U.S. patent application number 13/968788 was filed with the patent office on 2013-12-19 for methods and systems for soliciting an answer to a question.
This patent application is currently assigned to Quora, Inc.. The applicant listed for this patent is Quora, Inc.. Invention is credited to Charles Duplain Cheever, Rebekah Marie Cox, Adam Edward D'Angelo, Kevin G. Der.
Application Number | 20130339879 13/968788 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 46381924 |
Filed Date | 2013-12-19 |
United States Patent
Application |
20130339879 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
D'Angelo; Adam Edward ; et
al. |
December 19, 2013 |
METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR SOLICITING AN ANSWER TO A QUESTION
Abstract
A question-and-answer application with an "ask-to-answer"
feature is described. The ask-to-answer feature enables any user to
solicit an answer to a question from another user. Upon soliciting
another user for an answer to a particular question, a message with
a call to action is directed to the solicited user. The message may
include a copy of the text of the question and may provide a
mechanism (e.g., a selectable user interface element) enabling the
solicited user to pass on answering the question. Subsequent to the
solicitation, the question page for the question will include a
notification with information about the solicitation, including in
some instances information identifying the user who has been asked
to answer the question and the number of times the user has been
asked to provide an answer to the question.
Inventors: |
D'Angelo; Adam Edward; (Palo
Alto, CA) ; Cheever; Charles Duplain; (Palo Alto,
CA) ; Der; Kevin G.; (Palo Alto, CA) ; Cox;
Rebekah Marie; (Mountain View, CA) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Quora, Inc. |
Palo Alto |
CA |
US |
|
|
Assignee: |
Quora, Inc.
Palo Alto
CA
|
Family ID: |
46381924 |
Appl. No.: |
13/968788 |
Filed: |
August 16, 2013 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
|
|
|
|
|
|
Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
12983056 |
Dec 31, 2010 |
8516379 |
|
|
13968788 |
|
|
|
|
Current U.S.
Class: |
715/753 |
Current CPC
Class: |
H04L 65/40 20130101;
G06F 16/3329 20190101; G06Q 10/10 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
715/753 |
International
Class: |
H04L 29/06 20060101
H04L029/06 |
Claims
1. A computer-implemented method comprising: receiving user-input
from a first user, the user-input identifying a second user of a
question-and-answer service to whom a message is to be
communicated, the message to include a solicitation for an answer
to a question; communicating the message to the second user; and
subsequent to communicating the message to the second user,
presenting a web page including the question and a notification
indicating that the second user has been solicited for an answer to
the question.
Description
RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application claims the benefit of U.S. application Ser.
No. 12/983,056, filed on Dec. 31, 2010, which is hereby
incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0002] The present disclosure generally relates to data processing
techniques. More specifically, the present disclosure relates to
methods and systems for enhancing the quality of user-generated
content for presentation via a question-and-answer service by
enabling users of the service to directly solicit an answer to a
question from another user.
BACKGROUND
[0003] Many on-line or web-based applications and services rely
partially, and in some cases almost entirely, on user-generated
content--that is, content generated by the end-users of the
particular application or service. The success of such applications
and services is heavily dependent upon the ability to attract and
retain users who are willing to participate by generating content
that is to be shared with other users. One particular type of
application or service for which this holds true is an on-line
question-and-answer service. In general, a question-and-answer
service is a service that allows its end-users to post questions,
post answers to questions, or simply browse the questions and
answers that others have posted. From the perspective of its users,
the usefulness of a question-and-answer service or application
depends significantly on the extent to which meaningful answers are
provided to the questions being posted.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0004] Some embodiments of the invention are illustrated by way of
example, and not limitation, in the figures of the accompanying
drawings, in which:
[0005] FIG. 1 is a simple relationship diagram illustrating how
some of the various elements and participants of a
question-and-answer application are related to one another in a
particular embodiment of the invention;
[0006] FIG. 2 is a system-level block diagram illustrating some of
the system components and functional modules used in implementing a
question-and-answer application consistent with an embodiment of
the invention;
[0007] FIGS. 3 and 4 are flow diagrams representing methods,
consistent with an embodiment of the invention, for facilitating
and enabling a user of a question-and-answer application to solicit
another user for an answer to a question;
[0008] FIGS. 5 and 6 are flow diagrams representing methods,
consistent with embodiments of the invention, for presenting a
user, who has been solicited for an answer to a question, with a
request or solicitation message that asks the user to answer a
question;
[0009] FIGS. 7 through 12 illustrate various user interfaces, and
portions of user interfaces, for use in methods and systems for
facilitating the solicitation of an answer to a question from a
user of a question-and-answer service, consistent with embodiments
of the invention; and
[0010] FIG. 13 is a block diagram of a machine in the form of a
computer within which a set of instructions, for causing the
machine to perform any one or more of the methodologies discussed
herein, may be stored and executed.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0011] Methods and systems for enabling a user of a
question-and-answer service to directly solicit an answer to a
question from another user are described. In the following
description, for purposes of explanation, numerous specific details
are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the
various aspects of different embodiments of the present invention.
It will be evident, however, to one skilled in the art, that the
present invention may be practiced without these specific
details.
[0012] A question-and-answer application or service provides an
on-line forum where users can post questions, post answers to
questions, or simply search for and review questions and answers
that others have posted. To aid in the overall organization and
presentation of information, a question can be associated with one
or more topics representing, for example, a subject matter to which
the question relates. Take for example the question, "What is the
population of San Francisco?" This question may be assigned to the
topic, "San Francisco." As users post questions for others to
answer, users can designate each question as being related to one
or more existing topics, or users can create and designate new
topics. As such, a question-and-answer application is an
information repository of user-generated content that is organized
and presented in a relatively simple and intuitive manner. An
individual web page showing all questions related to a particular
topic may be referred to as a topic page, whereas a web page
showing an individual question, and any associated answers to the
question, is generally referred to herein as a question page.
