Electronic bulletin board system and mail server

Abstract

Disclosed is an electronic bulletin board system, which communicates with a user computer via a network, and mediates information exchange therebetween by an electronic bulletin board function. The electronic bulletin board is accompanied with a database of a notable words collection storing a plurality of words that are appropriately selected, each word in which is linked with a corresponding URL. A message text from a user computer is checked by using the notable words collection. When the message text does not include a notable word in the notable words collection, the message is posted on the bulletin board. When a notable word is found in the text, the notable word in the message text is converted into a hypertext format having the URL to which the word is linked as a link destination, and the message is posted on the bulletin board.

1 . An electronic bulletin board system including a server computer with an electronic bulletin board function communicating with at least one user computer via a network for mediating information exchange therebetween, said server computer comprising: 
 a first database as a notable words collection storing a plurality of words that are appropriately selected;    a second database storing a plurality of records with text data;    a logic device inspecting a message text sent from a user computer of a person who wants to post a message by consulting the notable words collection, wherein    the message text is posted on the bulletin board when the message text does not include a notable word in the notable words collection;    the second database is searched by using the notable word as a keyword when the message text includes a notable word in the notable words collection, and if no records including the notable word exist in the second database, then the message text is posted on the bulletin board; and    when a record including the notable word exists as a result of searching the second database, the word in the message text is converted into a hypertext format having a URL generated properly to which the word is linked as a link destination, and the message text is posted on the bulletin board, the URL being so described as to constitute a start instruction to a search report program, which reports a result of searching the second database by using the notable word as a keyword.    
   
   
       2 . An electronic bulletin board system according to  claim 1 , wherein each record stored in the second database is linked with a corresponding URL, and the search report program generates a set of screen data including a hypertext having the URL to which the obtained record is linked as a link destination.  
   
   
       3 . A mail server receiving an e-mail sent from a user computer via a network and sending the e-mail to the network directed to an e-mail address of a recipient of the e-mail, said mail server comprising: 
 a first database as a notable words collection storing a plurality of words that are appropriately selected;    a second database storing a plurality of records, each of the records including text data;    a logic device inspecting a message text in an e-mail sent from a user computer by consulting the notable words collection, wherein    the e-mail is sent to the e-mail address of the recipient when the message text does not include a notable word in the notable words collection;    the second database is searched by using the notable word as a keyword when the message text includes a notable word in the notable words collection, and if no records including the notable word exist in the second database, then sending the e-mail to the recipient; and    when a record including the notable word exists as a result of searching the second database, the notable word in the message text is converted into a hypertext format having a URL generated properly to which the notable word is linked as a link destination, and the e-mail is sent to the recipient, the URL being so described as to constitute a start instruction to a search report program, which reports a result of searching the second database by using the notable word as a keyword.    
   
   
       4 . A mail server according to  claim 3 , wherein each of the records stored in the second database is linked with a corresponding URL, and the search report program generates a set of screen data including a hypertext having the URL to which the obtained record is linked as a link destination.  
   
   
       5 . A method of operating an electronic bulletin board system including a server computer with an electronic bulletin board function communicating with at least one user computer via a network for mediating information exchange therebetween, comprising: 
 inspecting a message text sent from a user computer of a person who wants to post a message by consulting a first database as a notable words collection storing a plurality of words that are appropriately selected;    posting the message text on the bulletin board when the message text does not include a notable word in the notable words collection;    searching a second database by using the notable word as a keyword when the message text includes a notable word in the notable words collection, and posting the message text on the bulletin board if no records including the notable word exist in the second database, the second database storing a plurality of records including text data; and    when a record including the notable word exists as a result of searching the text database, the notable word in the message text is converted into a hypertext format having a URL generated properly to which the word is linked as a link destination, and the message text is posted on the bulletin board, the URL being so described as to constitute a start instruction to a search report program, which reports a result of searching the second database by using the notable word as a keyword.    
   
   
       6 . A method of operating an electronic bulletin board system according to  claim 5 , wherein each record stored in the second database is linked with a corresponding URL, and the search report program generates a set of screen data including a hypertext having the URL to which the obtained record is linked as a link destination.