Displaying aggregated new content by selected other user based on their authorization level

Abstract

Enabling a content publisher and a receiving user to control access to content updates based on user relationships. The content publisher and the receiving user may assign a relationship degree, relationship category, and/or relationship rating to each other and to other users. The content publisher and/or receiving user also specify a required relationship that is needed to access or accept a content update. The content publisher and receiving user may further specify acceptable types of content updates, such as blog entries, product reviews, photos, and the like that are accessible or acceptable. Upon logon or other event, a summary of content updates is provided to each receiving user that meets each content publisher's required relationship, and the content updates are delivered according to a selected delivery method from those content publishers that meet the relationship requirements of the receiving users. Delivery includes email, instant message, RSS feeds, and the like.

1 . A method for providing an electronic content update, comprising:
 storing, via a computing device, a selected relationship between a publishing user and a receiving user over a network, the network comprising a service for communicating information to and/or from users of the network which the users have an interest, the selected relationship indicates a category of personal relationship between the publishing user and the receiving user over the network, the category of personal relationship comprising user-defined relationship characteristics set by the publishing user and the receiving user respectively;   storing, via the computing device, a required relationship between the publishing user and the receiving user within the network, wherein the required relationship is needed to make an electronic content update accessible to the receiving user;   detecting, via the computing device, an instruction to make available the electronic content update, which is associated with the publishing user, available to the receiving user; and   enabling, via the computing device, the receiving user to access the electronic content update if the selected relationship comprises the required relationship, said enabling comprises determining whether the user-defined relationship characteristics set by the publishing user and receiving user coincide with information within the stored required relationship.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising enabling the publishing user to select the selected relationship and to specify the required relationship. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising assigning the required relationship based on one of the following;
 a publishing user setting;   a receiving user setting; and   a default setting.   
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the required relationship comprises at least one of the following:
 a degree of relationship between the publishing user and the receiving user; and   a rating of the relationship between the publishing user and the receiving user.   
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the electronic content update includes at least one of the following;
 profile information, a blog entry, a review, a list, an image, information about a related user; information about a group to which the publishing user belongs, and a message.   
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the electronic content update comprises a content item created within a predefined period of time. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 storing a content type needed to make the electronic content update available to the receiving user; and   making the electronic content update available to the receiving user if the electronic content update comprises the content type.   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the instruction is detected at one of the following:
 upon a command by the publishing user;   at a predetermined time;   upon login of the receiving user; and   upon posting of the electronic content update.   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising generating a summary of the electronic content update for display in a portion of a user interface. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 detecting a selected delivery method; and   delivering the electronic content update according to the selected delivery method for access by the receiving user.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 identifying a priority publishing user; and   enabling the receiving user to access the electronic content update if the publishing user is the priority publishing user regardless of whether the selected relationship comprises the required relationship.   
     
     
         12 . A computer readable storage medium tangibly storing computer-executable instructions that, when executed by a computing device, cause the computing device to perform a method comprising:
 storing a selected relationship between a publishing user and a receiving user over a network, the network comprising a service for communicating information to and/or from users of the network which the users have an interest, the selected relationship indicates a category of personal relationship between the publishing user and the receiving user over the network, the category of personal relationship comprising user-defined relationship characteristics set by the publishing user and the receiving user respectively;   storing a required relationship between the publishing user and the receiving user within the network, wherein the required relationship is needed to make an electronic content update accessible to the receiving user;   detecting an instruction to make the electronic content update, which is associated with the publishing user, available to the receiving user; and   enabling the receiving user to access the electronic content update if the selected relationship comprises the required relationship, said enabling comprises determining whether the user-defined relationship characteristics set by the publishing user and receiving user coincide with information within the stored required relationship.   
     
     
         13 . A system comprising:
 a communication interface in communication with a publishing user client and a receiving user client;   a memory for storing instructions; and   a processor in communication with the communication interface and with the memory, wherein the processor performs actions based at least in part on the stored instructions, including:
 storing a selected relationship between a publishing user and a receiving user over a network, the network comprising a service for communicating information to and/or from users of the network which the users have an interest, the selected relationship indicates a category of personal relationship between the publishing user and the receiving user over the network, the category of personal relationship comprising user-defined relationship characteristics set by the publishing user and the receiving user respectively; 
 storing a required relationship between the publishing user and the receiving user within the network, wherein the required relationship is needed to make an electronic content update accessible to the receiving user; 
 detecting an instruction to make the electronic content update, which is associated with the publishing user available to the receiving user; and 
 enabling the receiving user to access the electronic content update if the selected relationship comprises the required relationship, said enabling comprises determining whether the user-defined relationship characteristics set by the publishing user and receiving user coincide with information within the stored required relationship. 
   
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 13 , wherein the processor further performs the action of enabling the publishing user to select the selected relationship and to specify the required relationship. 
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 13 , wherein the required user relationship comprises at least one of the following:
 a degree of relationship between the receiving user client and the publishing user client; and   a rating of the relationship between the receiving user client and the publishing user client.   
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 13 , further comprising:
 communicating with a deliver system to determine a currently selected delivery method; and   delivering the electronic content update according to the selected delivery method for access by the receiving user.   
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 13 , wherein the server provides an online social network service. 
     
     
         18 . A method comprising:
 providing, via a computing device, a publisher user interface that enables a publishing user to associate a publisher-selected relationship with a receiving user within a network, the network comprising a service for communicating information to and/or from users of the network which the users have an interest, the publisher-selected relationship comprising publisher-defined relationship characteristics indicating a category of relationship between the publishing user and the receiving user;   enabling, via the computing device, the publishing user to use the publisher user interface to specify a publisher-required relationship needed to access the electronic content;   providing, via the computing device, a receiver user interface that enables a receiving user to associate a receiver-selected relationship with the publishing user within the network, the receiver-selected relationship comprising receiver-defined relationship characteristics indicating a category of relationship between the receiving user and the publishing user;   enabling, via the computing device, the receiving user to use the receiver user interface to specify a receiver-required user relationship needed to access the electronic content   enabling, via the computing device, publishing user to provide an instruction to make an electronic content update associated with the publishing user available to the receiving user; and   enabling, via the computing device, the receiving user to access the electronic content if the publisher-selected relationship comprises the publisher-required user relationship and the receiver-selected relationship comprises the receiver-required relationship, said enabling comprises determining whether the publisher-defined relationship characteristics and the receiving-defined relationship characteristics facilitate the receiving user accessing the electronic content update.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the publisher-selected relationship is based at least in part on a behavior of the receiving user in interacting with an online service. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the method is performed by a mobile device.