[0013] To encourage users to share and exchange information, and to
increase overall participation in a question-and-answer
application, a question-and-answer application may enable users to
share information with one another. For example, the user interface
of a question-and-answer application may include a user interface
element (e.g., a button or link) that, when selected, prompts the
viewing user to provide contact information (e.g., a name, an email
address, a telephone number) of a user with whom the information is
to be shared. Any number of communication mechanisms might be used
to share information in this manner, to include, but certainly not
be limited to: email, instant messaging, SMS or text messaging,
some proprietary messaging system, as well as any other similar
messaging systems. In some instances, the message communicated to
the user will contain a copy of the actual content. In other
instances, the message may simply include a selectable link (e.g.,
a Uniform Resource Identifier (URI) or Uniform Resource Locator
(URL)) to the relevant content. In this manner, a first user may
share with a second user an unanswered question, a question for
which there are one or more existing answers, a particular answer
to a question, or some other related item of information.
[0014] In one particular scenario, a first user may share a
question with a second user whom the first user believes to be
particularly well-suited to provide an answer. Stated differently,
a user may share a question with another user with the expectation
that the receiving user provide an answer to the question. However,
while sharing information in this manner is certainly useful, it
may or may not actually encourage or persuade a user to take a
particular action, such as to provide an answer to a question. For
instance, if a user receives a private and direct message from
another user, such that the message includes a question, or a link
to a question, the recipient may choose to simply ignore the
message and not provide an answer to the question.
[0015] Various aspects of the inventive methods and systems
described herein aim to increase the likelihood that a user, when
requested to answer a particular question, will be encouraged to
actually provide an answer. For example, consistent with some
embodiments of the invention, when a user solicits an answer to a
question from another user, the message communicated to the other
user includes a specific call to action, requesting that the
recipient of the message provide an answer to the question. In some
instances, the message may be formatted to include a copy of the
actual text of the question, a link to the question page for the
question, as well as a user interface element, such as a text input
box, in which the recipient can enter or input his or her answer to
the question. In addition, consistent with some embodiments, when a
first user solicits an answer to a question from a second user, the
solicitation is made public. For example, subsequent to the
solicitation, the question page for the question will include a
notification displayed next to or near the question indicating that
a particular user has been solicited for an answer to the question.
The notification may also include, for example, a name and picture
of the user who has been solicited to answer the question.
Selecting the name and/or picture of the user who has been asked to
answer the question may cause some portion of the user's profile or
biographical information to be displayed. If several users have
solicited a particular user for an answer to the same question, the
notification may indicate the number of times that the particular
user has been solicited to answer the question. In some
embodiments, the notification may also identify the individual user
or users who have solicited the recipient for an answer. This
information may be displayed in connection with the notification,
or as a result of detecting a certain event, such as a mouse-over
event. Other aspects of the inventive subject matter are set forth
below in connection with the description of the various
figures.
[0016] FIG. 1 is a simple relationship diagram illustrating how
some of the various elements and participants of a
question-and-answer application are related to one another in a
particular embodiment of the invention. For instance, as
illustrated in FIG. 1, a user 10 of the question-and-answer
application may follow another user 12, a topic 14, or a question
16. As used herein, the concept of "following" is somewhat
analogous to the concept of subscribing in a subscription-based
model. When a user follows another user, there is no implied
personal relationship between the two end-users. For instance, a
first user may follow a second user simply because the first user
believes the second user is particularly insightful with respect to
a particular topic of interest. By "following" another user, a user
can be automatically informed of activities of the other user. If,
for example, user A is following user B, when user B posts a
question or an answer to a question, user A will be notified of
user B's posting activity. Similarly, if a user elects to follow a
particular topic, as new questions are assigned to the particular
topic, the user can be automatically notified of these new
questions. In yet another example, if a user follows a particular
question, as new answers are posted to the particular question, the
user will be notified of the new answers.
[0017] The concept of "following" may be thought of as a unilateral
relationship, because it can be achieved at the desire of only one
user. This is in contrast to the concept of two users being
"connected" (e.g., in a social networking context), which typically
implies a personal relationship between the users. Two users may be
"connected" when each user is following the other--a bilaterally
defined relationship. In some embodiments of the invention, the
interactions that the users are allowed to have with one another
may be controlled to some extent by the type of relationship that
exists between the users, as that relationship is defined by the
question-and-answer service, or some externally-hosted social
network service. For instance, with some embodiments, a first user
may only solicit an answer to a question from another user if the
first user is following the other user, or if the first user is
being followed by the second user. Similarly, with some
embodiments, the first user may only be allowed to solicit an
answer to a question from another user if the users are
connected--that is, each user is following the other. In yet other
embodiments, users may be able to solicit an answer from one
another regardless of any pre-existing system-defined relationship
between the users.
[0018] In some embodiments of the invention, notifications may be
communicated to a user by simply including the relevant content in
a landing page or data feed displayed to the user. For example,
when a user first provides his or her authentication information
(e.g., username/password), the user may be presented with a
personalized home page or landing page with content that is
customized for the user. This content may be selected to include
information regarding the users, topics and questions that the
particular user is following. Additionally, in some embodiments,
notifications may be communicated in near real-time to a user via
any number of messaging mechanisms, to include real-time dynamic
data feed updates (e.g., on a web page), email, SMS or text
messages, instant messages, and others. In some embodiments, a user
may elect to be notified of certain activities or events on a
per-question, per-topic or per-user basis. For instance, a user may
elect to receive a notification when a new answer is posted to a
particular question that the user is following.
