatically cross-correlated with trending projections
provided by the Trending Store services of the STAN.sub.--2 system
(and in particular with trending projections of selected
influential personas e.g., TPP's 229) and when there is a strong
cross-correlation, this information is automatically forwarded to
STAN.sub.--2 system operators for possible further action. By way
of summary, it should be noted that the watched targets of Lurking
BOT's and Web-Crawling BOT's can have specially differentiated
content which is so identified as specially differentiated because
the originators of that content chose to specially differentiate
that content by bolding it, by otherwise highlighting it, by
meta-tagging it, by attaching tagged semantics to it with use of
XML data and the like, and so on. The target watching Lurking BOT's
and Web-Crawling BOT's are thus often relying on the originators of
the watched content to flag out what parts of the content are
noteworthy and should be relayed back as CFi data. In one
embodiment, however, target watching, Lurking BOT's and/or
Web-Crawling BOT's may take periodic samplings of just randomly
picked content portions of their watched targets and relay that
back to the STAN.sub.--2 system as CFi data signals. In contrast to
the Lurking BOT's (e.g., 116c), the User-following BOT's (e.g.,
116e) can be thought of as relying on the greater intelligence of
their followed users for determining what might be noteworthy
information that warrants relaying it back to the STAN.sub.--2
system as CFi data signals. Moreover, the user's profile assigned
to each User-following BOT (e.g., 116e) can be adaptively updated
on trial and error or regression algorithm basis so that it begins
to more correctly model the behavior of the targeted, BOT-followed
user. As a result, decisions made by the STAN.sub.--2 DLUX
server(s) in response to feedback CFi's of the User-following BOT's
(e.g., 116e) can be more on target with respect to what topics the
followed targets have in mind as they join new discussion groups,
engage in heated discussions within previously joined discussion
group and so on.
[0119] With presently available technology, automated BOT's cannot
fully mimic the cognitions of real people when acting alone and/or
in social groups. The ultimate source for information about
socially significant events on the Internet 101 is thus the
objectively determinable behaviors of people when acting alone and
in social groups. Later below it will be explained (e.g., in
conjunction with FIGS. 3A-3D) how real people can be enticed to
function as on the ground feedback agents for the STAN.sub.--2
system especially when those persons (e.g., Thomas 132u2 of FIG.
1A) are not having their activities monitored so as to produce up-
or in-loadable CFi and/or CVi signals for the STAN.sub.--2
system.
[0120] Before reaching that description however, reference
continues here to FIG. 2 and more generally as it regards any
STAN.sub.--2 user (e.g., 212) who has used his/her local data
processing device(s) to navigate to a given topic node (TC) on the
STAN.sub.--2 system's topic space map 215 and has optionally gained
at least watching/lurking entry into one or more TCONEs thereat.
That user (e.g., 212) can then and as a result of such browsing and
navigating, get hold of the (optionally periodically updated)
on-topic content data and/or links to on-topic content data and/or
links to other on-topic or near-topic nodes provided not only
within the STAN.sub.--2 space 215, but also; because some TC's or
TCONE's (e.g., 216c) receive and absorb cross-pollination links
(e.g., 261) to external on-topic discussion groups or other such
external on-topic content sources (e.g., 226) of external platforms
(e.g., 220), the user may be able to sometimes gain access to the
on-topic material within the linked-to (261) external platform
space 225. Of course, some external platforms only allow their own
registered members (members only) to enter into and browse within
their respective discussion group spaces (e.g., 225). In some
cases, a first STAN.sub.--2 member may gain access into the
members-only space (e.g., 225) of an external platform by having
another STAN.sub.--2 member (e.g., 132' shown on plane 225 as
opening the access door) vouch for the first STAN.sub.--2 member.
In some cases, the external platform allows automated BOT's (e.g.,
NPC's or non-player characters) to enter their members-only space
(e.g., 225) if the BOT is vouched for by a trusted and
already-registered member (e.g., 132') of the external platform
(e.g., 220). In one embodiment, the STAN.sub.--2 system provides an
automated service whereby a first STAN.sub.--2 member seeking to
gain otherwise blocked access to on-topic material in an external
platform can send automated messages to STAN.sub.--2 users who are
already-registered members (e.g., 132') of the external platform
asking them to open the door (if possible) for the first
STAN.sub.--2 member or otherwise convey to that first STAN.sub.--2
member relevant parts of on-topic material found in the external
but on-topic discussion group or other external content source
(e.g., 226). Given this access through the STAN.sub.--2 topic space
215 to both internal, and sometimes even external, on-topic
content, the topic space browsing user can be enriched with a wide
variety of information about the topic that is currently of
interest to him or herself. Among the rich panoply of information
that such a user (e.g., 212) can extract is the identity (e.g.,
user names) of other personas who are currently involved in the
same topic of interest (e.g., that of topic node 219a).
[0121] In terms of a more specific example of how browsing of the
STAN.sub.--2 topic space 215 may be useful, suppose that a given
user 212 is also a registered member of outside platform 220 and
when logged into that outside platform 220, user 212 goes under the
guise of user 222, where this alter ego persona 222 is a member of
discussion group 224 but not of discussion group 223. There could
be members of discussion group 223 whose interests (but not group
membership) overlap with those of discussion group 224 where the
overlap includes current interest in the topic of topic node 219a.
(Just because they are interested in the "topic" of topic node 219a
does not mean that the external platform members all make use of
the STAN.sub.--2 system in the same manner that registered user 212
does. Accordingly, the rest of the members of groups 223 and 224 of
external platform 220 may not know of each other's existence or of
their overlapping current interest in the "topic" of topic node
219a.
[0122] By contrast, user 212 can learn of this overlapping interest
even in the realm of external platform 220 if so-called
cross-pollination packages (252, 254, 256, 262, 264) have been
brought into one or more TCONEs (e.g., 216c) of the STAN.sub.--2
topics space 215 and those cross-pollination packages (e.g., 264)
provide information about the identification of the
overlapping-wise interested members (e.g., 223) of the external
platform 220. The so-called cross-pollination packages (252, . . .
, 264) may be carried into the TCONEs of the STAN.sub.--2 topics
space 215 by automated agents (251, 253, 255, 260--represented as
bumble bees in FIG. 2) generated and controlled by the STAN.sub.--2
platform 110/210 and/or such cross-pollination packages may also be
manually brought in by unartificial (in other words, real and live)
volunteer members of the STAN.sub.--2 system (who are aided by
software, more specifically, downloaded; or more generally,
in-loaded spyware programs like 132s which will be detailed
below).
[0123] As already mentioned above, the unartificial volunteer
members of the STAN.sub.--2 system are also referred to herein as
CPUP's (Cross-Pollinating Un-artificial Persona) and the automated
bumble bee agents (software agents) are also referred to herein as
CPAP's (Cross-Pollinating Artificial Persona). It will be easier
(and in some cases necessary) to first understand how the real and
live volunteer members of the STAN.sub.--2 system (the CPUP's)
operate before trying to understand how the CPAP's (bumble bee
software agents) operate.
[0124] Firstly, it should be observed that some registered members
(e.g., 132 of FIG. 1A) of the STAN.sub.--2 system 110/210 by
happenstance are also registered members (even if under a different
user names and/or passwords) of one or more of the external
platforms. Because these multi-platform using users (e.g., 132) can
easily gain entry into the outside platforms (even if under a
different user name and/or password; i.e., "Thomas" instead of
"Tom"), such multi-platform using users (e.g., 132) can be asked to
volunteer to act as Cross-Pollinating Un-artificial Persona
(CPAP's) on behalf of the STAN.sub.--2 system and to bring back
cross-pollinating packages like 252, . . . , 264 of FIG. 2 to
appropriate TCONEs of the STAN.sub.--2 system.
[0125] Although FIG. 2 shows automated software agents (CPAP's)
251, 253, 255 and 260 as carrying the cross-pollinating packages
252, . . . , 264, it shall soon become apparent that real person
CPUP's (e.g., user 132) can also cause delivery of the
cross-pollinating packages to the STAN.sub.--2 system. In one
embodiment, there are at least three different kinds of
cross-pollinating packages and there are at least three different
kinds of CPAP's that go out in the field to find such packages and
bring them back to the STAN.sub.--2 hive for possible absorption
and use by the hive. The Me-Serving Search BOT (255) has already
been mentioned above.
[0126] However, aside from BOT's that are launched at the behest of
individual users and with mission guiding data structures 116b
containing the individual user's search specifications, another
kind of CPAP (a TCONE-Serving Search BOT, also identified at 255)
is automatically and periodically launched from a respective TCONE
(or automatically launched in response to a predetermined
triggering event) with a mission guiding data structures (116b)
containing machine-inferred desires of the TCONE membership.
Background control and tracking programs within the STAN.sub.--2
system (a.k.a. SS2) may be continuously executing and scouring the
topic space 215 for TCONEs that are most active, most popular,
fastest changing (e.g., drifting) and so on. The background control
and tracking programs (not explicitly shown, but understood to be
instantiated across the fabric of the STAN.sub.--2 system 110; i.e.
distributed through its cloud is SS2 110 is implemented as a cloud
computing system) compare a pre-recorded previous top N (e.g., N=2,
3, 5, 10) topic-defining encodings (e.g., keyword, URL's) of the
investigated TCONE against the current top N topic-defining
encodings and uses a predefined scoring algorithm to assign a score
to the amount of change (it could be 0). If there is a change score
exceeding a predefined threshold, the current top N topic-defining
encodings (or a subset thereof) are automatically loaded into a
newly created mission guiding data structure (i.e. 116b) of a BOT
and the BOT is automatically launched into promising external
platform areas (e.g., 225) in search of external content that well
cross correlates with the in-loaded current top N topic-defining
encodings (or a subset thereof). Topic defining and/or on-topic
content found at the external search areas is returned as a
proposed cross-pollination (CP) data package (256) to the BOT
launching TCONE (e.g., 216c). Contents of the presented CP data
package (e.g., 256) are then processed by buffering launcher 216b.
All or part of the presented CP data package may be rejected (254)
or accepted on a ranked basis (voted on as being more or less
currently on-topic) and thereafter absorbed into respective ranked
inner and outer circles inside the TCONE. The more inner circles
are deemed closer to the TCONE core 216c while the outer ones are,
in terms of cross-correlation with core attributes of the core
216c, deemed to be less tightly cross-correlated to the core.
Logical (virtual) positioning of absorbed material on the inner
through outer circles indicates where in the cross-correlation
spectrum they belong. Just at TCONEs can "drift" over time from one
TC to another, absorbed topic defining and/or on-topic content
within a given TCONE can drift from the inner planetary orbits
(circles) to the outer ones, or vise versa as the nature of the
TCONE changes over time. In one embodiment, aside from blanket
rejecting the presented cross-pollination data (e.g., 254) or
voting to accept it on a ranked basis, vote-eligible members of the
TC or TCONE (216c) or an automated voting mechanism that emulates
their behavior are/is given an option of voting to "Reject-But",
where the "-But" part is that of indicating that while this
rejected material is not currently on-topic for the launcher TC or
TCONE (216c), and thus a genetic failure as regards the launcher TC
or TCONE, some or all of the rejected material 254a should be
nonetheless treated as a successful genetic mutation (successful by
happenstance) and used to automatically create a new topic node
216n in the STAN.sub.--2 topic space 215 if such a different topic
node 216n is not already present. If enough "Reject-But"
votes/indications above a predefined threshold are cast for
returning BOTS 253 bringing such "Reject-But" material 254a, the
returning BOTS 253a and their corresponding "Reject-But" material
254a are automatically re-directed to the topic space area of the
new topic node 216n and the Reject-But" material 254a is used to
build the new topic node 216n while the genetically successful
mission guiding data structures (i.e. 116b) of the re-directed BOTS
(253a) are used as initial templates for re-birthing TC or
TCONE-serving BOTS (also denoted as 255) form that new TC or TCONE
(216n). In this way, when an emerging new topic begins to show up
in the out-of-STAN domain (e.g., 220) and there is not yet a
corresponding topic node in topic space 215 for that emerging new
topic, the returning BOTS 253 bringing such "Reject-But" material
254a back are automatically diverted to the task of building the
corresponding new topic node 216n in the STAN.sub.--2 topic space
215 and their reborn progeny (explained in FIG. 4C) are re-aimed to
the task of servicing the new topic node 216n with
cross-pollination data (e.g., 254) fetched from out-of-STAN sources
(e.g., 120, 141, 144, . . . , 160, etc.).
[0127] Another type of search BOT, namely, the above-mentioned
TC-Serving Search BOT (also identified at 255) is automatically and
periodically launched from a respective TC (or automatically
launched in response to a predetermined triggering event related to
that topic center) with a mission guiding data structures (116b)
containing machine-inferred desires of the current TC membership.
Since the TCONE-Serving Search BOT has been described above, it is
not necessary to repeat substantially the same explanation for the
TC-Serving Search BOT. The latter serves the needs of the whole of
the topic center (TC) rather than the inferred needs of an
individual topic center owned note exchange (TCONE). Per the
teachings already provided in the here incorporated STAN.sub.--1
application (see giF. 4B and giF. 3C thereof), In one embodiment of
the STAN.sub.--2 system, substantially all nodes in the
hierarchical topics tree have a basic same structure. In other
words, essentially every domain node (and even the root node) can
have the same internal data structure as its child nodes and
essentially every child node can have the same internal data
structure as its grandchild nodes, and so on until the leaf nodes
are encountered. Leaf nodes point to the specific on-topic content
(e.g., the TCONEs) of their respective specific topics. The
hierarchical tree nature of the STAN.sub.--2 topics space 215 means
(for that embodiment, other variations are possible) that the topic
space 215 has a fractal organization as is hinted at by multi-cones
layer 216f drawn within FIG. 2. Accordingly, not only can each
lowest level topic node (e.g., a leaf TC) have TC-Serving Search
BOTS automatically launched on its behalf by the background control
and tracking programs (not explicitly shown), but also parent topic
nodes and grandparent topic nodes and so on can also have similar
such Search BOTS automatically formulated and launched to crawl the
Internet 101 or specified areas thereof on behalf of the topic
nodes of origin. Each topic node can have its own filter and vote
buffer layer similar to 216b of the exemplary TCONE 216c and each
topic node can have its own inner and outer placement circles for
node-absorbed content similar to the cross-correlation orbits
described for exemplary TCONE 216c.
[0128] It is to be noted that although at times the present
disclosure describes a given TCONE as being hooped around or
stacked over a corresponding TC or Z-pole see 219a of FIG. 2) that
does not mean that all TCONEs are limited to being "owned" by only
a single topic node (a.k.a. TC). It is fully within the
contemplation of the present disclosure that one or more TCONEs can
be simultaneously "owned" by (e.g., tethered to) two or more TC's.
In one embodiment, the degree of ownership exercised by each TC to
which a TCONE is tethered or moored is weighted in accordance with
tether weighting factor signals stored in the DB 119 for and
logically linked to the multi-owned TCONE. A given TCONE can for
example "drift" back and forth from being more owned by one TC and
later more owned by another. When various actions are described
herein as being taken on behalf of a TCONE and with regard to its
owning parent or grandparent node, it is to be understood that the
owning parent or grandparent node may be deemed, in one embodiment,
to be the majority stake holder who thereby controls on a winner
takes all basis, or in an alternate embodiment, the described
action operates on a pro-rata apportionment basis; where for
example, overview topic definitions for a multi-owned TCONE are
automatically derived as being a top 60% of such definitions (e.g.,
keywords) taken from a respective 60% owning TC, as being a top 30%
of such definitions taken from a respective 30% co-owning TC, and
as being a top 10% of such definitions taken from a respective 10%
co-owning TC.
[0129] It is to be additionally noted that; while the automated
formulation of TCONE-Serving Search BOTS and TC (topic
node)-Serving Search BOTS has been described above as serving
individual TCONEs and individual topic nodes found within the
STAN.sub.--2 topic space 215, it is within the contemplation of the
present disclosure to allow for operator defined "groupings" of
specific TCONEs and/or specific topic nodes to be recorded and
stored as such in the DB 119 of the system 110/210. It is within
the contemplation of the present disclosure that the above
described background control and tracking programs (not explicitly
shown) will also service these operator formed groupings and that
grouping nodes, similar in structure of data to that of topic nodes
will be recorded and stored as such in the DB 119 of the system
110/210. In one embodiment, premium subscription members of the
STAN.sub.--2 system are granted browsing access to specific ones or
more of the specially formulated grouping nodes. (Normal topic
nodes and their encompassed TCONEs are automatically formed and
logically linked by actions of the STAN.sub.--2 user population.
However, that user population may nonetheless fail to recognize
special or eclectic connections as between disparate TCONEs and/or
as between disparate TC's. The STAN.sub.--2 system operators may
instead isolate those unrecognized eclectic connections; i.e. as
between a TC dedicated to "economics" for example and another TC
dedicated to "computer science and The Mythical Man Month" for
example and formulate groupings for such apparently disparate topic
nodes and/or apparently disparate TCONE's.
[0130] In one embodiment, individual users are enabled to formulate
and save their own "groupings" of favorite TC's and/or TCONEs. One
of these favorites "groupings" can be stored as the user's
STAN.sub.--2 Home page. When the user opens up this STAN.sub.--2
Home page, he sees a topic space map (like 215) but showing the
local neighborhoods of only his specified favorite TC's and/or
TCONEs. He can observe if a new TC or TCONE has recently moved into
the local neighborhood of one of his "favorites" and he can browse
the new TC or TCONE (assuming it allows general browsing or
participating entry--if it does not, it may not even show up on the
user's Home page). Alternatively or additionally, the user may
quickly jump in from his Home page into (for browsing purposes) one
of his specified favorite TC's and/or TCONEs. A user may of course
have more than one such Home page and the STAN.sub.--2 system may
automatically pick the appropriate Home page and display it upon
log-in based on the detected mood, environment, etc., that the
logging-in user is detected to be in.
