Message Revocation via Forwarding Records
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing electronic messaging systems lack the ability for authors to fully revoke messages that have been forwarded, as they cannot track or control messages beyond the original group, leading to the propagation of undesirable content.
Innovation Solution
A system and method that stores records of forwarded messages with links to the original message, allowing the author or administrator to revoke the original message and all its forwards by identifying and deleting them from the data store.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a message author can delete or revoke a message from the original group, then the ability to control message content is improved, but the ability to track and revoke forwarded messages to other users is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary action by storing forwarding information in the data store when a message is forwarded. This preliminary recording enables the author to later track and revoke the message across all forwarding chains, resolving the contradiction between local control and global tracking.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements feedback by notifying the message author when a forwarded message is revoked. This feedback mechanism ensures the author is informed of the revocation status across all message chains, enabling complete control while maintaining awareness of message propagation.
2Speed
If a message author is required to revoke messages within a predetermined time period, then the speed of message revocation is improved, but the ability to revoke messages sent to unknown users is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The system stores forwarding records in advance, enabling the author to revoke messages immediately upon request without time constraints. This preliminary data preparation allows flexible revocation at any time, eliminating the predetermined time limit while maintaining fast revocation capability.
3Reliability
If the system stores records of all forwarded messages, then the ability to track and revoke messages is improved, but the data storage requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system extracts only the necessary forwarding information (links to original messages, forwarding relationships) from the complete message data. This selective extraction maintains tracking capability while minimizing storage requirements by storing only essential forwarding records rather than all message content.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements a nested structure where forwarded messages store links to their original messages, creating a hierarchical reference structure. This nesting approach allows the system to track messages through multiple forwarding levels without storing duplicate message content at each level, significantly reducing storage requirements.
Data Source
AI summary
Methods and systems for revoking electronic messages. One method includes storing, for each of a plurality of forwarded messages, a record in a data store, each record including a link to an original message for the forwarded message, and receiving a request to revoke a forwarded message. In response to receiving the request, the method includes identifying an original message the forwarded message via a record stored in the data store and notifying, with an electronic processor, a user associated with the original message of the request to revoke the forwarded message. In response to receiving an instruction revoking the original source message from the user, the method includes identifying each forward of the original message via records stored in the data store and revoking the original message and each message associated with each record stored in the data store including a link to the original message.