[0019] Referring again to FIG. 1, a topic 14 may have a wiki
summary 18 that provides a summary or some additional description
of what subject matter is encompassed by the particular topic.
Similarly, a question 16 may have a wiki summary 18 that provides
some description or additional context for the question. In some
embodiments, the wiki summary 18 for topics and questions may be
user-editable by all users, while in other embodiments, only
certain users will have the authority to edit a wiki summary. For
instance, in some embodiments, only the person who posted a
particular question may be authorized to edit the wiki summary for
that particular question. In some embodiments, users may be
assigned roles that determine various content or access privileges
the users have with respect to different topics or questions. For
instance, certain users may be assigned an "editor" role for a
particular topic, thereby providing those users with editing
privileges that are different from those of a regular user.
[0020] In addition to a wiki summary 18, a question 16 is
associated with one or more answers 20. For instance, after a user
posts a question, other users of the application are able to
provide answers to the question. In some embodiments of the
invention, any user is allowed to post an answer to a particular
question. As such, a question may be associated with or have
multiple answers. In some embodiments, both questions 16 and
answers 20 may have comments. For instance, a user may provide a
textual comment that is associated with a question 16 or an answer
20. A comment associated with an answer, for example, could provide
some clarification about a particular answer, or some aspect of the
answer. Other users can then view the comments when viewing the
question and/or answers.
[0021] In some embodiments of the invention, an answer 20 has or is
associated with votes 24. For example, users can vote up or vote
down a particular answer based on whether the user finds the answer
helpful in view of the particular question. For instance, if a user
believes that a particular answer to a question is a good answer,
the user can select a button or other graphical user interface
element to vote for the answer. Similarly, if a user believes that
a particular answer is not helpful in light of the question, the
user can vote down the answer, for example, by simply selecting a
button or other graphical user interface element to indicate that
the answer is not helpful. As described in greater detail below,
with some embodiments, when a first user solicits an answer to a
question from a second user, and the second user provides an
answer, the first user's solicitation may be automatically
converted to a vote for the answer provided by the second user. In
some embodiments, the number of votes for and against an answer are
used as inputs to an algorithm that determines how answers are to
be displayed when presented to a user. For example, the votes for
and against an answer may simply be tallied, such that a vote for
the answer offsets a vote against the answer, and the answers with
the highest vote tallies are displayed in the most prominent
positions--typically, at the top of a list of relevant answers.
With some embodiments, a vote by a particular user may be deemed as
more important, for example, as based on the particular user's
profile information, and as such, the particular user's vote may be
given more weight than a vote by other users.
[0022] By providing a forum that includes questions, answers,
comments and votes, the question-and-answer application encourages
meaningful discussion about a whole host of subject matters, in
part, by enabling users to interact with the application in a
variety of ways. For instance, some users may desire an entirely
passive experience, and can therefore simply browse for, and read,
questions and answers on topics of interest. Some users may desire
an experience including a moderate level of participation, and as
such, these users can vote up or down various answers on topics of
interest, and possibly provide commentary. Others may desire to
participate more actively, and will elect to post questions and
answers to questions--particularly when specifically called upon to
do so by another user.
[0023] FIG. 2 is a system-level block diagram illustrating some of
the system components and functional modules used in implementing a
question-and-answer application or service consistent with an
embodiment of the invention. As illustrated in FIG. 2, in some
embodiments, a question-and-answer application is implemented as a
web-based application having application logic 30 residing at one
or more processor-based computer servers 32. At least some of the
servers 32 include a web server component 34 for serving data
(e.g., documents or web pages) to a conventional web browser
application 36 residing and executing at a client computer 38. In
addition, or as an alternative, the web server 34 may utilize one
or more web-based protocols to serve content to non-web browser
clients, such as a web-based mobile application residing and
executing on a mobile device, a set top box, or some other
computing device.
[0024] As illustrated in FIG. 2, a client computer 38 executes a
web browser application 36 to access the web-based
question-and-answer application. In various alternative
embodiments, the client computer 38 may be a mobile computing
device, to include: a laptop, mobile phone or tablet computer. As
such, in some embodiments, the application may have a user
interface that is customized for display in a browser, or mobile
application, of a mobile device. Furthermore, with some
embodiments, the client-based application may not be browser-based,
but instead may be customized to suit the particular operating
system of the device on which it is executing. For instance, a
customized application may utilize one or more application
programming interfaces that are unique to the particular device and
operating system on which the customized application resides and
executes.
[0025] The question-and-answer application logic 30 is shown in
FIG. 2 to include content posting logic 44, ask-to-answer logic 46,
and messaging and notification logic 48. In general, the content
posting logic 44 enables users to post questions, answers and
comments, and other content items. The ask-to-answer logic 46
facilitates a feature referred to herein as an ask-to-answer
feature. Accordingly, the ask-to-answer logic 46 enables various
functionality associated with enabling a first user to solicit
another user for an answer to a question that has already been
posted. The messaging and notification logic 48 operates in
conjunction with the content posting logic 44 and the ask-to-answer
logic 46 to facilitate the generation and communication of messages
and notifications, for example, such as those that may pertain to
the solicitation of an answer to a question. Of course, the
application logic 30 may include a number of other logical
components to perform a variety of other tasks and functions beyond
the immediate scope of the present inventive subject matter. As
such, to avoid obscuring the inventive subject matter in
unnecessary detail, these various functional components have not
been included in FIG. 2.