[0131] Another kind of "personal grouping" which the user can
specify is his history grouping of recently used TC's or TCONE's,
where the user can specify the storage depth (how many TC's and/or
TCONE's) and whether it should be TC's alone, TCONE's alone or
both.
[0132] Yet another kind of "personal grouping" which the user can
specify is his filtered history grouping of recent and, for
example, heavily focused upon TC's or TCONE's, where the user can
again specify the storage depth (how many TC's and/or TCONE's),
whether it should be TC's alone, TCONE's alone or both, and what
the filtering parameters are to be applied by the automated
filtering mechanism (e.g., how intense of a focusing upon qualifies
as above threshold and/or what other filtering criteria are to be
applied.) In one embodiment, when the user first activates
STAN.sub.--2 operations in his local data processing device (e.g.,
hand held computer/phone), rather than immediately going into
monitoring mode and feeding back content source recommendations
(e.g., chat opportunities) based on currently up- or in-loaded
CFi's, the STAN.sub.--2 operations first feed the user with
recommendations based on at least one of his Home Page TC's and/or
TCONE's, his unfiltered history of TC's and/or TCONE's and a
user-selected one of his filtered history of TC's and/or TCONE's.
In one embodiment, if active interest monitoring (see 312 of FIG.
3A) is turned off by the user, the STAN.sub.--2 operations
automatically revert to the boot-up mode of displaying content
source recommendations based on his Home, unfiltered history or
selected filtered history of TC's and/or TCONE's. Only if the user
completely shuts off the banner mechanism (315) by clicking on the
banner close tool (315xx in FIG. 3A) does the STAN.sub.--2
recommendations supplying mechanism shut off in such an
embodiment.
[0133] Having describe several different types of Service-providing
BOT's above, it is worthwhile to here note some of the different
types of packaged content that such BOTS (e.g., 260, 251, 255,
116a, 116c) may bring back to the hive upon their return from a
search and retrieve mission (one defined by the attached mission
guiding data structure (i.e. 116b, 116d). Bubble 264 represents a
first of the possible different types of cross-pollinating packages
and, as can be seen in FIG. 2, this first package type (264, and
with help of its payload-carrying CPAP or BOT or in some cases a
CPUP) conveys identification information from external platforms
such as a user's external user name and external password
(optional), and such as an external Group Discussion name and/or ID
number and/or ID of discussion thread from an external platform. In
one embodiment, each conveyed ID (in the type 1 package 264) that
is used in an external platform has attached to it an indication of
where it came from (e.g., from which specific external platform
(e.g., FaceBook.TM., MySpace.TM., LinkedIn.TM., etc.) if not also
from which specific discussion group or which specific discussion
thread or other subarea of the external platform it was obtained.
In the above-described FIG. 1B, it was already explained how a user
(e.g., 132) can convey his own external user name and external
password (optional) from one or more external platforms (e.g.,
120/220) into the STAN.sub.--2 system 110/210. And it has also been
already described above with reference to FIG. 1B how the
STAN.sub.--2 system can then automatically import the external user
names (but not passwords) of his friends, buddies, email contacts
and so forth if user 132 gives permission for such automated
importation of external user ID's. When so importing external user
names, one embodiment also attaches to each imported external ID an
indication of where it came from so as to thereby inform any
software program, or other entity looking at it, as to what
specific external platform the imported ID applies if also not
informing as to what specific members group and so on.
[0134] By using a slightly different procedure than 170 of FIG. 1B,
the same user (e.g., 132) can be asked to manually convey or to let
the STAN.sub.--2 system automatically import the names and/or other
identifications (e.g., group numbers) of external platform groups
that the user has listed in his external user's account(s) or
external profiles or external service providing resources (e.g., MS
Outlook.TM., CRM (Customer Relationship Management) databases,
etc.). The conveyance of such information into the STAN.sub.--2
system 110/210 helps to expand the user-to-user associations (U2U)
which the STAN.sub.--2 system can then automatically make as
between a STAN.sub.--2-monitored first user and his external friend
names and/or external favorite group names. Then, in FIG. 3A, when
that STAN.sub.--2-monitored user (e.g., 132) has his monitoring
function turned ON (see box 312 of FIG. 3A), the STAN.sub.--2
system can not only automatically make on-topic content
recommendations in upper scrollable banner 315 (e.g., recommended
chat rooms to join into based on current CFi's), but the
STAN.sub.--2 system can also automatically inform the user (132) of
how many and/or which of his external friends, buddies, contacts,
CRM-clients or customers, etc. are already joined into and/or have
been co-invited to join into the recommended chat opportunities.
Color coding may be used to differentiate between already inside
versus co-invited to join friends. More specifically, under chat
room recommendation 315b (for identified topic A2), the
STAN.sub.--2 system 110/210 has also downloaded (or in-loaded) to
the user's computer (or up-in the cloud virtual instantiation
thereof), information indicating that two (2) of the user's
FaceBook.TM. friends are already inside that chat room, or have
been similarly invited to enter that chat room, where one or both
such indications (invited versus entered) appear in subscripting
info-plate 315b1. By right clicking on plate 315b1, the user may
learn of the external user names of those friends and their status
relative to the room (e.g., have they already entered and started
participating or are they merely in the invited but not yet joined
mode?). Similarly for next chat room recommendation 315c (for
identified topic C3), the STAN.sub.--2 system 110/210 has also
downloaded to the user's local display screen 300, information
indicating that three (3) of the user's LinkedIn.TM. contacts are
already inside that chat room and that one (1) of them is a member
of the Discussion Group number 7 to which he happens to belong. The
latter information appears in subscripting info-plate 315c1. By
right clicking on plate 315c1, the user may learn of the external
user names of those LinkedIn.TM. contacts and/or of the external
names of those LinkedIn.TM. discussion group(s) if they are already
not yet listed on plate 315c1. In the same or an alternate
embodiment, similar and/or additional information of this nature
may be provided when the user hovers his mouse cursor icon (e.g.,
335) over the chat room recommendation (e.g., 315c) and/or right
clicks over the content recommendation (e.g., 315c).
[0135] When a user's encodings (e.g., focused upon keywords, tags,
URL's, facial expressions etc.) are being actively monitored by the
STAN.sub.--2 system, where for example such active monitoring is
continuously indicated to the user by a blinking indicator or the
like (and optionally where rate of blink indicates rate of CFi's or
CVi's being then up- or in-loaded), the data being thus provided by
the user's monitored activities to the STAN.sub.--2 system can
provide cross-pollination data to the STAN.sub.--2 system if, for
example, the user is visiting an external content source (e.g., he
is playing a new Zynga.TM. role-playing game, i.e. like
FarmVille.TM.) that has not been previously recorded as being
logically linked to a current topic that the STAN.sub.--2 system
deems to be on the user's mind. In that case, depending on how
`influential` the given user is deemed to be to the current topic
node and/or depending on how many other users have similarly begun
to focus on the same or a similar new content source, the
STAN.sub.--2 system may automatically and responsively link an
identification (e.g., URL) of the new content source and/or an
abstract derived from that source to the current topic node (or
Notes Exchange session, a.k.a. TCONE) that is deemed to be
currently associated with the most probable topic(s) the user has
in mind and thus incorporation of new, cross-pollinating content
takes place even without the user's conscious awareness of it.
However, sometimes the user decides to turn the STAN.sub.--2 active
monitoring OFF (see 312' of FIG. 3B) and/or forgets to turn it on
(see 312 of FIG. 3A), in which case when the user comes upon
potentially relevant and new cross-pollinating content, the
STAN.sub.--2 system will not be able to acquire it through the
active monitoring and background intake process.
[0136] Still referring to FIG. 3A, it will now be explained how a
now-still-being-monitored STAN.sub.--2 user (e.g., 132) can be
asked to volunteer (318a) to bring back to the STAN.sub.--2 system
even from his STAN.sub.--2 un-monitored activities, yet more
information (beyond his external aliases of record 184), which this
time can include those of cross-pollination package type 2
(associated keywords, tags, meta-tags, MetaWeb.TM. entity
identifiers**, etc.) of bubble 262 where the latter can also be
conveyed by the illustrated CPAP 260 or by a STAN-REP with help of
in-loaded spyware (132s--to be described below). (**Explanation:
MetaWeb.TM. entity identifiers incidentally are meta-tag like
buried identifiers that may be used in place of or in addition to
keywords where such MetaWeb.TM. entity identifiers act to remove
some of the ambiguity that may otherwise be present in keywords
with multiple meanings. It is to be noted that mere removing some
of the ambiguity that may otherwise be present in a keyword may not
of itself reveal the specific topic that a user is most likely to
be subjectively and intently thinking about.)
[0137] But before explaining the popped-out Please-Volunteer pane
318, one additional mechanism, 315ss of the STAN.sub.--2 user
interface will be described. Mechanism 315ss of FIG. 3A represents
an opaque or optionally translucent and thus "shadow"-like pull
down window shade (a.k.a. `shadow shade`) that may be unscrolled
and rescrolled at the user's behest. Various mouse gestures and/or
finger gestures (on touch pad or touch screen) may be
pre-programmed to initiate the window shade unscrolling (partial or
over entire display, whole unscrolling) and rescrolling (partial or
whole) operations of mechanism 315ss. Of course, pre-programmed hot
keys or pop out menus may also be used. Although not shown (due to
space limitations in the drawing area of FIG. 3A), when the full
unscroll in shadow mode operation of mechanism 315ss is instigated
by user action (and sometimes automatically by a user permitted
script), the display is operated to give the impression that a
translucent screen is being pulled down over the original screen
area the user is viewing. This translucent screen (not shown, and
whose degree of translucency can be controlled by the user) has on
it translucent images of the chat opportunities (e.g., 315b) and/or
of other content source recommendations (e.g., 315a) being then
provided by the STAN.sub.--2 system. However, unlike the case of
the partial opaque unscroll mode shown in FIG. 3A, when full
unscroll in shadow mode is actuated, each displayed chat
opportunity (e.g., 315b) and/or of other content source
recommendation representing glyph (e.g., 315d) moves to
translucently overlie the on-main-screen content (e.g., pane 317)
to which that translucent recommendation glyph most closely
associates with. More specifically, chat opportunities glyphs
related to general Topic `A` (such as glyphs 315a and 315b for
example) will appear to float translucently over content pane 317
(also logically linked to general Topic `A`). Similarly, chat
opportunity representing glyph 315d (and its associated gadgets if
those are being displayed) will appear to float translucently over
content pane 330a which; like glyph 315d, is most logically linked
to general Topic `D` (and more specifically, to sub-topic D2). A
variety of user input actions may be pre-programmed to indicate
that they apply to either the main screen or the pulled thereover
translucent shadow screen. Accordingly, a user may not need to move
his finger, stylus, or other pointing/actuating device far away
from an item (e.g., 330a) on the main screen in order to activate
and operate on a corresponding shadow screen item (e.g., TC flag
315e) for drag-and-drop operation (e.g., 336e described elsewhere
herein) or opening or other activity. In one embodiment, when the
scrollable recommendations showing mechanism 315ss is fully
scrolled up (and optionally minimized with tool 315mm), the blink
rate monitoring warning area 312 and/or sliding volume and
importance scales (not shown) optionally provided thereon let the
user know what volume and/or rate of incoming recommendations he is
not seeing due to the scrolled up (or minimized) state of showing
mechanism 315ss and what min/max and/or average importance ratings
(e.g., temperature) of the current recommendations are.
[0138] As mentioned elsewhere herein, in one embodiment, just
because CFi-based monitoring (312) is turned off, that does not
mean that the STAN.sub.--2 automatic recommendations function is
turned off. In one embodiment, as long as the user does not click
on the close-banner-function tool 315xx, the illustrated one banner
315 continues to supply content source recommendations; except that
in this case the recommendations in that banner 315 are based on at
least one of the user's Home Page of TC's and/or TCONEs, his recent
History Page of TC's and/or TCONEs, or another filtered subset of
T' TC's and/or TCONEs where T' is set by the user to an appropriate
value such as his Top 3 or Top 5 favorites and the filtering
function is also programmably established by the user to, for
example, provide his Top T' of most heavily focused upon TC's or
his Top T' of most heavily participated in TCONE's.
[0139] Although FIG. 3A shows only one un- and re-scrollable banner
315 at the top of the screen 300, in one embodiment, a user may
alter the STAN.sub.--2 operation settings of his local data
processing device (e.g., 131a) so as to have multiple
recommendations-providing banners like 315 running at the same
time, for example all in minimized mode (in a bottom screen tray
area 315tt in the form of minimized recommendations-providing
banners such as Bannr2 and Bannr3 for example). Each
recommendations-providing banner (e.g., Bannr1-Bannr3) can have its
recommendations driven on a different basis. More specifically, if
in FIG. 3A and for one embodiment the user hovers his cursor (335)
over the question-mark tool (adjacent to banner-minimizing tool
315mm), the user's data processing device (e.g., 131a)
automatically responds by showing what the driving basis of that
banner (e.g., displayed top banner Bannr1 315) is, where in the
illustrated example, the hover-provided indication 315hh shows that
Bannr1 (a.k.a. 315) is currently being primarily driven on the
basis of the user's current CFi's. However, if the user had hovered
over minimized and in-tray (in 315tt) Bannr2, the corresponding
hover-provided indication (not shown) might have shown that the
latter recommendations-providing banner (Bannr2) is being primarily
driven on the basis of the user's specified Home Page TC's and/or
TCONE's. If the user had instead hovered over minimized and in-tray
(in 315tt) Bannr3, the corresponding hover-provided indication (not
shown) might have shown that the latter recommendations-providing
banner (Bannr3) is being primarily driven on the basis of the
user's specified, recently heavily focused upon history grouping of
TC's and/or TCONE's. Any one or more of the minimized and in-tray
(in 315tt) banners may be de-minimized and moved to a user-picked
location on screen. For example, the user may elect to stack a
plurality of de-minimized and recommendations-providing banners
(e.g., Bannr1-Bannr3) one just below or even slightly overlapping
the next. The user may elect to differently color code his
different banners so that he can easily tell them apart.
[0140] In one embodiment, the user may design and store a
recommendations-providing banners defining page (not shown) where
the latter displays a grid of minimized banner boxes like those of
tray 315tt, each with its own unique color perhaps and each with
its own unique name if desired. The user may right click on
selected ones of these minimized banner boxes and choose an Add-Now
to main screen function where upon the selected banner will be
activated into its recommendations-providing mode and appended to
tray 315tt. Another chooseable selection that the user has shown to
him when right clicking on a banner box in his stored
recommendations-providing banners defining page (not shown) is
Change Auto-Trigger and Other Settings.
[0141] The latter, optional function can be user activated so that
different recommendations-providing banners become activated or
de-activated in automatic response to different triggering events,
such as for example, detected time and place. More specifically,
assume the user (e.g., Tom) has certain daily habits. When he gets
up in the morning at home, he likes to read (or view) the latest
news and gossip about his favorite sports teams. Later, when he
gets to the office and has his second cup of morning coffee, he
likes to read (or view) the latest news and gossip about his
favorite financial topics and his favorite world politics topics.
Then in the afternoon he likes to catch up on the latest news and
gossip concerning his career. In one embodiment, that user (e.g.,
Tom) can pre-establish and store different personal groupings of
his favorite TC's and/or TCONE's, for example a first whose
corresponding content source recommendations will automatically
cause a corresponding and activated recommendations-providing
banner (e.g., Bannr2) to display recommendations regarding the
latest news and gossip about his favorite sports teams. The user
can program the banner box that is driven on the basis of this
first personal grouping to be automatically activated (triggered
on) in response to machine system detection that he is at home
(e.g., based on GPS readings) and it is morning and it is a
weekday; but to shut down (become de-activated) by 12 noon.
Continuing with the example, the user (e.g., Tom) can pre-establish
and store a second personal groupings of his favorite TC's and/or
TCONE's so that the latter will cause the corresponding and
activated recommendations-providing banner (e.g., Bannr3) to
display recommendations regarding the latest news and gossip about
his favorite financial topics and his favorite world politics
topics. The user can program the banner box that is driven on the
basis of this second personal grouping to be automatically
activated (triggered on) in response to machine system detection
that he is at the office (e.g., based on GPS readings) and it is
morning and it is a weekday; but to shut down (become de-activated)
by 3:00 PM. A third personal groupings of his favorite TC's and/or
TCONE's and activation criteria for the banner box driven by it can
be similarly formulated and stored so as to meet his personal
desires for seeing career related news after lunch and so on.
[0142] When it is explained above that the displayed
recommendations of illustrated Bannr1 (a.k.a. 315) are being
primarily "driven" by currently uploading (or in-loading) CFi's; as
is indicated by the illustrated hover-over response 315hh of FIG.
3A, it is to be understood that current user CFi's are being fed to
one or more DLUX servers (not shown) of the STAN.sub.--2 system and
the DLUX servers are then responsively generating signals
indicating the probable topic nodes whose topics are probably the
ones on the mind of the monitored user. Thereafter, the
STAN.sub.--2 automated DsMS sub-systems (the automated
Domain-specific Matching Services) are converting the
probable-topic-of-interest signals received from the DLUX('s) into
corresponding content source recommendation signals (e.g., chat
opportunity indicating signals) which are then ranked and the top
ranked ones are displayed horizontally across illustrated banner
315 at a user pre-selected recommendations presenting rate. The
term, "primarily" as used in conjunction with how a banner is being
driven is to be understood as indicating that there could be other,
secondary drive mechanisms, for example, an occasional "surprise
me" recommendation may be displayed even though the uploaded CFi's
did not directly cause the same to be generated.
