Invention Grant
- Patent Title: Self-policing, rate limiting online forums
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Application No.: US10876603Application Date: 2004-06-28
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Publication No.: US07613779B2Publication Date: 2009-11-03
- Inventor: Harry W. Morris , Eric Bosco , David Lowell Lippke , Colin Anthony Steele
- Applicant: Harry W. Morris , Eric Bosco , David Lowell Lippke , Colin Anthony Steele
- Applicant Address: US VA Dulles
- Assignee: AOL LLC
- Current Assignee: AOL LLC
- Current Assignee Address: US VA Dulles
- Agency: Fish & Richardson P.C.
- Main IPC: G06F13/00
- IPC: G06F13/00

Abstract:
A method and means for self-policing and automatically rate-limiting multiple-user online forums. The preferred embodiment of the invention includes a set of rules that permit users to censure other users. A censured user has one or more “privileges” (which may include access to the online computer system or the effective message rate of a communications connection) taken away or diminished; the privilege is gradually restored if the censured user behaves. The censuring participant and other pertinent participants are notified of the effect of the censuring on the censured user. In another aspect of the invention, the online computer system automatically tracks the rate at which a user sends certain types of messages, and can message rate limit a user who uses too many system resources by sending a large number of messages in rapid succession.
Public/Granted literature
- US20040236832A1 Self-policing, rate limiting online forums Public/Granted day:2004-11-25
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