[0026] In some embodiments, some of the various functional
components of the question-and-answer application, including some
of the various software modules, may be distributed across several
server computers, providing application reliability and
scalability. For instance, as illustrated in FIG. 2, the database
management server 40 is shown to reside on a separate server
computer. However, in other embodiments the database management
server 40 might reside and execute at the same server as the
application logic 30 and web server 34. In any case, the database
management server 40 facilitates the writing and reading of data
stored in tables of a database 42. In some alternative embodiments,
other data structures may be utilized in addition to, or in place
of, database tables.
[0027] Consistent with some embodiments, the question-and-answer
service is a stand-alone service accessible via its own unique
address (e.g., URL or URI). With some embodiments, the stand-alone
service may leverage its own social layer, or a social layer
provided by an externally-hosted social network service.
Accordingly, various relationships between users, as determined or
defined by the question-and-answer service or an externally-hosted
social network service, may be utilized to customize the
functionality and features of the question-and-answer service. For
example, certain interactions between users may be controlled based
on the relationships that exist between the users, as those
relationships are defined by an externally-hosted social network
service. Alternatively, with some embodiments, the
question-and-answer service may be one of several applications or
services that are associated with, and provided by, a social
network service. For instance, the question-and-answer service may
be accessible via the same address or domain by which users access
a social network service, such that the question-and-answer service
is hosted by the same entity providing the social network
service.
[0028] FIG. 3 is a flow diagram representing a method for
facilitating and enabling a user of a question-and-answer
application to solicit an answer to a question from another user,
consistent with some embodiments of the invention. As illustrated
in FIG. 3, the method begins at method operation 50 when a
question-and-answer service presents to a user a question page for
a question. For purposes of this example, the user to whom the
question page is presented is shown in FIG. 3 as "USER A". The
question page displays a question that a user has posted, and in
addition, the question page displays a user interface element, such
as a link, a button, a text input box, a selector, or some other
graphical element, with which a user can interact (e.g., by
selecting, or entering input). In general, this user interface
element enables the user (e.g., USER A) to solicit an answer to the
question from another user. An example of a question page
consistent with an embodiment of the invention is illustrated in
FIG. 7, which shows a user interface element in the form of a
textual link, with the label "ASK TO ANSWER" 126.
[0029] Referring again to FIG. 3, at method operation 52, the
question-and-answer service detects an event or interaction with
the user interface element (e.g., element 126 in FIG. 7), by a user
(e.g., USER A). For example, in some embodiments, when a user
selects the button or link on the question page that enables the
user to solicit an answer to a question from another user, the
selection is detected by the question-and-answer service when a
request is communicated from the client application (e.g., a web
browser application) to the server on which the question-and-answer
service resides, enabling the server to respond by manipulating the
user interface displayed at the client application. When the
selection of the user interface element is detected, at method
operation 54 the question-and-answer service prompts the user to
provide some user-input identifying another user to whom the
question is to be directed. For example, in some embodiments, a
text box or some other user interface mechanism for receiving input
is displayed. This is illustrated in, and described in connection
with, FIGS. 8 and 9, which show an example of a user interface that
enables the receiving of user-input (e.g., user interface elements
130 and 132), consistent with an embodiment of the invention.
[0030] After receiving the user-input or user-selection identifying
the user to whom the question is to be directed (e.g., USER B in
FIG. 3), at method operation 56 a determination is made as to
whether the user to whom the question is to be directed has
previously passed on providing an answer to the question. For
instance, if the user to whom the question is being directed has
previously been asked to answer the question, and has previously
indicated a desire to pass on answering the question, then at
method operation 58, the user who is soliciting the answer (e.g.,
USER A) receives a message indicating that the user to whom the
question has been directed has indicated a desire to pass on
answering the question.
[0031] However, if the user to whom the question is being directed
has not previously indicated a desire to pass on answering the
question, at method operation 60 the user to whom the question is
being directed (e.g., USER B) is sent a message that specifically
indicates that the requesting user (e.g., USER A) would like the
user (e.g., USER B) to provide an answer to the particular
question. The content of the message and the means by which it is
communicated may vary depending upon the particular implementation.
For instance, with some embodiments, the message may be
communicated via a proprietary notification mechanism, such that a
notification message is shown on a web page displayed to the user
(e.g., USER B). Two examples of such messages are shown, and
further described in connection with, FIGS. 11-A and 11-B. In some
embodiments, a user may be allowed to specify that the request
message soliciting the answer is to be communicated anonymously,
such that the identity of the person who is requesting the answer
to the question remains private.
[0032] With some embodiments, a user can direct a question to any
user of the question-and-answer service, and as such, a list of
users will be automatically populated with names selected from the
entire community of users, so long as those names match the
user-input. In some alternative embodiments, a user may be limited
in directing a question only to some subset of the entire user
community, such as those users with whom the user has established a
unilateral relationship (e.g., by "following" another user), or a
bilateral relationship (e.g., where each user follows the other).
In such a scenario, the list of names dynamically updated for
selection would include only those names satisfying the
system-defined criteria. In some embodiments, a user can enter
contact information for a person who is not currently a user of the
question-and-answer service. For example, by entering an e-mail
address, telephone number, or some other contact information, an
appropriate message may be communicated to the person with a
request to provide an answer to a question. The recipient of a
solicitation message may be prompted to provide his or her name to
be displayed with his or her answer, or alternatively, the
recipient may be prompted to register as a user of the
question-and-answer service as part of the process of providing the
answer.
[0033] At method operation 62, subsequent to communicating a
request to answer a question to a user (e.g., USER B), the total
number of requests to answer the question that have been received
by the user is computed. For instance, the sum of all ask-to-answer
requests that have been directed to a particular user for a
particular question is computed so that it can be displayed in a
notification on the question page for the question. An example of
such a notification is shown in FIG. 10, with reference number
134.