[0143] On the other hand, when another displayed banner (say
Bannr2) is said herein to being in a mode where it is primarily
driven on the basis of the user's specified Home Page TC's and/or
TCONE's, then generally speaking there will be no need to use the
STAN.sub.--2 DLUX's (the automated Domains/Topics Lookup Services
inside 110) because at least the broader topics of current interest
will have already been pre-specified in the user's Home Page of
favorite TC's and/or TCONE's by the favorite TC's recorded therein.
Moreover in the case where it is a favorite TCONE that is
pre-specified in the user's Home Page of favorites, there may also
be no need to use the STAN.sub.--2 automated DsMS sub-systems (the
automated Domain-specific Matching Services) because a
co-compatible chat opportunity or alike content source (if it still
exists--some chat rooms can close and disappear) will have already
been picked out and specified. However the relative rankings of the
Home Page TC's and/or TCONE's (assuming those TCONE's have not
closed or drifted far away) is still a variable to be played with
because the user may prefer to rank some topic centers (TC's) as
being more favored than others within his Home Page and some
TCONE's as being more favored than others recorded within his Home
Page. To this end, in one embodiment of the STAN.sub.--2 system,
the user is given the option of logically attaching different
preference weights to the respective TC's and/or TCONE's recorded
within his Home Page. Then, as between the various TC's recorded
within his Home Page, the more heavily weighted and thus more
heavily preferred will be submitted to the STAN.sub.--2 automated
DsMS sub-systems more frequently (at least on average even if not
so consistently) than the less heavily weighted and thus relatively
less preferred; and as a result, recommendations (e.g., 315b, 315c)
based on the user's more heavily preferred TC's will on average
tend to appear more often on the user's, Home-Page driven banner
(e.g., Bannr2; shown as minimized in tray 315tt) and content source
recommendations based on the user's less preferred TC's will on
average tend to appear less often.
[0144] In one embodiment, even where the user has recorded specific
TC's in his Home Page as being the preferred TC's of interest, when
the Home Page driven banner (e.g., Bannr2) is active, the
STAN.sub.--2 system nonetheless automatically submits the
identified favorite TC's of the user's Home Page to its DLUX's (the
automated Domains/Topics Lookup Services inside 110) with a request
that the DLUX's lookup other TC's with substantially similar
topics. The submission of the user's current Home Page favorite TC
to the DLUX's may be accompanied with, and logically linked to, a
submission to the DLUX's of the user's recorded, recent topics of
interest (rTOI's). The rTOI's may be used by the DLUX's to better
determine what other TC's are closest in topic space 215 to the
user's Home Page favorite based on the user's recent history.
Typically, a user's interests do not jump discontinuously from one
topic to a completely new topic overnight. Instead they tend to
evolve over time and have some continuance from recent topics of
interest (rTOI's). Accordingly the DLUX's may use the user's rTOI's
in combination with the user's Home Page identification of what is
his Home Page favorite TC('s) to better identify what other TC's in
the STAN.sub.--2 topic space 215 are more likely than not to be of
further interest to that same user.
[0145] When the DLUX's of the STAN.sub.--2 system lookup the
additional TC's that are probably interrelated to the user's Home
Page favorite TC('s), in one embodiment, the DLUX's take into
account a recent recorded history of the so-called captains and
mutineers of the Home Page listed TC as such compares to the date
when the user's Home Page favorite TC('s) were recorded as such in
his Home Page. Recall that most TC's (except the fixed reference
point ones) can drift over time just as TCONE's can drift over time
in the usually changing STAN.sub.--2 topic space 215. Accordingly,
the TC that the user recorded as being his favorite a month ago may
no longer be the same positioned TC because during the month it
drifted to a new position in the STAN.sub.--2 topic space 215. The
DLUX's may conclude, based on when this user last visited the Home
Page identified TC, that the user intends to navigate to a topic
space position corresponding to where his listed TC was a month
ago, when the old captains of the TC were in charge as opposed to a
new topic space position that the Home Page identified TC has
drifted to ever since the mutineers took command two weeks ago. In
one embodiment, rather than offering just content sources (e.g.,
chat opportunities) derived from his Home Page identified TC (when
Bannr2 is activated), the STAN.sub.--2 system also automatically
offers as recommended alternative content sources, those derived
from TC's that remained in the original topic space vicinity of the
Home Page identified TC (e.g., a month ago) before it drifted. When
the user preferentially picks one choice over the other, the
STAN.sub.--2 system can use this as an adaptive learning experience
(e.g., using neural net adaptive technology for example) to know
for the next time what content source recommendations to offer more
aggressively when the Home Page identified TC drifts yet again
(e.g., in one month in the future).
[0146] Similar to the way that Home Page identified TC's are
managed, if the user chooses to differently weigh his favorite
TCONE's (if any) recorded on his Home Page of favorite TC's and/or
TCONE's with one particular skew or another, the recommendations
displaying sub-system (not shown) will automatically favor the
making of the more heavily weighted TCONE's over the less weighted
ones. In one embodiment, however, a fair chance mechanism is
incorporated into the automated ranking and selecting mechanism of
the recommendations displaying sub-system (not shown) and operated
such that even the lowest weighted of the favorite TCONE's on the
Home Page shows up (e.g., drops into a displayed newspaper-like
column) on Bannr2 with a frequency corresponding to its relative
weight as compared to the weights of the more heavily weighted
TCONE's recorded within the user's Home Page. The deemed hottest
recommendations will remain displayed on the banner (e.g., Bannr2)
and thus if and when it is given such a fair-chance, a
recommendation for the lowest weighted of the favorite TCONE's
rises up from under the least hot of the already displayed
recommendations. A similar, fair chance mechanism is incorporated
into the automated TC submitting mechanism that automatically
submits the user's favorite TC's of his Home Page to the
STAN.sub.--2 automated DsMS sub-systems so that over the long haul,
the DsMS will provide content source recommendations for display on
Bannr2 where those recommendations are derived from the user's
least weighted, but nonetheless favorite, TC on a frequency basis
corresponding to its relative weight as compared to the weights of
the more heavily weighted TC's recorded within the user's Home
Page.
[0147] Also similar to the way that the possibility of drift by the
Home Page identified TC's is managed, one embodiment of the
STAN.sub.--2 system automatically submits the Home Page identified
TCONE's to the DsMS services with a request that the latter
automated Domain-specific Matching Services nonetheless locate
other TCONE's similar to the Home Page identified TCONE's. This is
done for at least two reasons. Firstly, a Home Page identified
TCONE that was recorded into the Home Page say a month or two ago
may have drifted significantly in topic space 215 since new
captains took over. Secondly, the Home Page identified TCONE of say
two months ago may no longer exist or its participants may have
abandoned it and it now floats as a ghost ship in the STAN.sub.--2
topic space 215. What the user is typically desirous of is a now
active TCONE that substantially matches what the old TCONE used to
be. Accordingly the STAN.sub.--2 system automatically gives the
user a choice as between the old TCONE and one or more fresher
TCONE's that substantially match the attributes of the old TCONE
(the one recorded in the user's Home Page) but are more recently
active with users and also more conform to the user's recorded
recent history of the topics of interest (rTOI's). Additionally,
since the DsMS services tend to provide recommendations that are
more in tune with the user's current mood and currently activated
profiles, content source recommendations provided through use of
the DsMS services will tend to be more in tune with what the user
wants now (e.g., a TCONE with a hot debate raging therein) as
opposed to what the user may have wanted a month or two ago when
the Home Page identified TCONE was recorded in that Home Page.
[0148] In one embodiment, the STAN.sub.--2 system also provides an
automated, "surprise me" function wherein, rather than using the
assigned and recorded weights of the favorite TC's and/or TCONE's
on the user's Home Page (or less drifted away equivalents thereof),
the system randomly picks out TC's from the Home Page to
periodically forward to the DsMS services and/or randomly picks out
TCONE's from the Home Page to periodically forward to the
recommendations displaying sub-system (not shown) that populates
the corresponding banner (e.g., Bannr2, Bannr3, etc.) with
scrolled-in (e.g., scrolled-down into newspaper-like columns)
recommendations at a user-selected or automatically-selected
recommendations making rate. The automatically-selected
recommendations making rate may be based on various importance
ranking algorithms wherein the user's known preferences for certain
influential other users (e.g., TPP's) and/or known preferences for
certain topics causes the scrolling (e.g., replacement) rate to
decrease when the associated "temperature" or heat rises; this
typically indicating that discussions over a certain favorite topic
of the user's are heating up and the user will probably want to
have that recommendation kept in view. At the same time,
temperature gauge (not shown) in region 312 might show the
increased "hotness" thereby alerting the user to what is going
on.
[0149] In summary, a user can program any one or more of his
locally-used data processing devices (132a, 132b, etc.), if their
available resources so permit, to operate in automatically
triggered multi-banner mode and one of those banners (e.g., Bannr2)
may be feeding recommendations primarily based on the user's Home
Page of favorites while another of those banners (e.g., Bannr3) may
be feeding recommendations primarily based on another pre-weighted
grouping of TC's and/or TCONE's specified by the user or even by
STAN.sub.--2 operators if the user elects to use one of the
editor's choices groupings to drive one of his activated banners.
In such cases, the one or more recommendations-providing banners
(e.g., 315, Bannr2, Bannr3) that unfurl on the user's screen (300)
will appear as if they are like personalized
television-channel-guide scrolls that are custom made for him, with
the scrolling-in recommendations made within each banner offering
him more detailed and on-respective-topic(s) content as well as
in-tune with mood and surroundings content (e.g., with each
news-paper column like and scrolled down new recommendation being
like a content supplying channel in its own respects) for him to
pop open and probe deeper into if he so chooses. These personalized
television channel guide-like banners will appear to intelligently
change according to time and the place he happens to be at (as well
as perhaps his current mood) thanks to the automated place and time
banner triggering mechanisms as well as mood and past history
detecting mechanisms. Stated otherwise, in one embodiment, the user
may program certain ones of the multiple banners to be
automatically activated and de-activated based on his mood changes
as detected by his up- or in-loaded CFi's as well as being based on
time, place and/or other triggering encodings. Of course, display
of the STAN.sub.--2-recommended chat opportunities and/or other
content sources need not be in the form of scrolling marquee-style
banners like 315. The recommendations could, for example, pop up
one at time at a rate of one changed recommendation every 30
seconds in a Picture-Picture (PiP) grid that has, say 4 squares and
each square is dedicated to a respective and currently activated,
drive basis means (e.g., one being the user's currently uploaded
CFi's, the second being user CFi's uploaded 4 hours ago, the third
being TC's and/or TCONE's of his Home Page and the fourth being
another personal groupings of his favorite TC's and/or
TCONE's).
[0150] Now finally referring to the Please-Volunteer pane 318 of
FIG. 3A, assume that while an in-STAN user (e.g., Tom 132u1) is
doing research online on a given topic of interest to him (let it
be called topic `A`), where the research is conducted under the
auspices of an external content provider (in this case FaceBook.TM.
as is indicated in open window 317), the user (Tom) has his
STAN.sub.--2 monitoring function turned ON. In one embodiment, the
state of that active monitoring is displayed to him by status box
312 (optionally blinking and/or optionally having rate and
importance gauges (not shown) included therein). Assume the
STAN.sub.--2 system has determined from recent intense activity by
the user (132; for example from his recently uploaded Tom's CFi's)
as well as his historically tracked past activities that the user
(Tom version of 132) may be classified as a potential evangelist
for topic `A`. Since the user is detected to now be again intensely
involved with topic `A`, but taking a short break (in a
machine-detected user idle mode); the STAN.sub.--2 system
automatically pops open a somewhat intrusive proposal as shown by
pushed dialog box 318. There could be various reasons why the
STAN.sub.--2-monitored user will agree to becoming a so-called
STAN-REP with regard to topic `A` when the latter topic is covered
by content appearing on an external platform such as FaceBook.TM..
One reason for volunteering is that the potential evangelist (Tom)
for topic `A` may wish to promote discussion about topic `A` (it
could for example be a political cause Tom strongly believes in)
among a greater number of people and that alone is reason enough
for agreeing to be a STAN-REP for topic `A`. Alternatively or
additionally, the STAN.sub.--2 system may offer various types of
incentives such as lottery prize opportunities or
accomplishment-based prizes (e.g., being pictured as the STAN-REP
of the Month to his peers) for participating STAN-REP's who produce
above average results. For example, monetary and/or subscription
level enhancement prizes may be given out to participating
STAN-REP's who are voted by members of their respectively serviced
TC's or TCONE's as having brought in the best and most useful
cross-pollination data (CPD) this month, week, day, etc. The
awarding of such prizes may be communicated to other STAN-REP's so
as to encourage the rest to try harder. In one embodiment, and of
importance, the BE-A-STAN-REP proposal 318 is pushed onto this
particular registered member (e.g., Tom 132u1) of the STAN.sub.--2
community because he is proficient in two or more languages that
are highly useful for the topic being covered by the particular
STAN.sub.--2 system node (or TCONE) from which he will be launched
(similar to how a CPAP is launched--see FIG. 4B) and/or he is
proficient in an esoteric technical aspect of the topic and/or in
esoteric technical or slang jargon used with respect to the topic.
By way of example, let it be assumed that Topic A is a technical
one which is covered by German and Swedish periodicals as well as
technical peer-reviewed journals written in English. (Note the
optional German and Swedish discussion groups in discussions space
225 of FIG. 2.) If the user who is being invited to BE-A-STAN-REP
(318) in FIG. 3A is proficient in one or both of German and Swedish
as well as English, he may be particularly of value to the other
members of the launching TC or TCONE (e.g., 216n) who are not
equally proficient in one or both foreign languages because he can
identify topic relevant content within the foreign language using
discussion groups and he can cause that foreign-based content to be
returned to the hive, for optional automated translation by the
STAN.sub.--2 system before it is presented as a post-translation
proposed cross-pollination data package (262/264/252) for possible
absorption by the launching TC or TCONE (e.g., 216n). As a result,
English-only conversant members of Tom's on-Topic `A`, favorite
TCONEs or TCs may have intelligible access to on-topic information
from the foreign language using content sources thanks to Tom's
ability to use multiple languages and Tom's willingness to serve as
a STAN-REP.
[0151] The pushed proposal window 318 (e.g., "Please volunteer")
has an external language specifying area 318aa in it. The
illustrated example indicates that the system is asking the
would-be-volunteer (Tom) to serve as a STAN-REP for English-only
discussion groups in the named external platform (e.g.,
FaceBook.TM.) However, if the would-be-volunteer's personal profile
records (e.g., Tom's active CpCCp or active DsCCp's--see giF. 1B
and 1C) indicate he is generally proficient in one or more foreign
languages, or better yet he is (as is indicated in his active
DsCCp's) proficient in an on-topic highly technical and/or esoteric
aspect of the one or more foreign languages (where technical jargon
in foreign languages may not be known to lay speakers of those
languages just as technical aspects of English; i.e. those relating
to chemistry, physics, advanced math, etc. may not be understood by
lay speakers of English), then the pushed proposal window 318 could
have alternatively and automatically asked in region 318aa for the
would-be-volunteer to serve as a STAN-REP for German-only or
combined German and English discussion groups in the named external
platform (e.g., FaceBook.TM.). The proposed language combinations
may be trilingual as well as bilingual. The proposed language
options of window region 318aa may alternatively or additionally
indicate a desired technical jargon proficiency as well as language
proficiency. For example, and even though not shown in FIG. 3A,
window region 318aa might have indicated a need for proficiency in
English AND Biochemistry or a need for proficiency in Japanese AND
Computer Science, and so on. The method of presenting the "Please
Volunteer" proposal 318 may vary depending for example on the
nature of the local data processing device (e.g., 132a) that the
proposed-to user (e.g., Tom) is using when the proposal is made.
More specifically, if the local data processing device is set to
use an audio-only interface (because Tom is driving his car at the
time, the "Please Volunteer" proposal and responses thereto may be
carried out in an audio-only mode. On the other hand, if the local
data processing device the proposed-to user (e.g., Tom) is using at
the time the proposal (318) is made has a relatively small viewing
screen (e.g., it is a small palm held device), different parts of
the proposal may be presented in sequence and voice-over audio
explanations may be provided at the same time to the user (e.g.,
Tom) to make it more clear what is being proposed and why and what
alternative options are available.
[0152] In one embodiment, the would-be-volunteer (Tom) may activate
the scroll down options tool (the down-pointing triangle) in the
variable language proposing region 318aa to thereby pick an
alternate option. More specifically, with such a pick, the
would-be-volunteer may be indicating back to the STAN.sub.--2
system, `Thank you for asking. However, although my profile
indicates I am proficient in technical Russian as well as in
Quantum Mechanical Physics, I am not feeling up to such a challenge
and instead I am willing to volunteer only for English and
Newtonian Physics`. If after that, the user hits the OK pushbutton
318b, the STAN.sub.--2 system may approve the counter offer or it
may politely turn him down.
