Shared Feed Reader and Method of Shared Feed Reading

Abstract

A shared feed reader for multiple users and a method for sharing feed reading are provided which provide group collaboration features. The shared feed reader includes a server including a processor hosting the shared feed reader for remote access by multiple users, and a user interface for each of the multiple users including an aggregator of web feeds subscribed to by the user. The shared feed reader includes: a mechanism for defining a group of users, wherein web feeds subscribed to by users in the group are exposed to the other users in the group; and a mechanism for sharing a read status of a web feed post across the group, wherein the read status indicates which users have read the post. The shared feed reader may also include a mechanism for receiving a meta-feed of meta-posts, wherein meta-feeds and meta-posts relate to activities of users in the group on shared feeds and posts.

1 . A shared feed reader for multiple users, comprising:
 a server including a processor hosting the shared feed reader for remote access by multiple users;   a user interface for each of the multiple users including an aggregator of web feeds subscribed to by a user;   a mechanism for defining a group of users, wherein web feeds subscribed to by users in the group are exposed to the other users in the group;   a mechanism for sharing a read status of a web feed post across the group, wherein the read status indicates which users have read the post;   
       wherein any of said mechanism for defining a group of users and mechanism for sharing a read status are implemented in either of computer hardware or computer software and embodied in a computer readable medium. 
     
     
         2 . The shared feed reader as claimed in  claim 1 , including an interface input mechanism to request a post be read by other users in the group. 
     
     
         3 . The shared feed reader as claimed in  claim 2 , wherein the interface input mechanism to request a post be read assigns a specified user in the group to read the posting. 
     
     
         4 . The shared feed reader as claimed in  claim 2 , wherein the interface input mechanism to request a post be read includes a request for a summary of the post. 
     
     
         5 . The shared feed reader as claimed in  claim 1 , including an interface input mechanism for providing a summary of a post to the other users in the group. 
     
     
         6 . The shared feed reader as claimed in  claim 1 , including an interface input mechanism for indicating that a user has committed to reading a post. 
     
     
         7 . The shared feed reader as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the mechanism for defining a group of users includes one of the group of: extraction of a group from an organisational structure; extraction from external applications; or explicitly specifying. 
     
     
         8 . The shared feed reader as claimed in  claim 1 , including an interface input mechanism for recommending a post to the group. 
     
     
         9 . The shared feed reader as claimed in  claim 1 , including a user interface for each of the multiple users including an aggregator of web feeds subscribed to by the user which are not shared with the group. 
     
     
         10 . The shared feed reader as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein a user can be defined in multiple groups with different sub-sets of the user's subscribed web feeds exposed to different groups. 
     
     
         11 . The shared feed reader as claimed in  claim 1 , including a mechanism for exposing other user activities in relation to feeds and posts to the other users in the group. 
     
     
         12 . The shared feed reader as claimed in  claim 11 , wherein the mechanism for exposing other user activities generates a meta-feed of meta-posts, wherein meta-feeds and meta-posts relate to activities of users in the group on shared feeds and posts. 
     
     
         13 . The shared feed reader as claimed in  claim 12 , including a mechanism for display of the meta-feed and the meta-posts relating to activities of users in the group in the feed reader user interface in a distinguished manner from regular feeds and posts. 
     
     
         14 . The shared feed reader as claimed in  claim 11 , wherein the other user activities include one or more of the group of: adding or removing fees from a collection, user reading a post, user rating a post, user commenting on a post, user recommending a post, user deleting a post. 
     
     
         15 . The shared feed reader as claimed in  claim 1 , including a mechanism for displaying statistics relating to the group activities, wherein the statistics include one or more of: coverage of posts; reading frequency; average rating. 
     
     
         16 . A shared feed reader for multiple users, comprising:
 a server including a processor hosting the shared feed reader for remote access by multiple users;   a user interface for each of the multiple users including an aggregator of web feeds subscribed to by a user;   a mechanism for defining a group of users, wherein web feeds subscribed to by users in the group are exposed to the other users in the group;   a mechanism for exposing a meta-feed of meta-posts, wherein meta-feeds and meta-posts relate to activities of users in the group on shared feeds and posts;   
       wherein any of said mechanism for defining a group of users and mechanism for exposing a meta-feed of meta-posts are implemented in either of computer hardware or computer software and embodied in a computer readable medium. 
     
     
         17 . The shared feed reader as claimed in  claim 16 , including a display of the meta-feed and the meta-posts relating to activities of users in the group in the feed reader user interface in a distinguished manner from regular feeds and posts. 
     
     
         18 . The shared feed reader as claimed in  claim 16 , wherein activities of users include one or more of the group of: adding or removing feeds from a collection, user reading a post, user rating a post, user commenting on a post, user recommending a post, user deleting a post. 
     
     
         19 . The shared feed reader as claimed in  claim 16 , including a mechanism for selecting a meta-post relating to a feed activity, wherein the mechanism opens the feed in the feed reader. 
     
     
         20 . The shared feed reader as claimed in  claim 16 , including a mechanism for selecting a meta-post relating to a post activity, wherein the mechanism opens the post in the feed reader and display any additional information. 
     
     
         21 . A method of collaboration in a shared feed reader for multiple users, comprising:
 hosting a computer-based shared feed reader for remote access by multiple users;   aggregating web feeds subscribed to by a user;   defining a group of users, wherein web feeds subscribed to by users in the group are exposed to the other users in the group; and   sharing a read status of a web feed post across the group, wherein the read status indicates which users have read the post;   
       wherein any of said steps are implemented in either of computer hardware or computer software and embodied in a computer-readable medium. 
     
     
         22 . The method as claimed in  claim 21 , including inputting user inputs of the form of one or more of the following group: to request a post be read by other users in the group, to assign a specified user in the group to read the posting, to request a summary of the post, to provide a summary of a post, to commit to reading a post, to recommend a post, to tag a post. 
     
     
         23 . The method as claimed in  claim 21 , including exposing other user activities in relation to feeds and posts to the other users in the group by generating a meta-feed of meta-posts, wherein meta-feeds and meta-posts relate to activities of users in the group on shared feeds and posts. 
     
     
         24 . The method as claimed in  claim 21 , including displaying the meta-feed and the meta-posts relating to activities of users in the group in the feed reader user interface in a distinguished manner from regular feeds and posts. 
     
     
         25 . A computer program product for collaboration in a shared feed reader for multiple users, the computer program product comprising:
 a computer readable medium;   computer program instructions operable to:
 host a shared feed reader for remote access by multiple users; 
 aggregate web feeds subscribed to by a user; 
 define a group of users, wherein web feeds subscribed to by users in the group are exposed to the other users in the group; and 
 share a read status of a web feed post across the group, wherein the read status indicates which users have read the post; 
   wherein said program instructions are stored on said computer readable medium.