System and method for hosting a social network that enables granular management of the privacy of posted information

Abstract

A system and method for hosting a social network that enables entities to particularly manage the privacy level of content posted on the social network. This may enable an entity to distribute news, congratulations, accolades, invitations, and/or other internal information within the social network to members, employees, students, investors, and/or other parties.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 ) A system configured to host a social network, the system comprising:
 a server configured to host webpages that define views of the social network, and to transmit the webpages to client computing platforms that request the webpages over a network, the server being configured to execute computer program modules, the computer program modules comprising:
 an entity profile module configured to manage a set of entity information for each entity in a set of entities; 
 a profile management module configured to provide a user interface comprising a set of profile management elements to enable an entity to manage a set of entity information associated with the entity including a set of default privacy levels; 
 an association module configured to maintain associations between entities based in part on association information stored in the set of entity information for each entity; 
 an entity wall module configured to assemble webpages defining views of walls associated with individual entities; and 
 wherein the entity profile module, the profile management module, the association module, and the entity wall module are configured such that when a transmitting entity makes a posting on a wall of a receiving entity, the posting is only visible in webpages defining a view of the wall of the receiving entity where a viewing entity provided with the view is permitted access to the posting based on (i) the set of default privacy levels associated with the receiving entity, (ii) an association between the receiving entity and the viewing entity, and (iii) a privacy level associated with the posting. 
   
     
     
         2 ) The system of  claim 1  wherein the posting further comprises an indication of the transmitting entity as the source of the posting. 
     
     
         3 ) The system of  claim 2  wherein the indication of source is visible to the viewing entity based on a privacy setting associated with the posting. 
     
     
         4 ) The system of  claim 1  further comprising a ratings module configured to provide a set of user interface elements in the webpage defining the view of the wall to enable the viewing entity to rate the posting. 
     
     
         5 ) The system of  claim 4  wherein the set of user interface elements in the webpage defining the view of the wall to enable the viewing entity to rate the posting comprise a positive rating user interface element and a negative rating user interface element. 
     
     
         6 ) The system of  claim 1  further comprising a categories module configured to manage a set of content on the views of walls associated with individual entities based on categories associated with the content. 
     
     
         7 ) The system of  claim 6  wherein the categories module is further configured to manage groups of entities by associating individual entities within the groups of entities based on one or more associated categories; and
 the association module is further configured to maintain associations between entities based in part on the groups of entities and the categories. 
 
     
     
         8 ) The system of  claim 1  further comprising providing an alert to the transmitting entity when the posting is viewed by the viewing entity based on the set of default privacy levels associated with the viewing entity, the privacy level associated with the posting, and an association between the viewing entity, the receiving entity, and the transmitting entity. 
     
     
         9 ) The system of  claim 1  further comprising providing an alert to the receiving entity when the posting is viewed by the viewing entity based on the set of default privacy levels associated with the viewing entity, the privacy level associated with the posting, and an association between the viewing entity, the receiving entity, and the transmitting entity.