[0034] FIG. 4 is a flow diagram representing a method, consistent
with some embodiments of the invention, for facilitating and
enabling a user of a question-and-answer application to solicit an
answer to a question from another user, when the other user has
already been solicited for an answer to the question. In some
instances, a particular user may have been asked by one or more
other users to answer a particular question. Accordingly, the
question page for the question will include one or more
notifications that identify any users who have been solicited for
an answer to the question, as well as the number of times each user
has been solicited for an answer. Consistent with some embodiments,
a user may interact with this notification (e.g., by selecting the
notification, or some portion of the notification) to very quickly
solicit an answer from a user who has already been solicited for an
answer. An example of such a notification is illustrated in FIG.
10, with reference number 134.
[0035] The method begins at method operation 70 when a user (in
this example, USER C) requests a question page for a question for
which at least one user has already been solicited for an answer
from another user (e.g., USER B). For instance, continuing with the
example shown in FIG. 3, when method operation 70 occurs, one can
presume that USER A has already solicited USER B for an answer to
the question on the question page requested by USER C. At method
operation 72, the requested question page is presented to the
requesting user (e.g., USER C). Because USER A has already
solicited USER B for an answer to the question displayed on the
question page, a notification will be included on the question page
showing, for example, a picture and name of the user who has been
solicited for an answer, as well as a number indicating the number
of times that the particular user has been solicited for an answer.
In addition, a user interface element may be displayed in
connection with the notification, such that selection of the user
interface element by USER C will automatically generate an
additional request or solicitation, on behalf of USER C, directed
to USER B and requesting that USER B provide an answer to the
question. In the example notification 134 illustrated in FIG. 10,
this additional user interface element is a check mark.
Accordingly, at method operation 74, the question-and-answer
service detects that a user (e.g., USER C) has selected the user
interface element displayed in connection with the notification. In
response, at method operation 76, the question-and-answer service
computes or otherwise determines a tally of the number of users who
have requested that the particular user associated with the
displayed notification has been solicited for an answer to the
question. Finally, at method operation 78, the notification
displayed on the question page is updated to reflect the total
number of times that the particular user associated with the
notification has been solicited for an answer to the question.
[0036] Consistent with some embodiments, each individual
solicitation for an answer to a question is converted to a vote for
the answer that is provided by the person who has been solicited
for the answer. For instance, consider again the example presented
in FIGS. 3 and 4, in which each of USER A and USER C has solicited
USER B for an answer to a question. When USER B provides an answer
to the question, USER A's solicitation is automatically converted
to a vote for the answer. Similarly, USER C's solicitation is also
converted to a vote for the answer. In some embodiments, the number
of votes that an answer receives may affect the order in which the
answer is displayed relative to other answers. For instance, the
answer with the most votes may be displayed in the most prominent
position (e.g., at or near the top) of the list of answers. In
addition, with some embodiments, when an answer is presented on a
question page, the names of the users who solicited the provider of
the answer to provide the answer may be presented in connection
with the answer. Accordingly, if a particular answer gains
notoriety for some reason, each person who solicited the answer may
be recognized by the user community as well.
[0037] FIG. 5 is a flow diagram representing a method for
processing a user's solicitation for an answer to a question, and
the reply provided by the user who has been solicited, consistent
with an embodiment of the invention. At method operation 80, the
question-and-answer service presents a message to a particular user
who has been solicited to provide an answer to a question, such
that the message includes a copy of the text of the question, and
identifies the user or users who are requesting that the user
provide an answer. The format and communication mechanism of the
message may vary depending upon the particular implementation. Two
example solicitation messages are shown in FIGS. 11-A and 11-B. For
example, with some embodiments, the message to the user (e.g., USER
B) indicating that the user has been asked to provide an answer may
first appear as a notification on a web page displayed to the user.
This notification, for example, may notify the user that he or she
has received an email, or other message, from another user
requesting an answer to the question. By selecting a user interface
element (e.g., button or link) corresponding with the notification,
the user will be directed to an email inbox and presented with a
user interface including a text input box where the user can enter
an answer. Alternatively, the user may select a link to the
question page, where a text input box will be presented to the
user, enabling the user to enter an answer to the question. Of
course, alternative messaging mechanisms and message formats may be
used to communicate the message to the user.
[0038] Next, at method operation 82, the question-and answer
service receives text representing an answer to the question from
the solicited user (e.g., USER B). The text may be received, for
example, through the submission of a web-based form displayed to
the user via an e-mail or web page. Finally, in some embodiments,
at method operation 84, each solicitation for an answer to the
question received by the user (e.g., USER B) is converted to a vote
for the answer provided by the user. This final method operation 84
is an optional operation and may not be performed in all
embodiments.
[0039] FIG. 6 is a flow diagram representing a method, consistent
with some embodiments of the invention for processing a user's
solicitation for an answer, when the user decides not to answer the
question. The method begins at method operation 86 when the
question-and-answer service presents a message to a user who has
been solicited to provide an answer to a question. The message
includes a copy of the text of the question, or a link to the
question page for the question. The user is then prompted to either
provide an answer by entering text in a text input box, or indicate
a desire to pass on answering the question, for example, by
selecting a user interface element, such as a button or link.
Accordingly, at method operation 88, the question-and-answer
service detects selection of a user interface element that
indicates the user has opted to pass on answering the question.
