Selective Notification System for Family Tree Data Privacy
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current systems fail to effectively inform users of modifications made by others to shared records or family tree research, leading to information overload and privacy concerns, especially in large datasets where users may not be interested in all updates or wish to keep their modifications private.
Innovation Solution
A method and system that allow users to access a database of records, identify and link accounts to specific record pages, and notify users of relevant changes while maintaining privacy settings, enabling users to manage and update their own family tree representations dynamically.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If the system notifies users of all modifications made by other users to shared records, then users are kept informed of all changes, but users experience information overload and may find it difficult to recognize potentially interesting information
Solution Approach 1:
The notification system segments modifications into different types (e.g., profile changes, relationship changes, document uploads) and allows users to selectively subscribe to specific types of notifications that are relevant to their interests, rather than receiving all modifications uniformly
Solution Approach 2:
The system applies different notification characteristics to different modifications based on their nature and the user's profile, such as prioritizing notifications about closely related users or important record types while deprioritizing or suppressing notifications about less relevant changes
2Reliability
If the system tracks all modifications made by users to shared records, then complete modification history is maintained, but the system becomes overburdened and difficult to manage
Solution Approach 1:
The system extracts and stores only the essential modification information (user ID, record ID, modification type, timestamp) rather than tracking complete modification details, reducing the data burden while maintaining sufficient tracking capability
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements partial tracking by monitoring only modifications to records that users have explicitly indicated interest in or that are directly related to their profiles, rather than tracking all modifications across the entire system
3Adaptability or versatility
If users' account information and modifications are made public, then transparency and collaboration are enhanced, but users' privacy concerns are violated
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements dynamic privacy settings that allow users to adjust their visibility preferences at any time, with different levels of public access (e.g., public profile, private modifications, selective sharing with specific users or groups)
Solution Approach 2:
The system introduces an intermediary notification mechanism that allows users to control what information is shared publicly versus what remains private, acting as a mediator between the user's privacy needs and the system's collaboration goals
4Loss of information
If the system sends too much information about modifications to users, then users are thoroughly informed, but the system becomes overburdened and user experience deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements periodic or batched notification delivery rather than immediate notifications for every modification, consolidating multiple modifications into single notification events when possible and allowing users to check for updates at their convenience
Data Source
AI summary
Embodiments relate to methods and systems for building representations of related subjects. The representations may include a plurality of nodes, each being associated with a subject. Users may be able to access records and/or source documents related to a plurality of subjects and add or modify node characteristics based thereon. Users may be able to perform an interaction and/or modification related to a record page. Other users (e.g., users connected to the record page) may be notified of such interaction and/or modification.