Role-Based Social Networking Following Configuration
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional social networking systems fail to effectively manage relationships based on user roles within structured environments, leading to increased costs and inefficiencies due to the dynamic nature of roles and varying interpretations of roles within organizations.
Innovation Solution
Implementing role-based social networking that allows users to follow other users based on specified roles or relative roles, enabling configuration of social network follow requests, queries, and interest profiles, which persist even when individuals change roles, using a processor to execute queries and retrieve relevant information.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If conventional social networking systems manage relationships based on individual user names, then direct person-to-person connections are established, but the system fails to effectively manage relationships based on user roles leading to increased costs and inefficiencies
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments social network relationships into role-based categories (e.g., manager, employee, contractor) distinct from individual user identities. This allows users to follow and be followed based on their organizational roles rather than personal names, enabling the system to manage relationships at both individual and role levels simultaneously.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces role profiles as intermediary entities between individual users and the social network system. These role profiles act as mediators that capture and manage the dynamic nature of organizational roles, allowing the system to adapt to role changes without requiring constant updates to individual user connections.
2Reliability
If the system tracks individual user names for social connections, then direct relationships are maintained, but constant updates are required when users change roles leading to increased maintenance costs
Solution Approach 1:
The patent establishes role profiles in advance that define organizational relationships and hierarchies before users actually change roles. When users transition between roles, the system automatically updates their social connections based on the pre-defined role profiles, eliminating the need for manual update interventions.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements dynamic role profiles that automatically adapt when users change roles within the organization. The system continuously monitors user role assignments and automatically reconfigures social network connections to reflect current organizational structures, ensuring data accuracy without manual intervention.
3Adaptability or versatility
If role-based following is implemented, then flexible and persistent role-based following is enabled, but the system complexity increases due to role queries and information retrieval
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates universal role profiles that can serve multiple functions simultaneously: they define organizational hierarchies, enable social network connections, and provide templates for automatic relationship management. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate systems to handle different aspects of role-based networking.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses role profiles as reusable templates that can be copied and applied across multiple users and departments. Once a role profile is defined (e.g., 'Manager'), it can be instantiated for numerous users, and any changes to the role profile automatically propagate to all associated users, reducing system complexity through template-based management.
Data Source
AI summary
A role-based social network follow request that identifies a specified user role to follow within a social network is received from a social network user. A social network role-based query, derived from the specified user role identified within the role-based social network follow request, is executed. In response to executing the social network role-based query, role-based information of social network users within the social network is retrieved. Another social network user that matches the specified user role is identified based upon the retrieved role-based information of the social network users. Role-based social network following of the matching other social network user is configured for the requesting social network user.