With some embodiments, the user is offered the opportunity to
provide an explanation as to why the user is passing on answering
the question, for example, by providing explanatory text at a text
input box, such as that illustrated in FIG. 12. Finally, at method
operation 90, the question-and-answer service communicates a
message to each user who had requested that the user provide an
answer to the question. In some instances, when a user asks another
user to answer a question after the solicited user has already
passed on answering the question, the explanation as to why the
solicited user has passed on answering the question will
automatically be presented to the requesting user
[0040] FIG. 7 is a user interface diagram illustrating an example
of a user interface for use with a question-and-answer application
consistent with an embodiment of the invention. The example user
interface shown in FIG. 7 is provided to convey an understanding of
the inventive concepts described herein, and a particular context
in which the inventive subject matter might be implemented. It will
be readily appreciated by skilled artisans that the user interfaces
illustrated herein are examples and that user interfaces differing
from those illustrated herein may be applicable to the inventive
concepts described herein.
[0041] As illustrated in FIG. 7, a header or banner section 100 is
shown to include a text input box 102 where a user can enter a
question, or alternatively, enter one or more keywords to be used
in a search for a question, topic, user, or other item of content.
Under the header section 100 is a portion of the user interface
showing a question 104, and several topics 106 to which the
question is currently assigned. For instance, in this example, the
question is: "What are the most popular rides at Disneyland?" The
topics 106 to which the question has been assigned include:
"Amusement Parks" and "Disneyland." Next to the topics is an "ADD
TOPIC" link or button 108 enabling a user to add a new topic to be
associated with the question. In addition, a separate button or
link 110, shown in FIG. 7 with text "ADD QUESTION DETAILS" provides
the user with the ability to enter additional details about the
question. Separate buttons or links exist for other user
functionality, such as adding comments about the question, adding a
follow-up question and flagging the question, for example, as being
inappropriate.
[0042] In this example user interface, beneath the question 104 are
two answers 112 and 114 provided by two different users. Associated
with each answer is a name of the user who posted the answer, along
with an indication of the number of people following that user. For
example, the first answer 112 was posted by the user, John Smith,
followed by one-hundred-twelve (112) users, while the second answer
114 was posted by Kate Johansen with no followers. Beneath each
respective answer are buttons or links that enable a user to add a
comment about an answer, or indicate that an answer was helpful or
not helpful. In addition, to the left of each answer are two arrows
for use in voting. For example, the arrow buttons (up and down) for
the answer posted by John Smith are shown with reference number
116. The votes for and against an answer may be used in an
algorithm that determines the order in which answers to a
particular question are presented.
[0043] At the bottom of the example user interface in FIG. 7, there
is a text input box 118 providing a user with the ability to submit
a new answer to the question 104. For example, a user can type an
answer in the text input box 118 and then hit the "SUBMIT ANSWER"
button 120 to post the answer to the question-and-answer service.
To make an answer anonymous, such that the posting user's name will
not be displayed next to the answer, an anonymous button or link
(e.g., labeled as "make anonymous" in FIG. 7) is provided.
[0044] In the right side of the user interface, there is a "FOLLOW
QUESTION" button 122 that enables a user to subscribe to, or
follow, the question. By following the question, the user will be
notified when others post new answers to the question. Beneath the
"FOLLOW QUESTION" button 122 are several questions determined to be
related to the question 104 on the current question page. Selecting
one of these questions will lead the user to the question page for
the selected question.
[0045] In addition, to the right side of the example user interface
shown in FIG. 7 are two user interface elements (e.g., buttons or
links) labeled, "SHARE QUESTION" 124 and "ASK TO ANSWER" 126. The
"SHARE QUESTION" button 124 enables a user to post the question, or
otherwise direct the question, to other users, for example, via one
or more social networking services, a proprietary email system
facilitated via the question-and-answer service, or an externally
hosted email system. Other sharing mechanisms may be possible as
well. In general, sharing a question differs from what is referred
to herein as the "ask-to-answer" feature in that there is no
explicit call to action when simply sharing a question.
[0046] Next to the "SHARE QUESTION" button 124 is an "ASK TO
ANSWER" button 126. The "ASK TO ANSWER" button 126 enables a user
to solicit another user for an answer to the question. For
instance, as described in connection with the method illustrated in
FIG. 3, when the question-and-answer service detects that a user
has selected the "ASK TO ANSWER" button 126, a user interface
element, such as a text input box, is displayed, allowing the user
to enter the name of a user to whom the question is to be directed.
An example of this (e.g., the text input box) is illustrated in
FIG. 8 with reference number 130.
[0047] Referring now to FIG. 9, as a user enters a name in the text
input box 130, a list of users 132 is automatically populated in
real-time, responsive to the input entered by the user, with names
matching the input provided by the user, allowing the user to
select from the list a name of a user to whom the question is to be
directed. In some embodiments, the list 132 may be populated with
names selected from the entire user community. However, in
alternative embodiments, the names may be selected to include only
those persons with whom the user has some pre-defined relationship,
for example, via a social networking service and/or the
question-and-answer service. The matching algorithm used to match
the user-input with user's names may analyze and match first names,
last names, or other portions of a user's name. For instance, if a
user enters the text, "drew", the name "Andrew" may be displayed as
a potential match.
