Searching recent content publication activity

Abstract

Collecting and distributing information related to recent content publication activity of an instant messaging (IM) user provides other users in a network with timely, relevant information about people known to the user or within the same social network. A user participating in a social network can quickly and efficiently perceive new information related to other users (referred to as co-users) in a social network by reviewing the co-users' recent content publication activity. A user may be made able to do so without requiring the co-user to send a communication directly to the user regarding the new facts or new content, and also without requiring the user to actively browse or request information about the co-user.

1 - 23 . (canceled) 
     
     
         24 . A computer-implemented method, comprising:
 receiving a request from a user of a communications network;   obtaining, in response to the request, information identifying first electronic content published by co-users associated with profile information;   identifying, using at least one processor, at least a portion of the first electronic content corresponding to the received request, the first electronic content portion being published by a subset of the co-users, and being unrelated to the profile information associated with the subset of the co-users;   generating a first instruction to transmit information identifying at least the first electronic content portion to a device of the user;   obtaining information identifying second electronic content published by the subset of co-users, the second electronic content being published subsequent to the first electronic content portion;   determining, using the at least one processor, that a portion of the second electronic content corresponds to the received request and is unrelated to the profile information associated with the subset of co-users; and   generating, based on the determination, a second instruction to transmit information identifying at least the second electronic content portion to the device of the user.   
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein the received request comprises information identifying the user. 
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 25 , wherein the identifying information comprises at least one of a screen name associated with the user, a login credential associated with the user, an Internet protocol address associated with the user, or an email address associated with the user. 
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 24 , further comprising receiving information indicative of a modification to the co-user list. 
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 27 , further comprising:
 generating a modified co-user list in accordance with the received information; and   generating an update to at least one of the first electronic content or the second electronic content, based on the modified co-user list.   
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 28 , wherein:
 generating the modified co-user list comprises identifying at least one co-user to be added to the co-user list;   generating the update comprises obtaining electronic content published by the identified co-user.   
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 28 , wherein:
 generating the modified co-user list comprises identifying at least one co-user to be deleted from the co-user list; and   generating the update further comprises deleting electronic content published by the identified co-user from at least one of the first electronic content or the second electronic content.   
     
     
         31 . The method of claim of  claim 24 , wherein obtaining the first electronic content comprises obtaining an index of electronic content published by at least one of the co-users. 
     
     
         32 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein obtaining the first electronic content comprises obtaining a transcript of an instant messaging session between the user and at least one of the subset of co-users. 
     
     
         33 . The method of  claim 24 , further comprising generating an instruction to store information associated with the received request within a query log. 
     
     
         34 . The method of  claim 33 , wherein the determining comprises:
 retrieving the information associated with the received request from the query log; and   determining that the second electronic content portion corresponds to the retrieved information and is unrelated to the profile information associated with the subset of co-users.   
     
     
         35 . An apparatus, comprising:
 a storage device; and   at least one processor coupled to the storage device, wherein the storage device stores a program for controlling the at least one processor, and wherein the at least one processor, being operative with the program, is configured to:
 receive a request from a user of a communications network; 
 obtain, in response to the request, information identifying first electronic content published by co-users associated with profile information; 
 identify at least a portion of the first electronic content corresponding to the received request, the first electronic content portion being published by a subset of the co-users, and being unrelated to the profile information associated with the subset of the co-users; 
 generating a first instruction to transmit information identifying at least the first electronic content portion to a device of the user; 
 obtaining information identifying second electronic content published by the subset of co users, the second electronic content being published subsequent to the first electronic content portion; 
 determine that a portion of the second electronic content corresponds to the received request and is unrelated to the profile information associated with the subset of co-users; and 
 generate, based on the determination, a second instruction to transmit information identifying at least the second electronic content portion to the device of the user. 
   
     
     
         36 . The apparatus of  claim 35 , wherein the received request comprises information identifying the user. 
     
     
         37 . The apparatus of  claim 36 , wherein the identifying information comprises at least one of a screen name associated with the user, a login credential associated with the user, an Internet protocol address associated with the user, or an email address associated with the user. 
     
     
         38 . The apparatus of  claim 35 , wherein the processor is further configured to receive information indicative of a modification to the co-user list. 
     
     
         39 . The apparatus of  claim 38 , wherein the processor is further configured to:
 generate a modified co-user list in accordance with the received information; and   generate an update to at least one of the first electronic content or the second electronic content, based on the modified co-user list.   
     
     
         40 . The apparatus of  claim 39 , wherein the processor is further configured to:
 identify at least one co-user to be added to the co-user list; and   obtain electronic content published by the identified co-user.   
     
     
         41 . The apparatus of  claim 39 , wherein the processor is further configured to identify at least one co-user to be deleted from the co-user list; and
 delete electronic content published by the identified co-user from at least one of the first electronic content or the second electronic content.   
     
     
         42 . The apparatus of  claim 35 , wherein the processor is further configured to obtain an index of electronic content published by at least one of the co-users. 
     
     
         43 . The apparatus of  claim 35 , wherein the processor is further configured to obtain a transcript of an instant messaging session between the user and at least one of the subset of co-users. 
     
     
         44 . The apparatus of  claim 35 , wherein the processor is further configured to generate an instruction to store information associated with the received request within a query log. 
     
     
         45 . The apparatus of  claim 45 , wherein the processor is further configured to:
 retrieve the information associated with the received request from the query log; and   determine that the second electronic content portions corresponds to the retrieved information and is unrelated to the profile information associated with the subset of co-users.   
     
     
         46 . A tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions that, when executed by at least one processor, perform a method identifying associated video content, the method comprising the steps of:
 receiving a request from a user of a communications network;   obtaining, in response to the request, information identifying first electronic content published by co-users associated with profile information;   identifying, using at least one processor, at least a portion of the first electronic content corresponding to the received request, the first electronic content portion being published by a subset of the co-users, and being unrelated to the profile information associated with the subset of the co-users;   generating a first instruction to transmit information identifying at least the first electronic content portion to a device of the user;   obtaining information identifying second electronic content published by the subset of co users, the second electronic content being published subsequent to the first electronic content portion;   determining, using the at least one processor, that a portion of the second electronic content corresponds to the received request and is unrelated to the profile information associated with the subset of co-users; and   generating, based on the determination, a second instruction to transmit information identifying at least the second electronic content portion to the device of the user.