Sharing media objects in a network

Abstract

A method, computer readable medium, user component, and system for sharing media object in a network environment are disclosed. A network manager may determine a similarity metric between users of the environment, between media objects, and/or between a user and media objects. Based upon the similarity metric, the network manager may share media objects with another user if the similarity metric exceeds a pre-determined value or is more similar than other retrieved media objects. A user component may also provide a network map manager to display a network map, and may provide a tailored view manager to display a web log associated with at least one of the user icons displayed in the network map.

1 . A method comprising:
 receiving, by a computer, a media object posted by a member of a network, wherein the member is one of a plurality of members of the network;   calculating, by the computer in response to the receiving, a user-user similarity metric between the member and a second member of the plurality of members of the network;   automatically forwarding, by the computer in response to the user-user similarity metric exceeding a user-user threshold, the media object to the second member.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising:
 calculating, by the computer in response to the receiving, an object-user similarity metric between the media object and the second member; 
 automatically forwarding, in response to the object-user similarity metric exceeding an object-user threshold, the media object the second member. 
 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising:
 identifying a third member of the plurality of members of the network based on an annotation associated with the media object; 
 calculating, in response to the identifying, an object-user similarity metric between the media object and the third member; 
 automatically forwarding, in response to the object-user similarity metric exceeding an object-user threshold, the media object the third member. 
 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3  further comprising:
 identifying a fourth member of the plurality of members of the network based on the annotation associated with the media object or based on another annotation associated with the media object; 
 calculating, in response to the identifying, a second user-user similarity metric between the third member and the fourth member; 
 automatically forwarding, in response to the second user-user similarity metric exceeding a second user-user threshold, the media object the fourth member. 
 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising:
 Identifying, an annotation associated with the media object, a third member of the plurality of members of the network; 
 calculating, in response to the identifying, a second user-user similarity metric between the member and the third member; 
 automatically forwarding, in response to the second user-user similarity metric exceeding a second user-user threshold, the media object the third member. 
 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the user-user similarity metric between the member and the second member is based on a selection from a plurality of factors including transaction histories, co-occurrence information, statements of friendship, and user communication patterns. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 2  wherein the object-user similarity metric between the media object and the second member is based on a selection from a plurality of factors including an author of the media object, a person depicted by the media object, a person that accessed the media object, a person that annotated the media object. 
     
     
         8 . At least one hardware computer storage medium storing computer-executable instructions that, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to perform a method comprising:
 receiving a media object posted by a member of a network, wherein the member is one of a plurality of members of the network;   calculating, in response to the receiving, a user-user similarity metric between the member and a second member of the plurality of members of the network;   automatically forwarding, in response to the user-user similarity metric exceeding a user-user threshold, the media object to the second member.   
     
     
         9 . The at least one hardware computer storage medium of  claim 8  further comprising:
 calculating, in response to the receiving, an object-user similarity metric between the media object and the second member; 
 automatically forwarding, in response to the object-user similarity metric exceeding an object-user threshold, the media object the second member. 
 
     
     
         10 . The at least one hardware computer storage medium of  claim 8  further comprising:
 identifying a third member of the plurality of members of the network based on an annotation associated with the media object; 
 calculating, in response to the identifying, an object-user similarity metric between the media object and the third member; 
 automatically forwarding, in response to the object-user similarity metric exceeding an object-user threshold, the media object the third member. 
 
     
     
         11 . The at least one hardware computer storage medium of  claim 10  further comprising:
 identifying a fourth member of the plurality of members of the network based on the annotation associated with the media object or based on another annotation associated with the media object; 
 calculating, in response to the identifying, a second user-user similarity metric between the third member and the fourth member; 
 automatically forwarding, in response to the second user-user similarity metric exceeding a second user-user threshold, the media object the fourth member. 
 
     
     
         12 . The at least one hardware computer storage medium of  claim 8  further comprising:
 Identifying, an annotation associated with the media object, a third member of the plurality of members of the network; 
 calculating, in response to the identifying, a second user-user similarity metric between the member and the third member; 
 automatically forwarding, in response to the second user-user similarity metric exceeding a second user-user threshold, the media object the third member. 
 
     
     
         13 . The at least one hardware computer storage medium of  claim 8  wherein the user-user similarity metric between the member and the second member is based on a selection from a plurality of factors including transaction histories, co-occurrence information, statements of friendship, and user communication patterns. 
     
     
         14 . A system comprising:
 a device that includes a processor;   the device configured for receiving a media object posted by a member of a network, wherein the member is one of a plurality of members of the network;   the processor configured for calculating, in response to the receiving, a user-user similarity metric between the member and a second member of the plurality of members of the network;   the device further configured for automatically forwarding, in response to the user-user similarity metric exceeding a user-user threshold, the media object to the second member.   
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 14  further comprising:
 the processor further configured for calculating, in response to the receiving, an object-user similarity metric between the media object and the second member; 
 the device further configured for automatically forwarding, in response to the object-user similarity metric exceeding an object-user threshold, the media object the second member. 
 
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 14  further comprising:
 the device further configured for identifying a third member of the plurality of members of the network based on an annotation associated with the media object; 
 the processor further configured for calculating, in response to the identifying, an object-user similarity metric between the media object and the third member; 
 the device further configured for automatically forwarding, in response to the object-user similarity metric exceeding an object-user threshold, the media object the third member. 
 
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 16  further comprising:
 the device further configured for identifying a fourth member of the plurality of members of the network based on the annotation associated with the media object or based on another annotation associated with the media object; 
 the processor further configured for calculating, in response to the identifying, a second user-user similarity metric between the third member and the fourth member; 
 the device further configured for automatically forwarding, in response to the second user-user similarity metric exceeding a second user-user threshold, the media object the fourth member. 
 
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 14  further comprising:
 the device further configured for identifying, an annotation associated with the media object, a third member of the plurality of members of the network; 
 the processor further configured for calculating, in response to the identifying, a second user-user similarity metric between the member and the third member; 
 the device further configured for automatically forwarding, in response to the second user-user similarity metric exceeding a second user-user threshold, the media object the third member. 
 
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 14  wherein the user-user similarity metric between the member and the second member is based on a selection from a plurality of factors including transaction histories, co-occurrence information, statements of friendship, and user communication patterns. 
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 15  wherein the object-user similarity metric between the media object and the second member is based on a selection from a plurality of factors including an author of the media object, a person depicted by the media object, a person that accessed the media object, a person that annotated the media object.