[0153] Before moving on to describe other virtual pushbuttons of
popped up pane 318, it is to be noted that just as there may be
need for would-be-volunteers to serve in multi-lingual environments
(e.g., English and Korean) and/or in highly technical subareas of
specified languages (e.g., Chinese and Semiconductor Fabrication
expertise); in the case of some topic areas there could be a desire
for would-be-volunteers who are proficient in two or more areas of
expertise that are normally far apart from one another. By way of
example, consider the well known book in computer science by
Fredrick R. Brooks, entitled "The Mythical Man-Month", 1995 (ISBN
0-201-83595-9). It describes how adding more workers to a software
development project can not only fail to speed up completion of the
project, but may very well slow it down severely or cause the
project to fail all together. Consider also for sake of example, an
area of economic study known as transaction cost theory and
Managerial-Behavioral theories. In one sense transaction cost
theory and the like can cross-correlate with aspects of The
Mythical Man-Month. Typically, computer science professionals flock
into discussions mostly with other computer science professionals
and economics theorists flock together mostly with other economics
theorists (per the adage, birds of feather flock together). However
there may be instances where a discussion group on computer science
(e.g., discussing The Mythical Man-Month) may be drifting in terms
of discussed topic toward confluence with a discussion group on
economics (e.g., that happens to be discussing
Managerial-Behavioral and transaction cost theories). In such a
case it may be useful to members of both groups to merge their
discussions. However, a competent cross-disciplinary person is
often needed to bridge the language chasm between the two
disciplines. More specifically, the computer science professionals
may use a first language "frame" that is unique to computer
scientists and the economics theorists may use a different second
language "frame" that is unique to them, whereby only a
competent-in-both cross-disciplinary person can serve as a living
Rosetta Stone, so to speak and thus help create a cross-frame
dictionary (see briefly 406c of FIG. 4C) that allows the two
otherwise disparate groups to beneficially exchange notes with one
another. Incidentally, the examples given above of cross language
and cross discipline capabilities are to be viewed as non-limiting
examples. A given volunteer such as Tom may be someone who can
speak in a lay-person's terms or in a specific type of slang while
also being proficiently conversant in a highly technical area and
that would-be-volunteer might be willing to serve as a go-between
simplifier or translator for a first group of lay-persons whose
topic of discussion centers about a subject having the highly
technical area at its core. In one embodiment, the STAN.sub.--2
system automatically recognizes this special attribute of the
would-be-volunteer (Tom) from his personal profile records and asks
him to volunteer on this basis by locating external content that
correctly explains the highly technical area in terms that are
understandable by lay members of his home TCONE (e.g., his favorite
in-STAN discussion group, i.e. 216n on this Topic `A`).
[0154] To summarize therefore, in accordance with one aspect of the
present disclosure, proposal defining region 318aa of popped up
pane 318 can present the would-be-volunteer (Tom) with a cross
disciplines proposal (as between two or more normally disparate
disciplines). Once again, the reason that the STAN.sub.--2 system
would be proposing such an esoteric, cross-disciplines proposal to
a given one of its users is because that user's personal profile
records (e.g., Tom's active CpCCp or active DsCCp's--see giF. 1B
and 1C) indicate he is proficient to a predefined desired level in
both disciplines. If the would-be-volunteer accepts (e.g., by
activating the OK button 318b), then later, when he is responding
to STAN-REP survey questions (see 320b of FIG. 3C), he will be
helping the STAN.sub.--2 system to develop and store a
cross-disciplinary and Rosetta Stone-like, lookup table (see again
406c of FIG. 4C) whereby keywords, tags etc., of a first identified
discipline are cross-correlated to keywords, tags etc., of a second
identified discipline. This recorded cross-disciplinary, Rosetta
Stone like lookup table may be later used to compile and augment
mission guiding data structure (i.e. 116d' of FIG. 4B) for launched
CPAP's where the cross-disciplinary augmentation allows a launched
Cross-Pollinating Artificial Persona (CPAP) to automatically find
external cross-disciplinary Notes Exchanging nodes (e.g., external
discussion group sessions) where members of the otherwise disparate
discussion groups (NE's) may benefit from exchanging
cross-pollination material with one another.
[0155] Still referring to FIG. 3A, some of the virtual pushbuttons
in box 318 are substantially similar to those described above for
dialog box 182 of FIG. 1B and thus their function need not be
described again, namely, pushbuttons 318b, 31bc and 318d.
Introduction message 318a informs the user that he is being asked
to volunteer to be a special envoy or representative for the
STAN.sub.--2 system (optionally in a foreign language and/or
special discipline) but while he is operating in semi-monitor-free
mode within an external platform (FaceBook.TM. in this example) and
he appears to be focused upon topic `A` while under auspices of the
external platform (FaceBook.TM. in this example). By activating
virtual pushbutton 318g, the user can get more information about
what this means (including information about potential prizes for
agreeing to serve as a STAN-REP). Additionally, in one embodiment,
right clicking (Rt.Clk.) on introduction message 318a provides help
and/or more information.
[0156] Activation of pushbutton 318e (Not This Topic) lets the
STAN.sub.--2 system know that the user (e.g., Tom 132u1) wants to
be an evangelist (a STAN-REP) because he is passionate about a
certain topic (e.g., a different political cause), but not this
specific topic `A`. Basically, he is letting STAN.sub.--2 know that
it guessed wrong as to what his greater topic of passion is.
Perhaps it is topic `D` or more specifically, sub-topic `D2` of
open frames 330a and 330d where he had just been doing some
research using the GoogleWave.TM. and GoogleGoggles.TM. tools
respectively. (GoogleGoggles.TM. is a search engine tool that
receives images as input rather than search words and returns
associated webpages or the like as its results. See results panel
330g of FIG. 3B. GoogleWave.TM. is project collaboration tool which
can return collaborative research results such as in panel 330c of
FIG. 3A.) In response to the user pressing pushbutton 318e, the
STAN.sub.--2 system may present a next dialog box (not shown)
asking for information about what alternate topic the user has in
mind. In one embodiment, the STAN.sub.--2 system has predefined
criteria for who may or may not operate as a STAN-REP while soloing
inside an external platform (e.g., FaceBook.TM., LinkedIn.TM.,
etc.) and may politely refuse the user's offer to volunteer as a
STAN-REP for the alternate topic if the user has insufficient
credentials in that alternate topic (e.g., not enough of a
historical record evidencing probable proficiency, trustworthiness,
etc., in that topic `D`). In one embodiment, there is higher level
or STAN-SUPER_REP, which level is occupied by especially trusted
and reputable registered members of the STAN.sub.--2 system who are
allowed to operate essentially as free-ranging human bumble bees;
to go anywhere they like and bring back any sort of new
cross-pollination data they want and present it to the DLUX servers
and/or to any topic node they choose. When a STAN-SUPER_REP presses
318e (Not This Topic) or next described 318f (Not This SN), the
STAN.sub.--2 system lets the STAN-SUPER_REP define whatever
alternate topic and/or alternate external platform he/she chooses
because the STAN-SUPER_REP is pre-designated by system operators to
be a free-roaming representative who is trusted to pick out any
online content he/she deems to be noteworthy as a linking package
to be brought back to the STAN.sub.--2 collective hive. The
STAN-SUPER_REP's unlimited ability to choose any alternate topic
and/or alternate external platform with depression of pushbuttons
318e and 318f applies more to FIGS. 3B-3D as shall soon be
appreciated. In one embodiment, the STAN-SUPER_REP can
self-initiate the posed survey popups of FIGS. 3B-3D (popups 320,
320b and 320c) rather than waiting for an accepted and downloaded
(or in-loaded) spyware program (132s) to automatically push the
surveys onto the then out-of-STAN user (e.g., Thomas 132u2).
[0157] Activation in FIG. 3A of pushbutton 318f (Not This SN, not
this social network) lets the STAN.sub.--2 system know that the
user (e.g., 132) wants to be an evangelist (a STAN-REP) because he
is passionate about this certain topic `A`, but he does not want to
be the STAN-REP inside the specific external platform (e.g.,
FaceBook.TM.) that he happens to be using in window 317 but rather
a different platform. In one embodiment, right clicking (Rt.Clk.)
on various pushbuttons or messages whose function the user does not
fully understand (e.g., PB 318f) provides help and/or more
information about the function and options of the right clicked-on
entity. In response to the user pressing pushbutton 318f, the
STAN.sub.--2 system may present a next dialog box (not shown)
asking for information about what alternate platform the user has
in mind and optionally presenting the user with a list of plausible
selections. In one embodiment, the STAN.sub.--2 system has
predefined criteria for who may or may not operate as a STAN-REP
while soloing inside specific ones of external platforms and may
politely refuse the users offer to volunteer in the alternate
platform if the user has insufficient credentials in that topic
(e.g., not enough of a historical record evidencing probable
proficiency in that topic `A` or not a STAN-SUPER_REP) so as to
warrant him becoming a volunteer STAN-REP (a CPUP) while soloing in
certain external platforms for which the STAN.sub.--2 system
operators indicate (through pre-programmed software) that they want
more credentialed CPUP's.
[0158] Before moving on to FIG. 3B, it is to be observed in FIG. 3A
that one embodiment of the STAN.sub.--2 system 110/210 downloads
(or in-loads) chat opportunity recommendations (or tweet viewing
opportunities other on-topic content source accessing
opportunities) like 315a, 315b, 315c, 315d with additional
information objects tacked onto the content source recommending
(e.g., chat opportunity) glyphs. The tacked on, additional
information objects may include one or more of: (a) an indication
(e.g., 315b1) of how many friends, buddies, contacts, etc. from an
external platform are already logically linked to the recommended
content source (e.g., to chat opportunity 315b, because they
accepted and/or because they were co-invited); (b) an indication
(e.g., 315c1) of how many or what external groups (e.g., Group 7 in
plate 315c1) are logically linked to the recommended content source
by virtue one or more of their members being logically linked to
the recommended content source, and if so, optionally indicating
how such members of the group are so linked (e.g., accepted or
merely co-invited); (c) an indication of what topic the recommended
content source (e.g., chat opportunity 315c identified as tied to
topic C3) focuses on; and (d) an identification of
important/famous//influential people (e.g., Ken54(TPP) in plate
315d1) who are currently logically linked to the recommended
content source (e.g., chat opportunity 315d), where importance may
be as deemed (predefined) by the individual user (e.g., 132)
viewing the screen 300 and/or importance may be defined as deemed
so by a group of people whom the individual user has pre-identified
to the STAN.sub.--2 system as being his delegated selectors of
important people to follow. As already explained above, TPP means
Tipping Point Person and in one embodiment, the system flashes a
special TP icon 315f to help the user intuitively appreciate the
significance of who is being identified as an influential and
followed-persona (e.g., Ken54) that is now deemed to be logically
linked to the given chat opportunity (or other recommended Notes
Exchange session). Upon seeing the flashing TP icon 315f, the user
may instantly think to himself, "Why if Ken54 is now logically
linked to that recommended content source (e.g., chat opportunity
315d), then I definitely want to look in on it right now". In that
case the user may immediately double click inside the border of
recommendation glyph 315d so as to add that chat room to his left
panel of already opened and being followed chat rooms (316a, etc.).
In one embodiment, there is also a temperature gauge icon 315g that
is movably attached to the central body of the recommendation glyph
315d. It indicates how "hot" the recommended content source (e.g.,
chat opportunity D2) currently is based on a weighted sum of
heating and cooling attributes that may be logically linked to that
recommended content source, for example due to certain pro and con
(for and against) influential persons now being engaged in a heated
Notes Exchange session within that recommended content source. In
one embodiment, the user may use his cursor to move a probe tip
(hatched triangle area) of the temperature gauge icon 315g to
instead contact the TC flag 315e and thereby indicate how "hot" the
associated topic center currently is. Or the user may move the
probe tip to instead contact a gadget representation of a specific
persona (e.g., Ken54) or group name (see 315c1) to thereby cause
the temperature gauge icon 315g to instead indicate how "hot" the
associated persona is or how "hot" the associated named group is.
The algorithm for determining current temperature may vary as a
function of the entity being probed and/or as a function of the
user who is doing the probing. For example, current temperature of
a probed TC flag 315e may be made a function of how many
influential (e.g., TPP) personas are currently logically linked to
the topic center (as being co-invited or as actually having joined
in) and what amount of heating (positive attribute) or cooling
(negative attribute) `energy` the weighted aggregate of influential
(e.g., TPP) personas is currently casting on that topic center (for
example with thumb up or thumb down votes or with their current CVi
votes--see giF. 2B). The gauge shown temperature may alternatively
indicate how hot of a debate is going on inside the recommended
content source (e.g., chat room). Some STAN.sub.--2 users may wish
to keep track of where the hottest debates are on a given topic
rather than where the largest number of general other users are or
where the largest number of influential users (e.g., Ken54) are
flocked together. The machine-implemented algorithm for detecting
hottest debates may use a statistical variance function to
automatically determine how spread apart the debating parties are
in their positions and it may use various weighting factors so as
to give recognized influential debaters more weight than
unrecognized debaters. In one embodiment, premium subscription
members of the STAN.sub.--2 system can custom tailor their own
`temperature` and `energy` attributing algorithms according to
their desires. Basic subscription members may have to rely on
template `temperature` and `energy` attributing algorithms provided
by operators of the STAN.sub.--2 system.
[0159] Suppose the user (e.g., Tom) sees the flashing TP icon 315f
and/or a hot indication on gauge 315g, but the user is at the
moment too busy to open the recommended content source (e.g., chat
room) and in the same instant the user thinks to himself, "Why if
Ken54 is now logically linked to recommended content source (e.g.,
chat opportunity 315d)--or if its `temperature` is above 80
degrees--, then I definitely want to look in on it, but not just
right now". In that case the user may drag and drop the content
recommendation (box 315d) into a saved (e.g., favorite or recent)
content sources area of a resources saving-and-retrieval tool such
as scrollable tool 336. At a later time when the user is not fully
occupied by a priority task, he can unscroll the saving tool 336
and try to pop open the saved content source (e.g., 315d). In some
instances, the saved content source (e.g., if it is an on-the-fly
opened and closed chat room) may not be later accessible to him for
any of numerous reasons (e.g., it no longer exists; it has reached
its room population limit and so on). However, the user is not
without recourse in such a case. An alternate option for the user
when, for example he is too busy, is to not pop open the
recommended content (e.g., chat room 315d), but to instead click on
a tape recording option icon 315r and thus cause the STAN.sub.--2
system to record at least a transcript of part of the Notes
Exchange session (e.g., chat 315d) for the user so the user can
review it later. In one embodiment, a menu pops up asking how long
of a recording the user wants. In one embodiment, the STAN.sub.--2
system automatically emails the user to remind him he has a
recorded transcript now available for review. Yet another alternate
option for the user when, for example he is too busy, is to not pop
open the recommended content (e.g., chat room 315d), and not to
save a link to the recommended content (e.g., by drag and dropping
only box 315d into saved content sources area of tool 336), or to
not initiate and save a recording of the recommended content (e.g.,
by activating icon 315r), but to instead drag and drop TC (topic
center) flag 315e; whose being-dragged copy is shown as phantom
flag 315e' into the saved topic centers area of save-and-retrieve
tool 336.
[0160] At the later time when the user is not fully occupied by a
priority task, he can unscroll the saving tool 336 and pop open the
saved transcript recording; or saved topic center identification
(315e'); or saved combination (Combo) of source, topic center
and/or attached TPP's. When he does so, the STAN.sub.--2 system
responsively causes a 2D or 3D topic space map similar to what is
shown in 3D region 215 of FIG. 2 to be automatically displayed to
the user. The displayed map is by default zoomed in on the local
neighborhood of the topic center (e.g., Z-pole 219a) of the topic
to which the earlier recommended chat room (315d) primarily
belonged. In one embodiment, the earlier recommended chat room
(315d) is highlighted as being hooped around or strongly tethered
to that primary topic center (e.g., Z-pole 219a) or as having
drifted (216d) to a nearby other topic center (e.g., Z-pole 219b).
With the various on-topic content sources (rings; e.g., chat rooms)
in view, the topic map viewing user (e.g., Tom 132) can attempt to
enter those that seem most promising to him (not necessarily the
originally recommended room 315d). As earlier explained, some of
the displayed content sources (rings; e.g., chat rooms) may deny
him participant level entry or any entrance at all for any of
various reasons (e.g., room population limit has been reached, the
room is reserved for a private chat, etc.).
[0161] Yet another option for the user who sees the Ken54(TPP)
notification in plate area 315d1 (where TPP is understood to flag
out a Tipping Point Person) is to left or right click on an
attached BuzzMe gadget icon (not shown at 315d, but similar to
315c4 of displayed recommendation glyph 315c). A left single or
double click will automatically formulate a Me-Serving BOT (see
also 255 of FIG. 2) with launch guides derived by automated
algorithms of the STAN.sub.--2 system based on its current
understanding (from up- or in-loaded CFi's) of what the user
probably intends as the search strategy for such a Me-Serving BOT
where the search strategy (detailed below in conjunction with FIGS.
4C-4D) includes a search for external content sources similar to
those (of same kind and similar encodings) as that now exemplified
by the recommendation/invitation 315d. A right click on the
attached BuzzMe icon of 315d (not shown at 315d, see instead 315c4)
will give the user more detailed options in a pop out menu to pick
from for thereby more specifically tailoring his to be instantiated
and launched Me-Serving BOT (e.g., 255) according to his likings.
However, in the case where the user is too busy at the moment, this
latter option may be counterproductive. In either case, the
STAN.sub.--2 system signals the user that a corresponding
Me-Serving BOT (e.g., 255) has been, or soon will be formulated
(instantiated) and launched on his behalf (the task is appended to
a to-do list of the STAN.sub.--2 system as data processing
bandwidth allows) with the understanding that the user will receive
an email and/or alike other notification when the launched BOT
(255) returns with its search results.
[0162] It is to be understood that when the flashing TP icon 315f
was displayed to the user, another option he had was to drag and
drop a copy of the TP icon 315f into a saved Tipping Point People
(TPP) region of the save-and-retrieve tool 336. This has the effect
of allowing the user to later declare Ken54 as an influential and
preferably followed, other user (preferably followed for everything
or preferably followed only for a predefined one or more topics).
