System and method for dynamically controlled rankings and social network privacy settings

Abstract

A system, method, and media for dynamically controlling rankings and privacy settings for a social network is presented. Upon receipt of an electronic communication from a second user of the social network directed to a first user of the social network, determining whether the first and second users of the social network are connected and determining whether the second user has been blocked from electronically communicating with the first user. in response to determining that the second user is not blocked, executing a ranking process on the second user, based on privacy level settings criteria pre-specified by the first user. The privacy level settings criteria includes preferred attributes of communicating users and a threshold ranking score and the ranking process compares the attributes of the second user to the privacy level settings criteria. Upon satisfying the threshold ranking score, the social network allows the electronic communication from the second user to be conveyed to the first user of the social network.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A computer-implemented method of dynamically controlling rankings and privacy settings for a social network comprising:
 receiving an electronic communication from a second user of the social network directed to a first user of the social network;   determining whether the first and second users of the social network are connected; and   determining whether the second user has been blocked from electronically communicating with the first user;   in response to determining that the second user is not blocked, executing a ranking process on the second user, based on privacy level settings criteria pre-specified by the first user,   wherein, the privacy level settings criteria includes preferred attributes of users to communicate with and a threshold ranking score and the ranking process compares the attributes of the second user to the privacy level settings criteria, and   wherein, upon satisfying the threshold ranking score, the social network allows the electronic communication from the second user to be conveyed to the first user of the social network.   
     
     
         2 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein the determination whether the first and second users of the social network are connected comprises identifying previous electronic communications, identifying collaboration efforts in a collaborator profile module, and/or identifying shared attributes in user profile module.