Discussion-topic, social network systems

摘要

Apparatus and methods for social media networking using devices configured to communicate in a data communications network where exchanged information is organized according to discussion topics. Users may exchange content with selected members of discussion-topic groups. Initiating comments and replies may be posted to a discussion topic for review by participants. Sub-discussion topics may be defined for discussion topics. A user may further flexibly define active tag and associated arguments for the active tags as a relational or linking structure for a discussion topic. Conventional email messages may be converted and ported into the discussion-topic system.

主权项

1. A discussion-topic server configured to manage communications and content sharing between a first device and at least one second device, wherein the discussion-topic server is configured to communicate over a data communications network with the first device and the at least one second device, the discussion-topic server comprising:
at least one network interface connected to the data communications network and configured to receive and transmit data; and at least one processor adapted with machine-readable instructions that configure the discussion-topic server to:
receive, from the first device, a conventional email chain message;receive, from the first device, naming data for identifying the conventional email chain message, wherein the naming data was entered by a user to name a discussion topic for the email chain message;create a discussion-topic data structure associated with the named discussion topic;parse email messages within the email chain as separate comment data;store the separate comment data in association with the discussion-topic data structure;identify at least one addressee in the email chain, in addition to the first device, as a respective participant in the named discussion topic that is permitted access to the discussion-topic data structure; andresponsive to receiving a request from the respective participant for content associated with the discussion topic, transmit first visual feed data comprising the separate comment data to the respective participant for displaying on a display a discussion-topic page identified by the named discussion topic and comprising a listing of at least a portion of the separate comment data associated with the named discussion topic.