[0048] In some embodiments, the question-and-answer service will
automatically select the list of user's names to be included in the
drop-down list 132 based on the user-provided input, and will then
rank or order the names based on a variety of factors, such that
the names of those users who are most likely to provide a
meaningful answer to the question are shown first (e.g., at the
top) in the list. For example, the names in the list 132 may be
ranked, and then ordered, based on whether a user has a
relationship with the requesting or soliciting user, such that
those users with whom the requesting user has a relationship are
shown in a more prominent position in the list. In some
embodiments, those users who have previously answered questions on
a topic to which the question being shared is assigned will be
shown more prominently in the list. In some embodiments, users who
have been recognized as experts on a topic, either through user
endorsements or by some other means of recognition, are given
greater weight in the ranking algorithm, and are therefore shown
more prominently in the list. In some embodiments, users who are
currently online--for instance, participating in an active user
session with the question-and-answer service--are given greater
weight in the ranking algorithm and are therefore shown more
prominently in the list. These, and a variety of other factors, may
be utilized when presenting a list of names for selection by the
soliciting user.
[0049] Once a user identifies the name of a user to whom a question
is to be directed, the user simply selects the name from the list
and the question-and-answer service automatically communicates a
message to the selected user, such that the message requests that
the selected user provide an answer to the question. In addition,
the question-and-answer service stores information associated with
the solicitation so that such information can be displayed on the
question page for the question in response to subsequent requests
for the question page. This information may include, for example,
the name of the user that has requested an answer to the question,
the name of the user who has been requested to answer the question,
the number of users who have requested that a particular user
answer the question, and so forth.
[0050] In some embodiments, the question-and-service may analyze a
variety of factors to recommend or suggest to a particular user the
names of other users who may be well-suited to answer a particular
question, or highly likely to provide an answer, if asked to
provide an answer. For instance, such factors may include any one
or more of the following, in various combinations: the relationship
that exists between the users, the number of questions on a
particular topic that a user has previously answered, the net
number of positive votes that user's answers have received for a
certain topic, a high correlation between the topics assigned to a
question and the topics being followed by a user, and the
designation or recognition of a user as a knowledge expert on a
given topic. With some embodiments, the suggested users from whom a
particular user might solicit an answer are displayed by default on
the question page. Alternatively, the question page may include a
user interface element (e.g., button or link), which, when
selected, generates an additional user interface that presents the
suggested users from whom the particular user might solicit an
answer to a question. With some embodiments, when displaying the
list of suggested users who might be solicited for an answer to a
question, a topic-specific biographical statement pertaining to
each suggested user may be presented along with the suggested
user's name, to provide the viewing user with some additional
information for use in assessing whether or not to direct a
question to the user.
[0051] FIG. 10 illustrates an example user interface, consistent
with some embodiments of the invention, for a question page of a
question-and-answer service, where the question page includes a
notification indicating that a user has been solicited for an
answer to the question on the question page. For example, in the
example question page of FIG. 10, there are two user interface
elements, with reference numbers 134 and 136, which represent
notifications that indicate a user has been asked, via the
ask-to-answer feature, to provide an answer to the question on the
question page. In some embodiments, each notification may be
customized to show a picture of the person that has been asked to
answer the question. In addition, the notification may display a
number (e.g., number "3" in notification 134) that represents the
number of people who have asked that particular user to answer the
question. With some embodiments, each notification may also include
or be associated with another user interface element, such as the
check mark in the notification with reference number 134, which
enables a user to very quickly request that the user provide an
answer to a question. For instance, in the example of FIG. 10, by
selecting the check mark shown with the notification 134, an
additional request will be directed to the person represented by
the notification 134 who has already been asked to answer the
question by three other users. With some embodiments, if the user
to whom the question page has been presented has been asked to
answer the question, the notification may include or be associated
with another user interface element, such as the "X" in the
notification with reference 136, which enables the viewing user to
pass on answering the question. For instance, if a user selects the
"X" in the notification with reference 136, the user will be
presented with a text input box and prompted to, optionally,
provide a reason why the user is choosing not to answer the
question. For instance, if a user selects the "X" in the
notification with reference 136, the user may be presented with a
user interface similar to that shown in FIG. 12. When the solicited
user provides an explanation in the text input box 138 (of FIG.
12), and then selects the "PASS" button with reference number 140,
a message including the user-provided explanation will be
communicated to all requesting users who had requested that the
user provide an answer to the question.
[0052] Although not illustrated in FIG. 10, consistent with some
embodiments, one or more additional notifications may be displayed
in connection with the notifications with reference numbers 134 and
136 to identify the users who have requested that the solicited
user provide an answer to the question. In some instances, this
information may be visible when a user manipulates the cursor or
tracking device (e.g., mouse pointer) to hover over one of the
notifications 134 or 136 (generally referred to as a mouse-over
event.) For instance, when a mouse-over event is detected,
additional information about the solicitations may be displayed, to
include the names and or pictures of the users who have requested
the solicited user to provide an answer.
[0053] FIGS. 11-A and 11-B represent portions of a user interface
included in a message to a user who has been solicited by another
user for an answer to a question. For example, the example shown in
FIG. 11-A may be displayed as a notification on a web page. By
selecting the question, the user is redirected to the question page
for the question where the user can then provide an answer to the
question. In some instances, such as that illustrated in FIG. 11-B,
the message communicated to the solicited user will include a text
input box allowing the user to provide an answer to the question
without requiring the user to navigate to the actual question page
for the question. Such a message may be communicated to a user via
email, enabling the recipient to quickly provide an answer without
navigating directly to the question-and-answer service.
[0054] Skilled artisans will recognize that the methods and user
interfaces presented herein are presented as specific examples of
how the inventive concepts may be implemented. However, methods and
user interfaces that differ from the specific examples presented
herein may be consistent with the general scope and spirit of the
inventive concepts. Particularly, the order in which certain method
operations occur may vary from the examples presented herein
without departing from the scope and spirit of the inventive
concepts. Similarly, a wide variety of user interface elements
different from those presented herein may be used to implement the
inventive concepts described herein.
