Real time and dynamic voting

Abstract

Embodiments of the present invention facilitate the solicitation of user input while allowing for dynamic changes to that input while concurrently ranking the same. Ranking occurs in real-time and allows for a user to alter their contribution or vote until the close of a contribution period allowing real-time influences to be taken into account. Contributions may be provided in response to or as a part of a template driven nomination process. Solicitations of input may occur in the context of a pre-defined slate of options for voting, nominating certain options for a subsequent or concurrent voting process, or choosing/suggest more than one option such as the best of a slate of options or the individual ranking of a slate of options. Embodiments of the present invention capture all user nominations or suggestions while simultaneously providing the real-time ranking and dynamic re-ranking of those nominations or suggestions.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method for processing user input, the method comprising:
 publishing a query to a user audience;   receiving a first response to the query from a plurality of users in the audience, wherein each of the plurality of users is an individually identifiable user;   displaying query response data corresponding to the first responses received from the plurality of users, the query response data displayed in real-time;   receiving a second and updated response from one or more of the plurality of users that previously provided a first response to the query, the second and updated response being responsive to the same published query; and   
       displaying updated query response data that incorporates the second and updated response received from the one or more of the plurality of users that previously provided a first response to the query, the updated query data also including the first responses received from the plurality of users that have not provided a second and updated response, and wherein the updated query response data is displayed in real-time.