In one embodiment, the user may pick one of a predefined plurality
of `energy` (e.g., heat-) radiating profiles for attachment to his
virtual version of the influential persona (e.g., Ken54). The
`energy` or `heat` radiating profile may define how much positive
or negative influencing `heat` energy the influential persona
(e.g., Ken54) is deemed to project onto nearby topic centers when
that influential persona is interacting with a topic center that is
in the TC neighborhood (where distance is measured according to a
distancing function of topic space 215). When potential chat
opportunities or the like are later analyzed and scored in the
background by the STAN.sub.--2 system for possible recommending to
the user (e.g., 132), those that feature a preferably
to-be-followed (or avoided) persona (e.g., Ken54) as being
logically linked to them or as having a high aggregate temperature
due to aggregated heating by positive radiations or cooling by
negative virtual radiations being projected thereto (e.g., with 1/r
or 1/r.sup.2 or other radial distance decay) will have their
ranking scores increased by a predetermined or proportional amount
(e.g., +20 points) or appropriately decreased if the effect is a
negative one. Premium subscription users of the STAN.sub.--2 system
may be given the option to develop more complex scoring rules for
various ones of preferably followed persona (e.g., Ken54) and
cross-associated topics or topic centers. In one embodiment, one of
the options included in the right-click pop out menu of the BuZZ-Me
icon (e.g., 315c4) is that of searching for external and/or
internal content sources that feature the followed influential
persona (e.g., Ken54) and/or other such influential personas (e.g.,
Jeff67, Seymour89). One of optional search templates that may be
automatically or manually in-loaded into a Me-Serving BOT (e.g.,
255); or into another form of such BOT, is one that looks to detect
if a multitude (exceeding a predefined threshold number) of
followed, influential personas (e.g., 229 in FIG. 2) are flocking
towards (where such `towards` flocking is denoted by path 229a) a
specific TC neighborhood (e.g., 219a). If that is found to be the
case, then the influencer's heat-seeking search template operates
to automatically home in on such a hot spot (e.g., 219a) and
optionally on external platform rings (e.g., 226) pointed to by the
in-STAN hot spot (e.g., 219a when TPP's 229 flock to it). As
already mentioned, bounce back path 229c allows a topic space
browsing user to seek out influential personas (e.g., 229) who are
now flocking, or have in the past flocked to a particular TC (e.g.,
219a) or TCONE (e.g., 216c). The topic space browsing user who
seeks out the influential personas (e.g., 229) may want to send a
question or other online message to those influencers (229; e.g.,
Ken54, Jeff67, Seymour89, Jim32, Gid10) about the same or a related
topic. In one embodiment, the STAN.sub.--2 system automatically
generates a template email or the like addressed to the desired
influencers.
[0163] Still referring to FIG. 3A, in one embodiment, if the user
holds down a special key such as the Control key when dragging his
cursor from the vicinity of a STAN.sub.--2 recommended content
source (e.g., 315d), then a plurality or all of the associated
objects (e.g., TC flag 315e, TPP 315d1, Group ID (in 315c1), link
to the recommended content source, partial transcript, etc.) may be
simultaneously dragged and dropped into respective `Combo`
save-and-retrieve subareas of the save-and-retrieve tool 336.
[0164] In one embodiment, the user is given the option of color
coding various parts of different icons that have been downloaded
(or in-loaded) from the STAN.sub.--2 system into his local data
processing device (e.g., CPU-3 132a). In one embodiment, a color
coding options tool bar 319 is automatically displayed to the user.
Within this color coding options tool bar 319, the user is given
the options of selecting colors, hatchings, textures and so on for
respective ones of displayed icons of text in the STAN.sub.--2
driven recommendations banner 315. For example, if plate 315b1 is
indicating the presence of FaceBook.TM. friends, then at least a
portion of plate 315b1 will be colored, textured, blinked, etc. in
accordance with one or more selections made by the user in scroll
down menu 319b. Adjacent and counterpart scroll down menu 319a of
course lists the attribute that is to be so tagged with color
and/or other graphic markers (e.g., highlighting). Companion scroll
down menu 319c and 319d show other example where the user is
causing indicators related to the LinkedIn.TM. external platform to
be different colored and/or otherwise marked. In scroll down menu
pair 319ef, the user can pick other attributes and associated color
and/or other graphic markers (e.g., highlightings). The OTHR
attribute does not have to be the identification of another
external platform. It could instead be an identification of a topic
center (TC) or of a topic domain within which one or more topic
centers (child topic nodes) reside. It could instead be an
identification of a single or predefined group of followed personas
(e.g., Ken54). In one embodiment, the user has the option of
increasing or decreasing the number of ancillary icon objects
(e.g., 315d1, 315e, 315f, 315g) that are displayed in banner area
315 so as to thereby make the banner area less cluttered or more
detailed as desired. And of course, the user has the option of
minimizing the recommendations banner area 315 to a bottom, top or
side tray as may be preferred.
[0165] Referring to FIG. 3B, it is assumed here that user 132 has
virtually pressed the OK pushbutton 318b of FIG. 3A at an earlier
time. Of importance, in the environment 301 of FIG. 3B (also
environment 132e2/132u2 of FIG. 1A), the volunteering user (CPUP
132, who was "Tom" but now is calling himself "Thomas") is not
being directly monitored by the STAN.sub.--2 system 110/210 anymore
(by way of CFi's or CVi's). The monitoring status box 312'
indicates that interest monitoring is turned OFF (and in the
illustrated example, scrollable opportunities banner 315/315ss is
thus no longer displayed). Either the user 132 has just turned it
off or he shut down his computer and at a later time logged into
external platform 120 but not into platform 110.
[0166] Something happened between the time when the volunteering
user (CPUP 132, then calling himself "Tom" in environment 132e1)
pressed the OK pushbutton 318 of FIG. 3A and the time when the
pushed survey 320 of FIG. 3B appears. In that interim time the
STAN.sub.--2 system 110/210 automatically (but with user 132's
knowing permission) caused a spyware program 132s to be downloaded
(or in-loaded) from the STAN.sub.--2 platform 110 and via secured
messaging link 132m into the user-designated physical or virtually
instantiated CPUs (e.g., 132b) where the latter will be interfacing
on a sometimes not-STAN.sub.--2-monitored basis with the external
platform 120. The latter happens when user 132 is logged on as
"Thomas" (for example) into the external platform 120 but not into
platform 110 as "Tom". The downloaded spyware program 132s is not
as capable as the full STAN.sub.--2 system 110 (e.g., a cloud
computing supported system) to automatically determine what topic
of interest Thomas (132) is currently focusing upon when flying
solo inside of external platform 120. In one embodiment, for
example, the spyware program 132s does not upload (or in-load)
CFi's or CVi's to the STAN.sub.--2 system. The down or in-loaded
spyware program 132s is however configured to have some modicum of
intelligence and to selectively intrude on Thomas with a predefined
and pushed survey 320 when one of a few predetermined triggering
events happens, such as when certain predefined keywords (e.g.,
keywd1 317b') appear while at the same time an unmonitored Thomas
(132) is logged into a predetermined external interest group (e.g.,
224 of FIG. 2). In one embodiment, it has been predetermined
beforehand that general topic "A" of FIG. 3A (or sub-topic A4) is
more likely than not to come up when Thomas (132) is logged into
that predetermined interest group (e.g., 224 of FIG. 2). Otherwise
the downloaded spyware program 132s remains substantially dormant
and just periodically checks to see if Thomas (132) is logged into
that predetermined interest group (e.g., 224 of FIG. 2). The
downloaded spyware program 132s may occasionally also use secured
channel 132m (FIG. 1A) to see if there are any updates for it to be
downloaded (or in-loaded) from the STAN.sub.--2 platform 110 into
CPU-4 (132b).
[0167] In the state where survey dialog box 320 is being presented
to the user (Thomas 132) in FIG. 3B, it is the downloaded spyware
program 132s and not the full STAN.sub.--2 system that is
controlling the survey. It is assumed for the case of FIG. 3B that
user Thomas (having logged in via interface 128 into platform 120
with user ID 132u2) is deeply embroiled in a social networking
exchange inside platform 120 with other users of that external
platform 120. Thomas is probably not thinking about the
STAN.sub.--2 system and its needs. But at this time, the downloaded
spyware program 132s detects that Thomas is logged into the
predefined external users' group 224 and that one or more of
predefined keywords (e.g., 317b') have been recently used to an
extent exceeding a predefined threshold in the highlighted window
317' (the window, frame or pane where within members of the
predefined external users group 224 are exchanging notes).
Incidentally, the survey triggering algorithm does not have to be
based on keywords or keywords alone. It could be alternatively or
additionally based on predefined meta-tags, or on predefined
MetaWeb.TM. entity identifications, and so on and these may be
buried inside a subframe 317a' of the highlighted window 317'.) In
response to this unique set of survey triggering circumstances, the
downloaded spyware program 132s automatically causes the intrusive
survey dialog box 320 to be pushed into the attention area of the
user (Thomas). (Or if the user interface is purely audio at the
time, the intrusive survey akin to dialog box 320 may be in purely
audio format.) The displayed content in the survey dialog box 320
is a function of not only the user having earlier pressed
pushbutton 318b (OK) in FIG. 3A and the accepted spyware program
132s having been downloaded (or in-loaded) into Thomas's computer
132b. The displayed content of survey box 320 is also a function of
various keywords, meta-tags, MetaWeb.TM. ID's (buried in 317a'),
etc. being picked out by the downloaded spyware program 132s as
being present in the FaceBook.TM. driven user window 317' (now
highlighted by action of the spyware program 132s) that is
currently the basis of the pushed survey 320. Pushbutton options
318c' through 318g' have already been described with reference to
FIGS. 1B and 3A and thus do not need repeated explanation here.
Introduction message 321 reinforces for the volunteering user (CPUP
132, a.k.a. Thomas) the nature of the task he is being asked to
undertake and for whom he is being asked to do this (for STAN). The
user has been recently using window of frame 317' that is being
driven by an external platform (FaceBook.TM. in this example) and
now a survey triggering event such as presence of one or more
keywords such as 317b' (keywd1) within the subject window 317' are
highlighted by operation of the spyware program 132s to thereby
show the volunteered user (CPUP 132) what content triggered the
spyware program 132s to present the pushed survey proposal 320.
[0168] Different external platforms use different terminologies or
metaphors for marking off different parts of their virtual
geographies. The "THIS NODE" descriptor in selection box 321a of
message 321 may not be the best descriptor for FaceBook.TM. and
instead may have said THIS WALL or THIS GROUP. In one embodiment,
the user can pick a different terminology and can right click to
get more information or options in selection box 321a. Selection
box 321b reinforces the identity of the external platform
(FaceBook.TM. in this example). In some embodiments, the user
(e.g., a STAN-SUPER_REP) may select a different external platform
name as being the more correct name for the platform that is
driving the content originally shown in window 317' (before spyware
program 132s starts highlighting some of it). The choices made in
selection boxes 321a and 321b are mirror copied into associated
boxes 321aa and 321bb.
[0169] A first voting (or survey question) 322 presented to the
volunteering user (CPUP 132) inquires as to whether what is
happening inside the now highlighted window 317' is worthy of
further attention. In other words, does it represent an emerging
hot topic or hot topic domain in the being-surveyed-about
FaceBook.TM. environment (e.g., discussion group 224)? There is no
need at this time to define what the topic or topic domain is. The
survey 320 is merely testing to first see if the surveyed user
(Thomas) merely "feels" that something of attention worthy value is
now happening inside highlighted window 317'. (Unlike human
in-the-field agents like Thomas, automated CPAP's cannot "feel" and
thus they cannot provide emotion-based evaluation of what is
developing in external discussion group windows such as 317'.) It
should be recalled that STAN.sub.--2 monitoring is OFF (per box
312') at this time and therefore the STAN.sub.--2 system cannot be
aware of what is now happening inside window 317' or how the
STAN-(SUPER or regular)-REP user 132 is responding to it (feeling
about it) emotionally and/or otherwise based on uploaded ones of
his CFi's and CVi's because the latter are not being uploaded into
the STAN.sub.--2 system. However, since the downloaded spyware
program 132s detected that a usage threshold has been crossed by
the user as he interacts with content inside window 317', that
could be indicative of an important and survey-worthy new
development in the subject social networking space (e.g., 224) or
not. The STAN.sub.--2 system 110 is relying on Thomas to report
back about it via the secured messaging provided by communications
link 132m of FIG. 1A and via the survey process being mediated by
the downloaded spyware program 132s. The simple vote options in
FIG. 3B allow Thomas to quickly indicate (with a simple turn on of
radio button 323 for example) that in his humble opinion (IMHO)
this is an emerging and hot topic "domain" or a hot topic "node"
(if selection of later is made in box 323a). Alternatively, Thomas
may vote (with radio button 324) that the activity currently
developing in window 317' represents merely an already established
"warm" (not shown selection that is nonetheless chooseable) topic
domain per the default options presented in voting line 324. It
could also be deemed a "cold" or "old" topic by Thomas.
Alternatively, Thomas may vote (with radio button 325) for the
none-of-the-above option. This locally cast and recorded vote is
eventually reported back to the STAN.sub.--2 system via messaging
link 132m (when STAN.sub.--2 has spare bandwidth for such low
priority information being down or in-loaded into to it from
metaphorically, out-in-the-field spyware programs 132s).
[0170] The spyware-pushed first survey page 320 provides the user
(Thomas) with a pushbutton option 326b of casting the first vote
and immediately thereafter quitting the survey so as to thus not be
bothered by further survey questions at this time. In response to
such a survey quitting action, the downloaded spyware program 132s
collects the identity of the surveyed user (Thomas), the identity
of the associated external platform (e.g., FaceBook.TM.), the
identity of the discussion group (224) that triggered the survey
push 320, an identification of current users inside that discussion
group if possible, and the time date and time of the vote as well
as Thomas's cast voting information and eventually relays it back
to the STAN.sub.--2 system 110 (as a cross-pollination data
package--explained below). Many volunteered STAN-REP users like
Thomas will also be reporting back with their ID's, their votes and
their respective impressions about the same and/or other external
discussion sessions (e.g., 226). The STAN.sub.--2 system will be
automatically collecting all these votes and impression reports,
sorting them (e.g., as to topic center of origin of the volunteer),
weighting them (e.g., according to who are more influential or more
trustworthy STAN-REP users and who less so), summing and
normalizing the weighted and counted votes and developing trending
maps or histograms that will help the STAN.sub.--2 system to
automatically or with aid of its human operators, determine where
the trending-to-hot discussions and/or topics are out there in the
STAN.sub.--2-not-monitored external content space (not-monitored
because no STAN.sub.--2 user is focusing upon that external content
area with his or her SS2 monitoring switch 312 turned ON). However,
a top priority of the STAN.sub.--2 system remains that of first
servicing its currently logged-in members, collecting their CFi's,
CVi's, and responsively making automated content source
recommendations to them. As mentioned, the surveying of user
impressions (e.g., Thomas's) about content found on external
platforms (e.g., 120) is a lower priority task and is carried out
as, and if, spare bandwidth becomes available within the data
processing resource banks of the STAN.sub.--2 system 110/210. Since
the spyware program 132s can record its collected data and wait
until the STAN.sub.--2 system flags that it is ready to receive
spyware program messages (because spare bandwidth is now
available), the STAN.sub.--2 system is not unduly burdened with
having to deal in real time with reports at the instant they become
available from the many, out-in-the-field spyware programs
132s.
[0171] Still referring to user actions in FIG. 3B, if on the other
hand, the user (Thomas) virtually presses pushbutton option 326a,
the downloaded spyware program 132s responsively presents a next
survey page such as page 320b shown in FIG. 3C. In this next
surveying box (320b) the downloaded spyware program 132s is
gathering more detailed information; for example, which words
and/or other content inside highlighted window 317'' does Thomas
think/feel are best representative of what is going on inside of
window 317''? Again, the spyware program 132s is not asking Thomas
to do any deep thinking at the moment and to insightfully define or
describe the topic of discussion that is emerging in the social
networking (SN) exchange happening inside highlighted window 317''.
The downloaded (or in-loaded) spyware program 132s may
automatically provide default suggestions such as keywords (e.g.,
317c') that it has automatically picked out of highlighted window
317''. This may help reduce Thomas's workload if and when he
decides to respond to the popped open survey window. (Thomas may
elect to minimize the window--by using a minimize icon in the upper
right corner--and to get back to the survey shortly afterwards.)
Although default suggested keywords (e.g., 323b'') are displayed
when the survey 320 is popped open, a scroll down option is
provided in each checkable vote box like 323b'' to thereby allow
Thomas to pick something else or to copy and paste (or drag and
drop) another part of highlighted window 317'' (e.g., the being
dragged object 323c'') so as to make it a checked on vote option in
place of those suggested by the spyware program 132s.
[0172] Voting line 324'' lets Thomas indicate which of possible
`TAG` words that can be associated with highlighted window 317'' is
or are in his humble opinion (IMHO) best representative of what is
going on inside the highlighted window 317''. Similar to the pick
or drag-and-drop option for keywords (323c'', 336e''), the spyware
program 132s lets Thomas choose or fill in (e.g., by drag-and-drop
or type-in) alternate vote responses in place of the default ones
originally displayed in the TAGs voting line 324''.
[0173] Voting line 325'' lets Thomas indicate which of possible
hyperlinks (e.g., URL's, universal resource locators) appearing in
highlighted window 317'' (e.g., URL6) is or are best representative
of what is going on inside the highlighted window 317''. Similar to
the drag-and-drop option for keywords (323c'', 336e''), the spyware
program 132s lets Thomas fill in alternate vote response in place
of the default ones originally displayed in the key Users voting
line 325''.