[0055] The various operations of example methods described herein
may be performed, at least partially, by one or more processors
that are temporarily configured (e.g., by software) or permanently
configured to perform the relevant operations. Whether temporarily
or permanently configured, such processors may constitute
processor-implemented modules that operate to perform one or more
operations or functions. The modules or logical components referred
to herein may, in some example embodiments, comprise
processor-implemented modules or logic.
[0056] Similarly, the methods described herein may be at least
partially processor-implemented. For example, at least some of the
operations of a method may be performed by one or more processors
or processor-implemented modules. The performance of certain of the
operations may be distributed among the one or more processors, not
only residing within a single machine, but deployed across a number
of machines. In some example embodiments, the processor or
processors may be located in a single location (e.g., within a home
environment, an office environment or as a server farm), while in
other embodiments the processors may be distributed across a number
of locations.
[0057] The one or more processors may also operate to support
performance of the relevant operations in a "cloud computing"
environment or as a "software as a service" (SaaS). For example, at
least some of the operations may be performed by a group of
computers (as examples of machines including processors), these
operations being accessible via a network (e.g., the Internet) and
via one or more appropriate interfaces (e.g., Application Program
Interfaces (APIs).)
[0058] FIG. 13 is a block diagram of a machine in the form of a
computer within which a set of instructions, for causing the
machine to perform any one or more of the methodologies discussed
herein, may be executed. In alternative embodiments, the machine
operates as a standalone device or may be connected (e.g.,
networked) to other machines. In a networked deployment, the
machine may operate in the capacity of a server or a client machine
in server-client network environments, or as a peer machine in
peer-to-peer (or distributed) network environments. The machine may
be a personal computer (PC), a tablet PC, a set-top box (STB), a
Personal Digital Assistant (PDA), a mobile telephone, a web
appliance, a network router, switch or bridge, or any machine
capable of executing instructions (sequential or otherwise) that
specify actions to be taken by that machine. Further, while only a
single machine is illustrated, the term "machine" shall also be
taken to include any collection of machines that individually or
jointly execute a set (or multiple sets) of instructions to perform
any one or more of the methodologies discussed herein.
[0059] The example computer system 1500 includes a processor 1502
(e.g., a central processing unit (CPU), a graphics processing unit
(GPU) or both), a main memory 1501 and a static memory 1506, which
communicate with each other via a bus 1508. The computer system
1500 may further include a display unit 1510, an alphanumeric input
device 1517 (e.g., a keyboard), and a user interface (UI)
navigation device 1511 (e.g., a mouse). In one embodiment, the
display, input device and cursor control device are a touch screen
display. The computer system 1500 may additionally include a
storage device (e.g., drive unit 1516), a signal generation device
1518 (e.g., a speaker), a network interface device 1520, and one or
more sensors 1521, such as a global positioning system sensor,
compass, accelerometer, or other sensor.
[0060] The drive unit 1516 includes a machine-readable medium 1522
on which is stored one or more sets of instructions and data
structures (e.g., software 1523) embodying or utilized by any one
or more of the methodologies or functions described herein. The
software 1523 may also reside, completely or at least partially,
within the main memory 1501 and/or within the processor 1502 during
execution thereof by the computer system 1500, the main memory 1501
and the processor 1502 also constituting machine-readable
media.
[0061] While the machine-readable medium 1522 is illustrated in an
example embodiment to be a single medium, the term
"machine-readable medium" may include a single medium or multiple
media (e.g., a centralized or distributed database, and/or
associated caches and servers) that store the one or more
instructions. The term "machine-readable medium" shall also be
taken to include any tangible medium that is capable of storing,
encoding or carrying instructions for execution by the machine and
that cause the machine to perform any one or more of the
methodologies of the present invention, or that is capable of
storing, encoding or carrying data structures utilized by or
associated with such instructions. The term "machine-readable
medium" shall accordingly be taken to include, but not be limited
to, solid-state memories, and optical and magnetic media. Specific
examples of machine-readable media include non-volatile memory,
including by way of example semiconductor memory devices, e.g.,
EPROM, EEPROM, and flash memory devices; magnetic disks such as
internal hard disks and removable disks; magneto-optical disks; and
CD-ROM and DVD-ROM disks.
[0062] The software 1523 may further be transmitted or received
over a communications network 1526 using a transmission medium via
the network interface device 1520 utilizing any one of a number of
well-known transfer protocols (e.g., HTTP). Examples of
communication networks include a local area network ("LAN"), a wide
area network ("WAN"), the Internet, mobile telephone networks,
Plain Old Telephone (POTS) networks, and wireless data networks
(e.g., Wi-Fi.RTM. and WiMax.RTM. networks). The term "transmission
medium" shall be taken to include any intangible medium that is
capable of storing, encoding or carrying instructions for execution
by the machine, and includes digital or analog communications
signals or other intangible medium to facilitate communication of
such software.
[0063] Although an embodiment has been described with reference to
specific example embodiments, it will be evident that various
modifications and changes may be made to these embodiments without
departing from the broader spirit and scope of the invention.
Accordingly, the specification and drawings are to be regarded in
an illustrative rather than a restrictive sense. The accompanying
drawings that form a part hereof, show by way of illustration, and
not of limitation, specific embodiments in which the subject matter
may be practiced. The embodiments illustrated are described in
sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to practice
the teachings disclosed herein. Other embodiments may be utilized
and derived therefrom, such that structural and logical
substitutions and changes may be made without departing from the
scope of this disclosure. This Detailed Description, therefore, is
not to be taken in a limiting sense, and the scope of various
embodiments is defined only by the appended claims, along with the
full range of equivalents to which such claims are entitled.
* * * * *