Social Network Group Code Segmentation for Privacy and Legacy
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Solution Overview
Problem
Social networks lack the ability to allow users to set up multiple accounts under one user login, leading to privacy and security concerns, as well as the inability to leave a legacy of information for others, with users being forced to share information with all connections and facing account deletion upon passing or inactivity.
Innovation Solution
A computer-implemented method for managing social networks that enables users to create unique group codes for multiple family connections, allowing selective sharing and legacy settings, with personal and family walls that can be locked or unlocked for specific users, enabling users to share subsets of data with different groups while maintaining privacy and allowing for posthumous access to family information.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If users share information with all connections on social networks, then connectivity and social interaction are improved, but privacy and security are worsened
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the user's connections into multiple distinct groups (family group, friend group, colleague group, etc.), each with its own group code and group wall. This allows the user to share information selectively with specific groups rather than all connections simultaneously, thereby maintaining privacy while preserving connectivity within each segment.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies different privacy and sharing settings to different groups locally. Each group wall has its own access controls and sharing permissions, allowing the user to customize what information is shared with each specific group. This local differentiation enables selective sharing while maintaining overall connectivity.
2Ease of operation
If social networks use single account system, then ease of operation is improved, but ability to manage multiple family connections is worsened
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments family connections into separate group entities, each with unique group codes. Users can create multiple groups under one account, allowing them to manage different family units (e.g., nuclear family, extended family, relatives) independently while maintaining a single login system.
Solution Approach 2:
The single user account serves multiple functions by supporting multiple group creations and management. The account system is designed to be universal, handling both individual user identity and multiple group affiliations, thereby providing ease of operation while enabling versatile family connection management.
3Productivity
If social networks delete accounts upon user passing or inactivity, then system maintenance is improved, but legacy information preservation is worsened
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements preliminary legacy settings that users can configure while alive. Users can designate legacy administrators and specify what information should be preserved or made accessible after their passing. This preliminary configuration ensures legacy information is protected without requiring ongoing system maintenance of inactive accounts.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces legacy administrators as intermediaries who manage the user's information after their passing. These administrators can control access to the user's personal wall and group walls, allowing the system to maintain information without active user intervention while preventing unauthorized access or deletion.
4Ease of operation
If social networks use uniform security settings, then ease of operation is improved, but selective sharing capability is worsened
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments security and privacy settings into group-specific configurations. Each group wall has its own access controls, permission levels, and security policies. This segmentation allows uniform security management at the account level while enabling selective sharing at the group level through differentiated settings.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements dynamic security settings that can be adjusted per group and per user within groups. The system allows flexible configuration of who can view, post, or manage content in each group wall, enabling selective sharing while maintaining ease of operation through standardized interfaces for managing these dynamic permissions.
Data Source
AI summary
Managing a social network comprises creating a unique first group code, creating a first personal wall including a link to the first group code, and creating a first group wall for the first group code. The first user receives an inquiry to join the first group code from a second user. The first group code is exchanged between the first user and the second user. The first group wall is converted from a locked to an unlocked state with respect to the second user. A second personal wall is created for the second user, the second personal wall including a link to the first group code. The first user is restricted from viewing the second personal wall, and vice versa. The first user can share, and the second user can see, a subset of data from the first personal wall with the first group wall, and vice versa.