[0174] In one embodiment, a displayed scroll bar 327'' lets Thomas
scroll down to see other, vote-upon options and he can choose which
to vote on and which to ignore as he sees fit. For example, the
other vote-upon options may ask: which images are best
representative (for possible submission to GoogleGoggles.TM. or an
equivalent tool). In one embodiment, when Thomas clicks on a vote
line (not shown) directed to "buried" meta-tags, "buried"
MetaWeb.TM. identifiers and so on, the locations of those "buried"
objects are indicated on his screen 302 by highlighting or flashing
of corresponding pixels in target window 317''. In one embodiment,
scroll bar 327'' lets Thomas scroll to a representative users
voting line (not shown, but see also FIG. 3D) that lets Thomas
indicate which of possible user names appearing in highlighted
window 317'' is or are best representative of what is going on
inside the highlighted window 317''. Similar to the drag-and-drop
option for keywords (323c'', 336e''), the spyware program 132s lets
Thomas fill in alternate vote response in place of the default ones
originally displayed in the key Users voting line (not shown). In
one embodiment, when a user name (e.g., usr3) is picked up from a
window (317'') that is being driven by an external platform (e.g.,
120), the identification of that external platform (e.g.,
FaceBook.TM.) is concatenated to the picked up user name (e.g.,
usr3) and the concatenated combination is what is sent back to the
STAN.sub.--2 system as part of the votes or survey answers
gathering operation. This is done because a same user can have
respective different user names on respective different platforms
and thus a "Ken54" (for example) on a first platform (e.g., 142)
may not be the same person as a "Ken54" on a second platform (e.g.,
144). It is to be understood that when users are identified by the
STAN.sub.--2 system according to their user name, the
identification generally includes something more than just the raw
user name (e.g., "Ken54") so that the specific person being
referenced by that user name is correctly pointed to (as best as
can be practically done). In one embodiment, the displayed scroll
bar 327'' is configured to present survey questions of more complex
or difficult nature the further down the vertical that Thomas
scrolls. The more difficult questions may ask Thomas to start
defining the general and specific topic nodes (of topic space 215)
that the current discussion in target window 317'' is most nearly
connected with.
[0175] With regard to identifying STAN.sub.--2 topic nodes, in one
embodiment, a finite subset of the topic nodes in topic space 215
of FIG. 2 are made unmovable and are assigned respective fixed root
locations in that space 215 and are assigned fixed virtual
distances as between each other. (A root location is a 3D point and
does not have to reside on the Z=0 plane.) It should be recalled
that in general, most topic nodes (whose locations are represented
in FIG. 2 for example by Z-poles such as 219a and 219b) can migrate
in position within the topic space 215 due to shifting moods of the
membership population that currently occupies and controls the
TCONEs (rings) that are logically hooped or strongly tethered to
the respective topic nodes (a.k.a. topic centers or TC's). Members
of a given TCONE or a given topic center can vote to move their
respective TCONE or whole topic center to a different topic domain
if they so choose. Accordingly, a general purpose topic center is a
variable and movable software entity (as represented by physical
and not elusively transitory signals). Nonetheless, a finite number
of unmovable and fixed in location (in topic space 215) Z-poles are
virtually created in accordance with one embodiment for the purpose
of serving as reference points around which the variable and
movable other entities may orbit or move between. In other words,
the finite set of unmovable root points and/or Z-poles may be
viewed as if they were fixed stars (or virtual GPS satellites) in
an otherwise constantly shifting sky dome. In one embodiment, the
finite set of unmovable root points or Z-poles are defined as
MetaWeb.TM. like entities and are assigned MetaWeb.TM. or
equivalent identifications that can be universally used by
participants of the Internet for pinpoint wise pointing to those
unmovable root points or Z-poles in the STAN.sub.--2 topic space
215. In one embodiment, neighborhoods around the unmovable root
points or Z-poles (e.g., MetaWeb.TM. pinpointed points/poles) may
be defined by providing one or more virtual radius values as
measured relative to surrounding fixed root points or Z-poles. In
this way a topic "neighborhood" that surrounds a fixed root point
or Z-pole may be specified. Specific points and/or
micro-neighborhoods in the STAN.sub.--2 topic space 215 may also be
specified by triangulating as between three or more of the
GPS-like, fixed root points or Z-poles.
[0176] While the above discussion regarding root points, Z-poles
and topic space (215) might be argued by others to be "abstract",
the inventors here are directing this disclosure to the
non-abstract and machine-implemented carrying out of these
teachings wherein real physical signals (e.g., electromagnetic
signals) are physically transmitted through and as between real
physical machines (e.g., computers, servers, cloud computing
centers) and stored in physical memory devices thus transforming
the memory devices from one physical state to another). The
inventors here are directing this disclosure to the non-abstract
and machine-implemented carrying out of these teachings wherein
real physical and not-elusively transitory signals, that
consistently represent the here described virtual entities, are
used, stored and interacted with one another and/or in accordance
with predefined, non-abstract instructing signals (e.g., software)
that control the actions of non-abstract instructable machines so
as to actually effect the outcomes described herein. As such,
unsupported allegations (if any) about the present disclosure being
directed to un-useful and abstract arts are to be seen as being
wholly without merit.
[0177] Before moving on to the next survey taking screen 303 of
FIG. 3D, attention is redirected here to the multi-platform,
multi-framework depiction of FIG. 2. The Z-direction axis of frame
210xyz of topic space 215 may be viewed as having points disposed
therealong which represent any selected ones or combinations of
potentially differing attributes of each of the TCONE's (or rings)
that hooped around (or tethered to) respective ones of the Z-poles
(only a few shown as such at 219a and 219b so as to avoid
illustrative clutter). One of the potentially differing attributes
of each of the TCONE's, as may be represented by spaced apart
points on the Z-axis of frame 210xyz, can be maximum number of
participating members allowed at one time inside the Notes Exchange
activity (the "NE" part of the TCONE acronym) of the corresponding
TCONE. Since respective TCONEs can be formed with many different
and respective values for such participating populace limits, the
TCONE's may be viewed as being stacked with larger sized ones of
allowable population on the bottom and smaller ones towards the top
to thereby create the impression of a cone formed by an ordered
stacking of the hoops (rings) as shown for example at 219a in FIG.
2. However, at least some TCONEs may be deemed to have no thickness
in the Z-direction. Accordingly any desired number of TCONEs with a
chat room population limit of say 5 members maximum may be stacked
about a Z-pole (or strongly tethered to that Z-pole) without taking
away Z-direction space that is usable for other attributes of the
respective TCONEs.
[0178] Another attribute that is assignable to the different TCONEs
is that of minimum required (and possibly also maximum allowed)
"expertise" in the topic of the topic center owned note exchange
(TCONE). Level of expertise in the given topic, like room
population, may be viewed as defining the radius of the respective
TCONE. For example, a Notes Exchange (NE) session that requires a
very high level of expertise (and for example into languages) might
be symbolized as having a very small hoop radius while a Notes
Exchange session that allows for a relatively broad class of people
to participate (e.g., expertise level from beginner to novice,
intermediate and so forth and in only a single lay-person's
language) might be symbolized as having a relatively larger hoop
radius and thus cone structures with such variations of hoop radius
might be displayed to a user when the user navigates to the topic
space 215 (via connection path 218) so that the user may perceive
it as a sorted and thus organized set, the various options
available to him or her when viewing a topic center neighborhood or
browsing through the STAN.sub.--2 topic space 215 in search of a
Notes Exchange (NE) session that the user might want to view and/or
enter into as a Notes Exchanging participant.
[0179] In one embodiment, a STAN.sub.--2 user (e.g., 212) who is
viewing a STAN.sub.--2 generated display of the STAN.sub.--2 topic
space 215 may variably reset the Z-axis of frame 210xyz to
represent any one or more attributes in a desired ordered fashion,
for example as a multivariate combination of average historical
room population and average level of participant expertise. In one
embodiment of a STAN.sub.--2 generated display of its topic space
215, at least some of the 3D cones displayed as each primarily
belonging to a respective topic center (to a Z-pole) are composed
not just of stacked hoops of changing radius but as stacks of
layers each having cones in that layer (see 216f as an example of
such a cones-containing layer) where the mini-cones in each layer
may have individual TCONEs. This approach may be fractal-wise
carried out to an Nth degree where N=2, 3, etc. For example, if
N=3, each macro cone has layers of mini-cones and each mini-cone
has its own plural layers of micro-cones where the micro-cones
finally are formed of stacked TCONE rings. It is within the
contemplation of the present disclosure incidentally to display the
STAN.sub.--2 topic space 215 with methods that show more than 3
dimensions at a time. For example, time sequenced snapshots of the
topic space 215 may be displayed wherein the attribute represented
by the Z-axis switches from one displayed snapshot to the next.
Color coding may be used to differentiate between one snapshot and
the next as they are displayed in round robin fashion.
[0180] With that explained, the connection between FIG. 3B and FIG.
2 can now be better explained. The surveyed user (e.g., Thomas) was
acting as a more intelligent (and "feelings" capable) substitute
for a CPAP like 260. By answering the various questions of survey
page 320b (FIG. 3B), the surveyed user, together with the automated
survey return action of the spyware program 132s, was gathering up
cross-pollination data (262 and 264) from an external platform node
(e.g., 226) wherein an external group (e.g., 224) was engaged in a
Notes Exchange session (e.g., chat room discussion, blog comments,
etc.). The surveyed user was being used for bringing that
human-evaluated (voted on) cross-pollination data (262 and 264)
back to the hive (to the STAN.sub.--2 system 110/210), and more
specifically back to the topic center (or TCONE) from which his
alter ego (Tom) came for processing and possible absorption by that
TC or TCONE of origin.
[0181] More specifically, either a CPUP (e.g., Thomas plus the
spyware program 132s loaded in his computer) or a CPAP (shown as
BOT bee 260) returns to the hive with new cross-pollination data
(262 and 264). Then that data is automatically analyzed by the
STAN.sub.--2 system to determine what topic nodes it might belong
to (if it is raw CFi data such as provided by Lurking BOTS like
116c) and/or if a topic center (TC) does not already exist that
corresponds to the cross-pollination data, whether a new topic
center (e.g., 216n) should now be instantiated to receive that
returned data package. Usually the answer is yes, a topic node
already exists, because Thomas (132 in FIG. 1A) originated from a
STAN.sub.--2 topic center to begin with (unless in the rare
exception, Thomas is a free ranging STAN-SUPER_REP). The logical
linking of Thomas to one or a limited few STAN.sub.--2 topic
centers happened in FIG. 3A when Thomas pressed the virtual OK
button 319b and agreed to be a STAN-REP for a specified topic
(e.g., Topic A) and for a specific external platform (e.g.,
FaceBook.TM.). At that time, the STAN.sub.--2 system automatically
recorded in its database (119) the association between the ID of
the volunteering STAN.sub.--2 user (Thomas, actually operating as
Tom at that point but whose alternate UBID-2 is obtainable from
alias lookup record 184 of FIG. 1B) and the topic he or she was
agreeing to be surveyed on and the external platform (e.g.,
FaceBook.TM.) for which the surveys will be conducted. Accordingly,
when the spyware program 132s in Thomas's physical or virtually
instantiated CPU automatically reports back with Thomas's ID and
the ID of the external platform and the ID of the external
discussion group (e.g., 224), the STAN.sub.--2 system can
automatically generate a corresponding logical link (e.g., 261) and
record it as such in its DB 119 where the link extends between the
external discussion (e.g., 226) and/or the external discussion
group (e.g., 224) and the topic center (e.g., 216n) from which
Thomas originated when he originally volunteered to be a STAN-REP.
In one embodiment, the volunteering user has limited access to his
STAN-REP account and can perform various system allowed actions
such as temporarily de-volunteering or trying to change his
volunteer parameters (e.g., the ones established in FIG. 3A).
[0182] After either a CPUP (e.g., Thomas plus the spyware program
132s loaded in his computer) or a Searching-type CPAP (BOT bee 260)
returns to the hive with new cross-pollination data (262 and/or 264
and/or 252 as shall soon be described) and presents that new
cross-pollination data to a corresponding topic center (e.g.,
216n), in one embodiment, that presented cross-pollination data
(pCPD 262/264/252) is not immediately absorbed into the topic node
itself and/or into specific TCONE's (rings) of the TC (e.g., 216n).
Instead, vote-eligible members of the TC and/or TCONE may first
inspect and vote on the admissibility and value (ranking) of the
presented cross-pollination data (262/264/252). Alternatively or
additionally, a data buffering program provided by the STAN.sub.--2
system for each TC or TCONE may first or substitutionally inspect
and vote on the admissibility and value (ranking) of the presented
cross-pollination data (262/264/252), where after if the automated
filtering is not a substitutional one, live members of the TC
and/or TCONE may elect to further inspect and vote on the
admissibility and value (ranking) of the presented
cross-pollination data. Accordingly not all pCPD (presented
cross-pollination data such as 262/264/252) is absorbed and
logically linked to a core center (216c) of the TC or TCONE to
which it is brought by a CPUP or CPAP. Some pCPD (e.g., 254) may be
wholly or partially rejected by the surrounding buffer (216b) of
the corresponding core center (216c) of the respective TC or TCONE.
Presented cross-pollination data 254 of rejected (and dejected) BOT
253 represents an example of such wholly or partially rejected
data. Repeated rejections (e.g., to a BOT with inherited,
software-DNA like that of BOT 253) may operate to reduce
populations of search BOTS having constantly turned down
software-DNA (software defined search characteristics) that brings
back the wrong kind of presented cross-pollination data
(262/264/252). Repeated acceptances, on the other hand, may operate
to increase populations of search BOTS having consistently approved
software-DNA that causes the BOT to bring back the right kind of
presented cross-pollination data (262/264/252) to the TC or TCONE
(e.g., 216c) from where it was born (instantiated and launched).
This aspect will be more clearly understood when step 451 of FIG.
4C is detailed below.
[0183] More specifically in FIG. 2, CPAP 251 (but it could instead
be the spyware program 132s of Thomas's physical local or remotely
instantiated machine 132b) is shown bringing back one or more
so-called cross-pollination package(s) 252 where the payload inside
the cross-pollination package(s) 252 can be any type of potentially
useful cross-pollination data (CPD) such as, but not limited to:
(a) a chosen URL (e.g., URL6 of FIG. 3C) that is believed to be
on-topic with regard to the core topic of the destination TC or
TCONE (216c) and is further believed to be new for that TC or
TCONE; (b) a chosen keyword (e.g., 323c'' (keywd5) of FIG. 3C) that
is believed to be on-topic with regard to the core topic and
further new for that TC or TCONE; (c) a chosen meta-tag or overt
tag (e.g., 324'' of FIG. 3C) that is believed to be on-topic with
regard to the core topic and further new for that TC or TCONE; (d)
a chosen user name (e.g., usr3 of FIG. 3C) that is believed to be
important with regard to the core topic of the destination TC or
TCONE (216c) and further new relative to other user names already
logically linked to that TC or TCONE; and (e) an identification of
a chosen external discussion group (e.g., 224) and/or of a chosen
external discussion thread (e.g., 226) or subthread and/or an
identification of alike other external content that is believed to
be of value to the core topic of the destination TC or TCONE
(216c), new for that TC or TCONE (not yet represented therein by a
logical link) and thus worthy of partial or wholesale absorption by
the destination TC or TCONE (216c). More generally, the payload
inside the cross-pollination package(s) 252 can be any type of
potentially useful, on-topic "encoding" or on-topic content that
might be valuable for incorporating into the CPAP or CPUP launching
TC or TCONE (216c) or for incorporating into another TC (e.g.,
216n, where n is for "new" here) that may not have yet even been
created within the STAN.sub.--2 topic space 215. (See again the
above description of re-routing path 253a.)
[0184] In one embodiment of the STAN.sub.--2 system, there is
instantiated a so-called "double-cross" pollination operation which
may be at least some of the time automatically executed (as data
processing bandwidth permits) when a returning BOT (e.g., 255)
brings back a payload (e.g., 264 plus 262) containing one or more
native user names (such as may appear in a transcript area 316b of
FIG. 3A) and brings back encodings (e.g., produced Notes, keyword
etc.) that are logically linked to those native user names; where
each native user name or other equivalent user identification is
based on the user account that is native to the source external
platform from where the CP data (254) came from. (That source
external platform will be referred to here also as the first
external platform.) The logically cross-linked encoding(s) that are
thus associated with the native user name and/or other native user
ID may be the full comment (a Note) that the native user made in an
external discussion thread (e.g., in transcript area 316b or its
equivalent) or a full other Note presentation the native user
provided or a synopsis thereof or a set of primary encodings
extracted therefrom. The logically cross-linked encoding(s) are
automatically tested by the STAN.sub.--2 system to determine how
well they cross-correlate with current top encodings or other
attributes (e.g., Top N encodings, Top P pointers, or Top Q drift
indicators) of the returned-to launcher TC or TCONE (216c). If the
cross-correlation(s) is/are above predefined threshold(s), the
STAN.sub.--2 system searches its database (DB 119) for an aliases
lookup record (e.g., like 184 of FIG. 1B) that reveals not only the
identification of the target native user on the first external
platform--from where the payload (264+262) came--but also reveals
alter ego identifications of the same user on other external
platforms and/or within the STAN.sub.--2 system itself. Then, as
data processing bandwidth allows, TC or TCONE-Serving BOTs are
launched toward those other external platforms and/or within
STAN.sub.--2 itself with instructions to search for substantially
contemporaneous Notes (e.g., discussion group contributions) made
by the identified target user when in his or her alter ego form on
the other (secondary) platforms. These are brought back by the
launched TC or TCONE-Serving BOTs (255) and tested (e.g., voted on
by buffer layer 216b) for possible relevance the launcher TC or
TCONE (216c). In one embodiment, the targeted native user of the
first external platform is automatically first asked for permission
(one time or always) by the STAN.sub.--2 system to use his
alter-ego personas (of the other/secondary platforms and to use the
thereto-attributed content contributions. In one embodiment, the
targeted native user may elect to have his alter ego other ID's
automatically converted into "Anonymous" or the like before such is
introduced for possible cross-pollinating absorption into the
launcher TC or TCONE (216c) space of the STAN.sub.--2 system. If
the targeted native user allows his alter ego ID to be shown to
STAN.sub.--2 users, after viewing the retrieved external content,
those STAN.sub.--2 users may elect to instigate a chat proposal (or
other form of proposed Notes Exchange) with the original author(s)
by means of a contact bounce back tool (not shown) made available
to them by the STAN.sub.--2 system. In other words, and for purpose
of summarizing this "double-cross" pollination operation; once a
relevant outside user name is found (relevant to the current TC or
TCONE, e.g., 216c), the STAN.sub.--2 system automatically uses its
internal cross-aliases records (e.g., 184) to lookup the alter-egos
of the same person inside STAN.sub.--2 and/or on yet other external
platforms and the STAN.sub.--2 system then automatically performs a
seek to those internal or yet other external sourcing areas to see
if yet further and well cross-correlated cross-pollination data
(262/264/252) can be brought back from the yet further content
sources.
