Distributing Messages in a Network Environment

Abstract

In a method, system, and computer readable medium for distributing messages in a network environment, a message distribution system receives, from a device of a subscriber who is a follower of a human agent, a selection of a plurality of communication utilities for receiving messages from the human agent. The system stores the selection in a storage. The system later receives, from a device of the human agent, a message for distribution to one or more unspecified recipients. The system identifies the followers of the human agent (including the subscriber) as recipients of the message, and identifies the plurality of communication utilities selected by the subscriber. The system then sends the message to the followers of the human agent, including the subscriber, sending including sending the message to each of the plurality of communication utilities selected by the subscriber.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method of message distribution, comprising:
 receiving, from a first computing device of a subscriber, a selection of a plurality of communication utilities for receiving messages, wherein the subscriber is one of a plurality of users who are followers of a human agent;   storing the selection of the plurality of communication utilities in a storage;   receiving, from a second computing device of the human agent, a message for distribution to one or more unspecified recipients;   identifying, by a computer processor, the followers of the human agent as recipients of the message;   identifying, in the storage, the plurality of communication utilities selected by the subscriber; and   sending the message to the followers of the human agent, including the subscriber, wherein the sending includes sending the message to each of the plurality of communication utilities selected by the subscriber.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the human agent is one of a plurality of users who are followers of the subscriber, and wherein the human agent receives messages sent to followers of the subscriber, and wherein the plurality of communication utilities comprises e-mail, short messaging service (SMS), and web. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 receiving, from the first computing device, an SMS registration message requesting creation of a new account profile of the subscriber;   creating the new account profile in response to receiving the SMS registration message; and   sending, to the first computing device, an acknowledgement message indicating that the new account profile is created, wherein the plurality of communication utilities is associated with the new account profile in the storage.   
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 receiving, from the first computing device, an SMS message requesting to join the plurality of users who are followers of the human agent; and   adding the subscriber to the followers of the human agent in response to receiving the SMS message.   
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 receiving, from the first computing device of the subscriber, an SMS configuration message comprising a plurality of message receipt preferences, wherein the sending of the message to the subscriber is based on the plurality of message receipt preferences.   
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the plurality of message receipt preferences comprises a schedule for receiving messages, and wherein the method further comprises:
 making a determination that a current time is within the schedule for receiving messages, wherein the sending of the message to the subscriber is based on the determination.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 identifying a hyperlink within the message; and   displaying the hyperlink to the subscriber as an active link, wherein the active link comprises a shortened representation of the hyperlink.   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 identifying, within the message, a reference to an image; and   displaying, to the subscriber, the message with an indication of the image.   
     
     
         9 . A message distribution system, comprising:
 a computer processor;   a routing engine executing on the computer processor and configured to:
 receive, from a first computing device of a subscriber a selection of a plurality of communication utilities for receiving messages, wherein the subscriber is one of a plurality of users who are followers of a human agent; 
 store the selection of the plurality of communication utilities in a data repository; 
 receive, from a second computing device of the human agent, a message for distribution to one or more unspecified recipients; 
 identify the followers of the human agent as recipients of the message; and 
 identify, in the data repository, the plurality of communication utilities selected by the subscriber; and 
   a transmission engine configured to send the message to the followers of the human agent, including the subscriber, wherein the transmission engine sends the message to each of the plurality of communication utilities selected by the subscriber.   
     
     
         10 . The message distribution system of  claim 9 , wherein the human agent is one of a plurality of users who are followers of the subscriber, and wherein the human agent receives messages sent to followers of the subscriber. 
     
     
         11 . The message distribution system of  claim 9 , wherein the routing engine is further configured to:
 receive, from the first computing device, an SMS registration message requesting creation of a new account profile of the subscriber; and   create the new account profile in response to receiving the SMS registration message, and   wherein the transmission engine is further configured to send, to the first computing device, an acknowledgement message indicating that the new account profile is created wherein the plurality of communication utilities is associated with the new account profile in the data repository.   
     
     
         12 . The message distribution system of  claim 11 , wherein the routing engine is further configured to receive, from the first computing device, an SMS message requesting to join the plurality of users who are followers of the human agent and wherein the message distribution system further comprises a group expansion module configured to:
 add the subscriber to the followers of the human agent in response to receiving the SMS message.   
     
     
         13 . The message distribution system of  claim 9 , wherein the message distribution system further comprises a rules module configured to:
 identify, for the subscriber, a plurality of message receipt preferences comprising a schedule for receiving messages; and   make a determination that a current time is within the schedule for receiving messages, wherein the sending of the message to the subscriber is based on the determination.   
     
     
         14 . A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising a plurality of instructions for message distribution the plurality of instructions comprising functionality to:
 receive, from a first computing device of a subscriber a selection of a plurality of communication utilities for receiving messages, wherein the subscriber is one of a plurality of users who are followers of a human agent;   store the selection of the plurality of communication utilities in a storage;   receive, from a second computing device of the human agent, a message for distribution to one or more unspecified recipients;   identify the followers of the human agent as recipients of the message;   identify, in the storage, the plurality of communication utilities selected by the subscriber; and   send the message to the followers of the human agent including the subscriber, wherein the sending includes sending the message to each of the plurality of communication utilities selected by subscriber.   
     
     
         15 . A message distribution system for distributing messages, the message distribution system comprising:
 a computer processor;   a routing engine executing on the computer processor and configured to:
 receive, from a first computing device of a subscriber, a request for joining a follower group of users following a human agent; 
 in response to receiving the request for joining, store information about the subscriber in a data repository for storing follower group information about the follower group of users; 
 receive, from the first computing device of the subscriber, a selection of a plurality of communication utilities for receiving messages, the plurality of communication utilities including two or more of email, short messaging service (SMS) and web; 
 store selection information regarding the selection of the plurality of communication utilities in the data repository; 
 receive, from a second computing device of the human agent, a message for distribution to one or more unspecified recipients; 
 identify, based on the stored follower group information, the users in the follower group as recipients of the message; and 
 identify, based on the stored selection information the plurality of communication utilities selected by the subscriber; and 
   a transmission engine configured to send the message to each of the users in the follower group, including the subscriber, wherein the transmission engine is configured to send the message to each of the plurality of communication utilities selected by the subscriber.