Preventing on-line violations of legal regulations on users of a communication system

Abstract

A system for preventing on-line violations of open meeting regulations and similar laws, in which one or more special classes of users are defined for an electronic communication system. The definition of each special class may include quorum requirements, including the number of group members that make up a quorum for that special class. Users identified as members of special classes may be reminded of the restrictions on communications using the communication system arising from that special class membership. When a user composes a message for posting or sending through the communication system, the user's identity is checked to determine whether they are a member of a restricted special class. If the user is a member of a special class, a determination is made as to whether posting or sending the message would violate any legal restrictions associated with that special class.

1 . A method for preventing violations of legal regulations on users of an electronic communication system, comprising:
 determining whether a user composing a message to be conveyed using said electronic communication system is a member of a special class of users whose communications are subject to said legal regulations;   responsive to determining that said user is a member of said special class, determining a number of special class members that would be participating in a communication to which said message would be added if said message were conveyed using said electronic communication system;   determining whether said number of special class members that would be participating in said communication if said message were conveyed using said electronic communication system would be as large as a limit associated with said special class; and   responsive to determining that said number of special class members that would be participating in said communication if said message were conveyed using said communication system would be at least as large as said limit associated with said special class, preventing said message from being conveyed by said electronic communication system.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said limit associated with said special class is a quorum associated with said special class. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , further comprising:
 defining said special class, wherein said defining includes entering said quorum associated with said special class.   
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein said defining said special class further comprises defining said user as a member of said special class. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 in the event that said message is prevented from being conveyed using said electronic communication system, presenting a notification indicating to said user that said message is prevented from being conveyed because of said determination that said user is a member of said special class, and wherein said notification provides an option for redirecting said message.   
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said electronic communication system comprises one of a set consisting of a synchronous electronic communication system and an asynchronous electronic communication system. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 in response to said determination that said user is a member of said special class, presenting a notification to said user reminding said user of restrictions associated with said special class with regard to communications using said electronic communication system.   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 in the event that said number of members of said special class that would be participating in said communication if said message were conveyed using said electronic communication system would be less than said limit associated with said special class, allowing said message to be conveyed using said electronic communication system.   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said determining whether said user is a member of said special class further comprises checking an identity of said user against a special class definition database. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said determining whether said user is a member of said special class further comprises checking an identity of said user against a user profile database. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said determining whether said user is a member of said special class further comprises providing a user interface object within a message composition user interface enabling said user to provide an indication that said user is a member of said special class. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said determining whether said number of special class members that would be participating in said communication if said message were conveyed using said electronic communication system would be as large as a limit associated with said special class comprises counting special class members that have entered posts into a discussion thread into which said message would be added to in an on-line discussion forum when conveyed by said communication system. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said determining whether said number of special class members that would be participating in said communication if said message were conveyed using said electronic communication system would be as large as a limit associated with said special class comprises counting members of the special class that are currently participating in a real-time communication session to which said message would be added when conveyed by said electronic communication system. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 determining whether said message regards subject matter within a purview of said special class; and   performing said step of preventing said message from being conveyed by said electronic communication system only in the event that said message regards said subject matter within said purview of said special class.   
     
     
         15 . A system including a computer readable memory, said computer readable memory having stored thereon program code for preventing violations of legal regulations on users of an electronic communication system, said program code comprising:
 program code for determining whether a user composing a message to be conveyed using said electronic communication system is a member of a special class of users whose communications are subject to said legal regulations;   program code for, responsive to determining that said user is a member of said special class, determining a number of special class members that would be participating in a communication to which said message would be added in the event that said message were conveyed using said electronic communication system;   program code for determining whether said number of special class members that would be participating in said communication if said message were added to said communication would be as large as a limit associated with said special class; and   program code for, responsive to determining that said number of special class members that would be participating in said communication if said message were added to said communication would be at least as large as said limit associated with said special class, preventing said message from being conveyed by said electronic communication system.   
     
     
         16 . A computer program product including a computer readable storage medium, said computer readable storage medium having stored thereon program code for preventing violations of legal regulations on users of an electronic communication system, said program code comprising:
 program code for determining whether a user composing a message to be conveyed using said electronic communication system is a member of a special class of users whose communications are subject to said legal regulations;   program code for, responsive to determining that said user is a member of said special class, determining a number of special class members that would be participating in a communication to which said message would be added in the event that said message were conveyed using said electronic communication system;   program code for determining whether said number of special class members that would be participating in said communication if said message were added to said communication would be as large as a limit associated with said special class; and   program code for, responsive to determining that said number of special class members that would be participating in said communication if said message were added to said communication would be at least as large as said limit associated with said special class, preventing said message from being conveyed by said electronic communication system.