[0185] It is worthwhile to step back at this point and look at the
bigger picture presented by FIG. 2. With the help of
cross-pollinating CPAP's (e.g., 255, 260) and/or CPUP's (e.g.,
Thomas), a logical link such as 261 can be established within the
STAN.sub.--2 system (in the form of linking data pointing to an
external node) as between a Notes Exchange session or node (e.g.,
226) of an external platform (e.g., 220/120) or a corresponding
Notes Exchanging group (e.g., 224) of people and a TC or TCONE
(e.g., 216n or 216c) within the topic space 215 of the STAN.sub.--2
system 110/210 and/or with a corresponding Notes Exchanging group
(e.g., 213) of people who are users of the STAN.sub.--2 system and
who are logically linked to the in-STAN TC or TCONE (e.g., 216n).
This can occur because an entity (e.g., Thomas 132u2) who was at
the time of focusing upon relevant content (in FIG. 3B), NOT being
monitored by the STAN.sub.--2 system (through use of uploading
CFi's and CVi's). Nonetheless there is detection (e.g., by spyware
program 132s) of external material which could be of value to a
particular TC or TCONE (e.g., 115x of FIG. 1A) from which TC/TCONE
(e.g., 216c) this unmonitored entity (e.g., Thomas 132u2 or CPAP
116a, a.k.a. CPAP 117) was originally launched. In the case of the
unmonitored human agent (e.g., Thomas) the cross-pollination data
(262/264/252) was collected by means of a timely and automatically
presented survey proposal (e.g., 320 of FIG. 3B) which the
unmonitored human agent (e.g., Thomas) agreed to respond to either
immediately then (e.g., in FIGS. 3B, 3C and 3D--where FIG. 3D will
be described shortly) or at a later time (e.g., by pressing Remind
Me button 318d').
[0186] Next, in the here overviewed process, the survey responses
automatically came back to the TC or TCONE (e.g., 216n or 216c) of
origin of the surveyed person (e.g., Thomas). The survey-answering
responses contained information (physical data signals) which
allowed the survey-answering responses to be tested for
cross-correlation with expansion/evolution needs or desires of the
returned-to TC or TCONE (216n or 216c). Those expansion/evolution
needs or desires may include, but are not limited to, a desire to
attach new keywords (e.g., 323''), new tags or meta-tags (e.g.,
324''), new hyperlinks (e.g., 325''), new images (not shown),
and/or identifications of new external platform users (e.g., usr3
of FIG. 3C) to database records of the STAN.sub.--2 system that
define or are otherwise logically linked to the returned-to TC or
TCONE (216n) so that the value and/or up-to-datedness of the
absorbing TC or TCONE is enhanced. Those expansion/evolution needs
or desires of the launcher TC or TCONE (e.g., 216c) may further
include, but are not limited to, a desire to detect and possibly
link to (261) external platform Notes Exchange sessions (e.g., 226)
and/or external platform Notes Exchanging groups or individuals
(e.g., 224) whose current topics of interest may closely overlap
with current topics of interest of the returned-to TC or TCONE
(216n) or with current topics of interest of STAN.sub.--2 users
(e.g., 212) who reference the returned-to TC or TCONE (216c).
[0187] In terms of a more concrete and specific example, suppose
that in-STAN user 212 operates his local data processing device
(e.g., 132a, or its remotely instantiated equivalent) to navigate
via a browse connection like 218 (see also 315e of FIG. 3A) to a
corresponding TC or TCONE represented by circle 216n of FIG. 2.
Suppose further that in-STAN user 212 is also (perhaps in an alter
ego form) a member of external platform discussion group 223. But
this user 212 (a.k.a. member of 224) does not yet know about the
existence of external discussion group 223 on external platform
220. Suppose however, that when in-STAN user 212 is browsing about
TC or TCONE 216n, he discovers the cross-pollination link 261 back
to not only external platform node 226 and perhaps from there back
to external discussion group 224 (if platform 220 allows the
STAN.sub.--2 system 210 to obtain back link 228 from 226 to 224)
but also he discovers other cross-pollination link (not 261) from
TC 216n back to yet another external discussion group 223 of
external platform 220.
[0188] As a result of this activity, the in-STAN user 212 who
(perhaps in an alter ego form) is a member of external platform
discussion group 224 has used the topic center (TC) based data
structure of the STAN.sub.--2 system to locate overlapping
discussion group 223 (or its node similar to 226 but not
referenced) on the external platform 220 where beforehand user 212
was not aware of the same; even though discussion groups 223 and
224 are on the same external platform 220 and share at least some
topic of common interest!
[0189] The reason that members of discussion groups like 223 and
224 may not know of each other's existence is because the
discussion groups space 225 of external platform 220 is flat. Notes
Exchange sessions (e.g., discussion threads) are not logically
tethered or hooped to a common topic center (topic node) in
external space 225. Accordingly, a first discussion by members of
discussion group 224 may take place in node 226 and may center on
Topic `A` (assume for the moment it is also the topic of
STAN.sub.--2 TC or TCONE 216n) while another discussion by members
of discussion group 223 may simultaneously take place in a spaced
apart node (far from 226) in flat space 225 and may also center on
the same Topic `A` and nonetheless members of discussion groups 223
and 224 may not know of each other and of their concurrent
overlapping interest in a same topic (e.g., `A`). This is so
because discussion groups space 225 is flat and its Notes Exchange
sessions (e.g., rings) are dispersed about that flat space in an
often non-topical manner (e.g., chronologically ordered). It may
very well be that one or more members of discussion groups 223 and
224 may greatly benefit from being joined (electronically or
otherwise) with a member or more of the other group. The presence
of a commonly linking and on-topic, topic center like 216n of the
STAN.sub.--2 system 220 makes such cross discussion group
pollination possible. Although FIG. 2 shows just one logical link
261 being established between in-STAN node 216n and out-of-STAN
node 226, it should be apparent now that, just like a first
go-between CPAP 260 or CPUP (e.g., Thomas) helped create
cross-platform link 261 between nodes 216n and 226, yet other
go-between CPAP's 260 or CPUP's would likely create a
cross-platform link (like 261) between in-STAN node 216n and the
other out-of-STAN node (not 226) whose members (223) are discussing
the very same topic `A`. Thus the STAN.sub.--2 system can serve as
a intermediating or joining mechanism that allows external but
separated discussion groups (e.g., 223, 224) on a same external
platform (e.g., 220) or even sometimes on different external
platforms (e.g., 146, 147, depending on usage restrictions of the
external platforms) to join with one another when they have a
common topic of interest (e.g., Topic `A`). In other words, thanks
to the cross-platform cross-pollination activities of go-between
CPAP's (e.g., 260) or CPUP's (e.g., Thomas 132u2), joinder of
persons having a common topic of interest can take place as between
members of external platforms as long as one of the members is a
STAN.sub.--2 user (e.g., 212) who takes advantage of the
STAN.sub.--2 browsing function that allows STAN.sub.--2 user (e.g.,
212) to browse within the STAN.sub.--2 topic space 215.
[0190] By the same token, members of different groups (e.g., 213,
214) in the STAN.sub.--2 membership space 211 may be connected with
one another when a member of a first of the groups visits the
common topic center (TC, e.g., 219a) and learns of the existence of
and common topic of interest by the other group.
[0191] Referring to FIG. 3D, aspects thereof will now be described
in greater detail. The higher and/or emotive/social intelligences
(IQs) of the human volunteer (Thomas) may be exploited more fully
with the nonlimiting further examples given in FIG. 3D (screen
303). Firstly, the spyware program 132s may pop up a synopsis
requesting, data entry box like 329. Originally, and in one
embodiment, this box 329 is substantially empty except that it
starts with the suggestive text: "My synopsis of this node is:".
Then the volunteer (e.g., Thomas) fills in the rest. For example,
he provides a definition "A5" of what he thinks the topic is and as
set of aspect definitions X1, X2 which he believes are aspects of
the so defined topic. Next he identifies the topic or discussion
group leaders by their user names as they appear in the highlighted
external platform transcript area 317'''. In one embodiment, he can
simply drag-and-drop any desired user name (e.g., UsrNm5 at
323d''') from out of external platform transcript area 317''' and
into any of his response areas including synopsis-providing area
329 and/or voting areas under request 322'''. Additionally, in the
exemplary synopsis providing area 329, the volunteer is show to
have identified a key outside content source (URL6/A5.11) that he
believes to be the main focal point of the discussion group at this
time.
[0192] In an alternate embodiment, the spyware program 132s may
provide template cues in synopsis providing area 329 for the
volunteer to complete. They may be similar to but perhaps not as
smooth flowing as the illustrated response in FIG. 3D of the user's
typed (and copy and pasted) synopsis 329. For example, a more
heavily cued synopsis template may still include the introduction
line but with further hints such as: "My synopsis of what is
happening in this node (URL.com/A5) is as follows:", where this is
followed by a next line, "The primary topic is (fill in the blank,
or accept default answer). The next more heavily cued template line
after that may say: "A secondary or subsidiary topic being
discussed here is (fill in the blank, or accept default answer).
This may be followed by: "Major aspects of the primary or secondary
topics are: (fill in the blank, or accept default answers). This
may be followed by: "The top 2 or 3 contributors to this discussion
group are: (fill in the blank, or accept default answers)." This
may be followed by: "The top 2 or 3 outside news or other articles
we are discussing are: (fill in the blank, or accept default
answers)." And so on; as may be appropriate for the nature of the
highlighted Notes Exchange session 317'''.
[0193] In the exemplary voting area, a first proposed voting
request 323''' may ask the volunteer (Thomas) to identify who he
thinks (IMHO) are the most "popular" personas in the highlighted
Notes Exchange session 317'''. An alternate choice tool (down
triangle) in the attribute describing box (illustrated as showing
"POPULAR") allows the volunteer to change it to show a different
attribute. Originally some of the answers in vote line 323''' are
prefilled with default answers guessed at by the spyware program
132s based on what currently appears inside the highlighted Notes
Exchange session 317'''. The human volunteer (Thomas) may of course
change these selections by picking from readily available drop-out
menus or by way of a drag-and-drop operation (e.g., 336e''').
[0194] In the exemplary voting area, a next proposed voting request
324''' may ask the volunteer (Thomas) to identify who he thinks
(IMHO--In My Humble Opinion) are the most "influential" personas in
the highlighted Notes Exchange session 317'''. Once again, the user
can alter the voting question and/or the default provided answers.
Generally, the first few presented voting questions will be
relatively easier to answer and then if the volunteer so chooses,
he can use scroll down tool 327''' to scroll down to more difficult
or complex questions about social interactions that the volunteer
sees or feels as occurring within the highlighted Notes Exchange
session 317'''. The more difficult or complex questions may
include: who in your opinion are the top three captains of this
Notes Exchange session (in order, 1, 2, 3)?; who in your opinion
are the top three mutineers of this Notes Exchange session (in
order, 1, 2, 3)?; who in your opinion are the top three Tipping
Point Mavens of this Notes Exchange session (in order, 1, 2, 3)?;
who in your opinion are the top three Tipping Point Salesmen of
this Notes Exchange session (in order, 1, 2, 3)?; who in your
opinion are the top three Tipping Point Connectors of this Notes
Exchange session (in order, 1, 2, 3)?; and so on. At any time after
having responded to as few or as many vote-like questions about the
highlighted Notes Exchange session 317''', the user may hit the
Exit Survey Button 326b'' and thus cast whatever votes he has
checked and end the survey session. It is within the contemplation
of the disclosure that the survey-taking panes like 320b (FIG. 3C)
and 320c (FIG. 3D) may provide answering opportunities in other
formats besides check boxes; fill in the blanks format for example.
When the Exit Survey Button 326b'' is virtually depressed, the
spyware program 132s records all the answers given by the volunteer
and packages the same for transmittal back to the STAN.sub.--2
system along with other appropriate information such as the ID of
the volunteer, the time and date of the survey, the identification
of the highlighted Notes Exchange session 317''' and perhaps
samples of content found therein, the synopsis 329 provided by the
volunteer and other useful survey data as deemed appropriate for
the nature of the surveyed volunteer and the nature of the
highlighted Notes Exchange session 317''' over which he is being
surveyed.
[0195] In one embodiment, the spyware program 132s also provides
the volunteer with highlighting tools such as the illustrated 325''
whereby the user can elect to temporarily or more permanently
highlight various internal objects within the highlighted Notes
Exchange session 317'''. This may include adding differently
colored highlightings to different user names per illustrated
options 325a, 325b and picking different other objects (e.g.,
keywords, unburied tags, buried but temporarily unburied meta-tags
like in 317a' and so on) to differentially highlight these with
desired colors and/or texturings per the illustrated OTHR
option.
[0196] While in one embodiment, Lurking BOT's are expected to
behave as if flies on the wall at the external platforms and not to
actively participate in discussion group exchanges of external
platforms, in some embodiments, Lurking BOT's and the like are
instantiated so that they do interact, at least in the role of
survey takers that ask questions similar to those asked of the
STAN-REP in FIGS. 3B-3D. In some instances, Lurking BOT's may
launch their own discussion group proposals (e.g., solo-launched
ring 206 of plane 221) where the BOT-launched proposal is in the
form of a survey-taking opening question such as: With regard to
sub-topic D2, who in your opinion are the most influential
participants in this (lurked at) discussion group? The responses,
if any, are then fed back as CFi's to the STAN.sub.--2 DLUX
server(s).
[0197] Referring to FIG. 4A, when large numbers of presented
cross-pollination data packages (pCPD 262/264/252) are returned to
the hive from the various, reporting in CPUPs (e.g., Thomas) and or
Search-BOTS it can be overwhelming for system resources and/or vote
eligible members of receiving TC's or TCONE's (e.g., 216c) to
individually process each presented CPD package. An automated
process 401 by way of which pCPD packages can be more efficiently
selectively absorbed and/or rejected will now be explained with
reference to FIG. 4A.
[0198] Step 410 (Begin) is repeatedly activated as data processing
bandwidth allows. In step 411 each received pCPD package is given a
unique (but temporary) identification number and stored in system
memory for further processing. These unique (but temporary)
identification numbers will follow each of to be broken-apart
pieces of the each package (which happens in 416) so that proper
weighting can occur in to be performed step 418. In step 412, and
as data processing bandwidth allows, the internal contents of the
buffered pCPD packages are automatically validated and/or repaired.
Validation may include verifying that the reporting back CPUP or
CPAP is a valid one and not a transmission damaged or spoofed one
and verifying that various URL's provided therein are valid ones
and not pointing to inappropriate content and verifying that
various keywords or other encodings provided therein are correctly
spelled and do not present inappropriate content. The automated
fixing operation may include repairing spelling errors or
machine-detectable grammatical errors in the user's synopsis and so
on.
[0199] Step 414 sorts the validated and repaired CPD's are
hierarchically sorted according to their TC or TCONE (e.g., 216c)
of launched origin. The hierarchy is according to that currently
used in the STAN.sub.--2 topic space 215. In this way the otherwise
randomly received CPD's are now collected into groups for
respective processing according to the desires or needs or nature
of the TC's or TCONE's (e.g., 216c) into which they may be
ultimately absorbed (or not).
[0200] Step 416 parses apart the CPD package pieces according to
type (e.g., keywords, tags, external user names, etc.) while
retaining for each parsed piece the temporary ID provided at step
411 and stores the parsed pieces (or pointers to them or tokens
representing them) in an orderly manner as shown by table
structures 477-479. In other words, the storage scheme indicates
which parsed pieces are being presented for voting thereon and/or
for automated filtering (by buffer layer 216b) for the whole TC and
then for individual TCONE's that are hooped on or primarily
tethered to that TC.
[0201] In step 418, pre-voting weights are logically attached to
the parsed pieces. The weighting scheme may vary and may be based
on the identification of the carrier (CPAP or CPUP) who brought the
package, on the identification of the external platform from where
the package contents were obtained or derived, on the
identification of certain influential (e.g., TPP's) persons with
whom some of the package pieces are linked to, and so on.
[0202] In pre-voting step 421 the respectively weighted and parsed
pieces of each sorted storage bin of storage structures 477, 478,
479, etc. are summed, first as for each individual topic center
node or TCONE and then for the hierarchically overlying parent
node.
[0203] In step 423, votes on the weighted sums are carried out,
first on the basis of the child topic nodes or TCONE's and then for
each successively higher topic node in the topics tree as deemed
appropriate. The number of times that a same keyword, tag, etc.,
has been presented for absorption counts on a one-to-one basis in
this particular voting form. If frequency of presentation is not to
be evaluated on a one-to-one basis, then a count of redundant
keywords, tags, etc. may first be taken and the counts may adjusted
on a non-linear basis whereafter the counts are used as further
weights and redundant copies of same keywords, tags, etc. are
deleted before the vote is taken.
[0204] In step 423, it is determined which of the presented
cross-pollination data pieces (keywords, tags, etc.) are not new
for each respective, potential recipient (TC or TCONE) listed in
table structures 477, 478, 479, etc. Although a given keyword, tag,
etc. may not be novel for a first TC or TCONE, it may nonetheless
be novel for a sibling such entity. In one embodiment, the
weightings ascribed in step 418 (and optionally in step 423) vary
as a function of which TC or TCONE the offering is being presented
to for possible absorption. In one embodiment, after a first voted
is taken on behalf of each TC or TCONE, a second round of voting is
carried out for those potentially accepting TC's or TCONE's where
the offering is novel (as determined within step 424 for example)
and where the second round of voting is a function of voting
results generated by sibling TC's or TCONE's. Then after the first
and/or second rounds of voting complete, the sorted and parsed
offerings are ranked according to their respective votes and in
step 425, those meeting or exceeding predetermined thresholds of
the respective TC's or TCONE's are absorbed and logically
positioned at inner core or more outer ranking rings (see 216c of
FIG. 2) of the respectively absorbing TC's or TCONE's. The
acceptance and rejection results are fedback as genetic
affirmations or reducers for the mission guiding data structures
(i.e. 116d' of FIG. 4c) so that a next round of instantiated and
launched BOT's will tend to get more affirmations and less
reducers. As mentioned above, in one embodiment it is possible for
rejecting TC's or TCONE's to cast Reject-But votes whereafter the
package contents of a rejected BOT (e.g., 253a of FIG. 2) are
re-directed to another data processing mechanism that uses the
Reject-But contents 254a to build a brand new topic node (e.g.,
216n).
[0205] Referring to FIG. 4B, it will now be described how the
mission guiding data structures (i.e. 116d') of TC or TCONE-Serving
BOT's may be instantiated prior to launch. Machine-implemented and
automated process 402 begins at step 430. At step 431, a unique ID
is assigned by the STAN.sub.--2 system to the to-be-launched CPAP
(a.k.a. BOT).
[0206] At step 432, the identification of the TC or TCONE (e.g.,
216c) on whose behalf the BOT is to be launched, is obtained and
logically linked to the being instantiated mission guiding data
structure (i.e. 116d'). At step 433, the so-called Top N.sub.i
topic defining encodings of the identified launch pad (TC or TCONE)
of step 432 are fetched. Here N.sub.i may vary for each type of
topic defining encoding, be it a keyword, a tag, a meta-tag and so
on. More specifically, N.sub.i might be Top 3 for keywords but at
the same time Top 5 for tags. Also the definition of what is meant
by "Top" can vary on an encoding type by encoding type basis. "Top"
may mean most often repeated irrespective of which launch pad user
is repeating it. On the other hand, "Top" may alternatively mean
used by the greatest number of unique members within the TCONE or
by the greatest number of TCONE's primarily owned by a launching
TC. "Top" may yet alternatively mean that it is rated as such by
one or more influential members (e.g., TPP's) within the TC or
TCONE (e.g., 216c) or that a largest number of such influential
members use it. These are nonlimiting examples of how the
definition of "Top N" can be varied aside from the value of N also
being varied.
[0207] At step 434, a similar process is undertaken for so-called
pointers (P) that are going to direct the to be launched BOT as to
where in the vast landscape of the Internet 101 to search.
Generally the plurality of P pointers are URL's taken respectively
from the launch point (could be a TC or a TCONE) and its ancestors
(e.g., parent, grandparent TC's). Once again, the definition of
"Top P" can be varied and aside from that the value of P also being
varied on a contributor by contributor basis. In other words, "Top
P" for BOT launching child need not mean the same thing or have
same value P as "Top P" for the parent of grandparent node of the
BOT launching child.
[0208] After the potential search areas have been identified in
step 434 as being the respective "Top P" pointers of respective
child and/or parent and/or grandparent node, corresponding behavior
rules (see also 499 of FIG. 4C) are fetched in step 435a. These
behavior rules instruct the BOT (after it is instantiated and
launched) how to behave when it arrives and begins searching or
lurking at a target site on an external platform. Should it operate
as a lurking and unseen watcher and gatherer or as a more active
survey taker? What special navigation steps does it need to
exercise if at all when using the public interface provided by the
external platform? Does it first have to sign in and provide a
valid password? Does it have to navigate to a particular "wall" or
"discussion group" or other such construct of the being-visited
external platform? Does it have to follow special protocols in
order to join new groups within the being-visited external
platform? Does it have to dress in a special avatar uniform that is
prescribed by the being-visited external platform for NPC's?
Questions like these and the alike are accounted for by the fetched
behavior rules of each targeted external platform area that is to
be searched by the BOT and/or lurked at.
[0209] In subsequent step 435b, the "Top Q" drift direction
encodings of the launching pad TC or TCONE are fetched. Once again,
the definition of "Top Q" can be varied and aside from that the
value of Q also being varied on a contributor by contributor basis.
The drift direction encodings may indicate to the Search BOT what
variations from the Top N topic definitions of step 433 should be
pursued when searching for fresh cross-pollination material. As
mentioned earlier, each TC or TCONE may have its most dominant
"captain" type members who are trying to keep the boat moored to
one place in topic space 215 or are trying to keep the boat
drifting in a captain-preferred direction. On the other hand, the
same figurative boat (it could be TCONE or TC in this case) may
have its most dominant "mutineer" type members who are trying to
change the boat's primary mooring and/or are trying to change the
boat's drift direction to a new direction other than the
captain(s)-preferred direction. The fetched "Top Q" drift direction
encodings (they could be tags, meta-tags, URL's etc.) may those of
the captains and/or of the mutineers.
[0210] In subsequent step 436, a template mission guiding data
structure is fetched from a library of such structures stored and
maintained by the STAN.sub.--2 system. The template mission guiding
data structure has a foundational structure for defining a search
strategy, but it does not have the variables defined by the "Top
N", "Top P" and/or "Top Q" permanently encoded therein. Accordingly
at step 436, the results of steps 433-435b are appropriately
inserted into respective blank or default-wise pre-specified spots
of the fetched template mission guiding data structure. Optionally,
a so-called augmenting step (which will be detailed in conjunction
with FIG. 4C) may be carried out within step 436. The filled-in and
optionally augmented template mission guiding data structure is
then compiled to thereby instantiate the mission guiding data
structure (i.e. 116d' of FIG. 4B). Dashed association path 486
indicates that the corresponding BOT is now tagged with its
launching pad TC-of-origin or TCONE-of-origin identification data
(per association paths 481 and 482) and with its instantiated the
mission guiding data structure (i.e. 116d'), where the latter may
guide (dashed path 484) to search area 225' and/or more
specifically, into discussion ring 226' of an identified external
platform (e.g., 220).
[0211] If not yet done in step 436, in subsequent step 437, the
instantiated mission guiding data structure is logically linked to
a corresponding and instantiated BOT agent (software agent) and
they are activated, thereby launching them (metaphorically) on
their virtual journey through the Internet so as to search in
and/or lurk in the targeted external territory (e.g., discussion
ring 226').
[0212] Step 438 tasks the STAN.sub.--2 operating system with
periodic checking in on the health and mission progress of the
launched BOT. If the launched BOT freezes up for any reason, the
STAN.sub.--2 operating system may try to unfreeze it, and if not
successful, the STAN.sub.--2 operating system may alternatively
launch another copy of the previously launched BOT.
[0213] In step 439 a periodic test is undertaken to see how far
along in its mission the launched BOT is, with this being weighed
against possible urgency pings for returned content, where the
urgency pings may come from members of the launching pad TC or
TCONE, who by their uploaded CFi's and/or CV's may be indicating a
desire to see fresh new material which the launched BOT is expected
to bring back from its respectively targeted search zone (e.g.,
discussion ring 226').
[0214] In step 441, it is periodically determined if the mission
appears to be complete or if urgency for incomplete results exceeds
a predetermined threshold. If yes, the launched BOT is recalled
back to the hive (step 445). If no, the BOT is allowed to remain
lurking or searching in its respectively targeted search zone
(e.g., discussion ring 226') a little bit longer.
[0215] Referring to FIG. 4C, now details of one automated process
403 for genetically mutating the mission guiding data structures
(i.e. 116d') will be described. Search and lurk BOT's that
persistently return pCPD's whose contents are all rejected are
re-instantiated at progressively decreasing rates over time until
their populations die out if not success is attained. Search and
lurk BOT's that receive acceptances are re-instantiated more often,
but nonetheless competition is maintained as between different
strains of BOT's that service a same launching pad TC or TCONE so
that the more successful BOT's are rewarded with increased or
sustained populations. That said, at the same time in one
embodiment, mutations of both successful and unsuccessful BOT's are
also instantiated and launched so as to provide a potentially wider
variety of cross-pollination material.
[0216] In FIG. 4C, mission guiding data structure 116d' represents
the virtual DNA of a corresponding successful BOT (one whose pCPD
was at least partially accepted). In step 451 (after begin step 450
of machine-implemented and automated process 403 is carried out)
the old virtual DNA of the corresponding successful BOT is read
out. Dashed path 491a also represents this reading of old DNA
process.
[0217] In step 452 the values of one or more of the old virtual DNA
parameters are varied either randomly or semi-randomly, where
semi-randomly indicates that additional steps are taken to more
intelligently decide which of the old virtual DNA parameters are to
be varied and if so to what extent and in what direction,
increasing or decreasing? The more intelligent decision making may
be based on trends uncovered in previous trial and error, random
mutations. In step 453, a similar mutation is undertaken for
definitions of Top Xi, where Xi can be Ni, Pi, Qi or another like
parameter. In one variation, one of steps 452 and 453 is
occasionally bypassed. In step 454, the old search algorithm is
also randomly or semi-randomly varied. For example, a previously
used combinatorial search specification (e.g., (A OR B) AND C AND
(NotD)) is varied slightly as to its named variables and/or
utilized logical operators and/or their order of evaluation. As
another example, a previously used cross-correlation search
specification (e.g., one that attributes weights for
cross-correlations of respective keywords and/or tags) where
weights are varied and/or thresholds are varied. After the results
of steps 451-454 are obtained a new template mission guiding data
structure is filled in with the mutated results in step 455a of
FIG. 4D.
[0218] Before explaining FIG. 4D, a recap is provided here of the
possible mutations to old mission guiding data structure 116d'
before it is re-instantiated as mutated and launched new item
116d''. The one or more variables that can be mutated include: 1)
What is value of N.sub.i, N.sub.i+1 (of parent), N.sub.i+2 (of
grandparent node), etc.?; 2) What is meaning of "Top" when a "Top
X.sub.i" is specified?; 3) What augmentations are to be added into
table column 496 of table data structure 490 of FIG. 4C?; 4) What
is the logic (see again step 454) of the search algorithm?; 5) When
performing the search in a target area, is the search BOT to spiral
(116s) inwardly from a more general and wider search area to a more
specific and thus narrower search area or, vise versa, spiral out
from specific destination 116s1 to a more general and thus wider
outer orbital 116s3 when searching in targeted external platform
space 225''?. As may be appreciated, there is some overlap between
the steps shown in FIG. 4B (see 436, 437) and steps shown in
combined FIGS. 4C-4D.
[0219] Referring to step 456 of FIG. 4D and also to corresponding
Lookup Table (LUT) 406 of FIG. 4C, there may be instances in which
better search results (e.g., higher rated pCPD's) are obtained if
the topic defining encodings obtained directly from the launching
pad TC or TCONE and/or it ancestor(s) (Parent, Grandparent, etc.)
are augmented with additional such encodings. The case where a
search into a foreign language or multi-language target zone is to
be conducted by a BOT has already been discussed above. Thus the
benefit of using a native-to foreign language LUT 406b to insert
equivalent foreign language augmentations (e.g., 407a) for the
native language encodings obtained directly from the launching pad
TC or TCONE should now be apparent. Moreover, the case where a
search into a different disciplinary area (e.g., from computer
science Man Month to economics counterpart) has already been
discussed above. Thus the benefit of using a Frame1-to-Frame2
Rosetta Stone like LUT 406c to inserting equivalent augmentations
as used in a different but nonetheless related disciplinary area
should now be apparent. By similar token there may synonyms and/or
antonyms provided from a Thesaurus-like LUT 406a that can provide
useful augmentations. For example, sometimes it is beneficial to
search for the opposite of a given original encoding. Of course the
outputs of Thesaurus-like LUT 406a may be subsequently passed
through LUT's 406b and/or 406c so as to obtain yet further
augmentations. One of the mutation driven variables may be a
variable number specifying how many augmentations are to be used in
step 456.
[0220] Referring to step 458 of FIG. 4D and also to corresponding
data transfer flow 408 of FIG. 4C, the combination of (or a
selected subcombination thereof) of the directly obtained topic
defining encodings and their augmentations are inserted into
corresponding fill-in blanks of the optionally mutated search
algorithms in column 497d of table data structure 497. (Mutation of
the optionally mutated search algorithms was described as being
optionally carried out in step 454.)
[0221] Column 497b of table data structure 497 was filled in with
the Top P.sub.i, P.sub.i+1, P.sub.i+2, etc. pointers of the
respective child launching pad TC or TCONE and its ancestors after
step 453 completed. Thereafter, a second set of augmenting LUTs 498
may be used to add respective augmenting pointers by reading in the
Top P.sub.i, P.sub.i+1, P.sub.i+2, etc. pointers of the respective
child launching pad TC or TCONE and its ancestors via intake path
498i and outputting corresponding augmenting pointers via output
path 4980. The output augmentations 498o (which are stored into
column 497c) can be ones that were elsewhere in the STAN.sub.--2
system determined to provide alternate websites and/or other
content sources that are relatively similar, but not entirely the
same as the corresponding input ones (498i) of LUTs set 498.
[0222] After columns 497b and 497c of table data structure 497 are
filled in, they are used to fetch the appropriate behavior
guidelines and rules 499 for the to-be instantiated and launched
BOT. As mentioned above, the guidelines and rules 499 instruct the
instructable BOT how to function and behave when operating in the
domain of external space 225''. In some instances, behavior
protocol may require the BOT to seek assistance of a STAN-REP such
as 132'' for letting the BOT in through a limited entry door of the
targeted space 225''. Of course cooperation agreements with
operators of the external platform may need to be reached before
some of these activities can be undertaken.
[0223] For sake of completion, FIG. 4D also shows the compile and
launch step 459 and the periodic health check up step 460 for the
launched BOT.
[0224] The present disclosure is to be taken as illustrative rather
than as limiting the scope, nature, or spirit of the subject matter
claimed below. Numerous modifications and variations will become
apparent to those skilled in the art after studying the disclosure,
including use of equivalent functional and/or structural
substitutes for elements described herein, use of equivalent
functional couplings for couplings described herein, and/or use of
equivalent functional steps for steps described herein. Such
insubstantial variations are to be considered within the scope of
what is contemplated here. Moreover, if plural examples are given
for specific means, or steps, and extrapolation between and/or
beyond such given examples is obvious in view of the present
disclosure, then the disclosure is to be deemed as effectively
disclosing and thus covering at least such extrapolations.
[0225] By way of example, it is understood that the configuring of
a user possessed data processing device (e.g., 131a, 131b of FIG.
1A) to provide a user interface for interfacing with the
STAN.sub.--2 system in accordance with the present disclosure
(e.g., in accordance with FIGS. 3A-3D) can include use of a remote
computer or network subsystem and its respective software (e.g.,
110 of FIG. 1A and its downloadable spyware program 132s) to carry
out download of and activation of interfacing software into the
user possessed data processing device (e.g., 131a, 131b. A
computer-readable tangible medium (e.g., hard disk, optical disk,
flash drive etc.) or another form of a software product or
machine-instructing means (including but not limited to a
downloading of (or in-loading of) manufactured instructing signals
over a network (e.g., 101) may be used for instructing an
instructable machine (e.g., 132a, 132b) belonging to a user or to
system operators to carry out various activities described herein,
where the activities can include selective activation of one or
more of various user interface functions described herein as being
provided to users of the STAN.sub.--2 system and/or as being
provided to its system operators. As such, it is within the scope
of the disclosure to have an instructable machine carry out, and/to
provide a software product adapted for causing an instructable
machine to carry out machine-implemented methods that use encodings
of a user's physical and/or logical environment to automatically
determine most probable topics of interest on that user's mind, to
automatically determine what other users and/or content sources the
SS2 user is currently co-compatible with and to accordingly and
automatically provide the SS2 user with content source
recommendations in accordance with those determinations.
Reservation of Extra-Patent Rights, Resolution of Conflicts, and
Interpretation of Terms
[0226] After this disclosure is lawfully published, the owner of
the present patent application has no objection to the reproduction
by others of textual and graphic materials contained herein
provided such reproduction is for the limited purpose of
understanding the present disclosure of invention and of thereby
promoting the useful arts and sciences. The owner does not however
disclaim any other rights that may be lawfully associated with the
disclosed materials, including but not limited to, copyrights in
any computer program listings or art works or other works provided
herein, and to trademark or trade dress rights that may be
associated with coined terms or art works provided herein and to
other otherwise-protectable subject matter included herein or
otherwise derivable herefrom.
[0227] If any disclosures are incorporated herein by reference and
such incorporated disclosures conflict in part or whole with the
present disclosure, then to the extent of conflict, and/or broader
disclosure, and/or broader definition of terms, the present
disclosure controls. If such incorporated disclosures conflict in
part or whole with one another, then to the extent of conflict, the
later-dated disclosure controls.
[0228] Unless expressly stated otherwise herein, ordinary terms
have their corresponding ordinary meanings within the respective
contexts of their presentations, and ordinary terms of art have
their corresponding regular meanings within the relevant technical
arts and within the respective contexts of their presentations
herein. Descriptions above regarding related technologies are not
admissions that the technologies or possible relations between them
were appreciated by artisans of ordinary skill in the areas of
endeavor to which the present disclosure most closely pertains.
[0229] Given the above disclosure of general concepts and specific
embodiments, the scope of protection sought is to be defined by the
claims appended hereto. The issued claims are not to be taken as
limiting Applicant's right to claim disclosed, but not yet
literally claimed subject matter by way of one or more further
applications including those filed pursuant to 35 U.S.C. .sctn.120
and/or 35 U.S.C. .sctn.251.
* * * * *