Method and apparatus for group filtered reports

Abstract

Systems and corresponding methods are provided that, in at least one embodiment, includes the act or acts of receiving a plurality of first representations; receiving a second representation of a first user; determining at least one group to which the first user belongs; determining at least one set of members of the at least one group; and filtering the plurality of first representations based, at least in part, on the at least one set of members. Each first representation represents a respective report.

1 . (canceled) 
     
     
         2 . An apparatus including a processor for collecting and managing evaluations regarding products, services and groups provided by consumers on network entities, the apparatus comprising:
 the processor is configured to   receive representations of the evaluations that (1) attribute an identity of an originator of each of the evaluations to an individual who is most responsible for information included in the respective evaluations, and (2) maintain one or more desired characteristics of the groups;   filter the representations based, at least in part, on the characteristics of the groups by
 determining which representations include evaluations reported by the originator who is a member in the groups; 
 excluding representations of evaluations reported by the originator who is not a member of the respective groups; and 
 choosing a reporter of the evaluations from the originator who is the member in the groups, wherein the reporter is one of a celebrity, a professional reporter, and a reporting organization; 
   configure the representations received from the groups by,
 providing the filtered representations to a first of a plurality of users; 
 tracking connections of the first user to each of the plurality of users in the groups to determine a social network for the first user; and 
   generate the social network between the first user and the each of the plurality of users.   
     
     
         3 . The apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein the processor is further configured to: execute a network crawler program to search through the network entities to obtain the representations. 
     
     
         4 . The apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein the evaluations include information regarding any of performance by the products, services, and groups that the network entities market, sell, and manage; and
 wherein the representations are received in response to an occurrence of a trigger event selected from at least one of a purchase of a product, a delivery of the purchased product, a time when an order is received from the first user, and a time when the order is fulfilled.   
     
     
         5 . The apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein the filtering is performed responsive to a request from the first of the plurality of users, each having a unique identifier including any of a name, login information, an email address, a telephone number, and a mailing address. 
     
     
         6 . The apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein the desired characteristics of the groups are selected from a geographic location of places of business and homes, professions, memberships in organizations, demographics, gender, income, and marital status of the plurality of users. 
     
     
         7 . The apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein the processor is further configured to:
 attribute the identity of a target of each of the evaluations, the target is selected from one of a product, a service, a service provider, and a merchant; and   identify each of the evaluations with a unique ID, wherein the representations include one or more of a description of the respective product, phrases expressing appreciation for the product, information describing the target, product ratings, and a recommendation related to the target.   
     
     
         8 . The apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein the processor is further configured to:
 determine positivity of the evaluations, wherein a high rating and a positive recommendation indicates positivity and a low rating and a negative recommendation indicates not positive.   
     
     
         9 . The apparatus of  claim 7 , wherein the processor is further configured to:
 provide the filtered representations as a recommendation to the user, wherein the recommendation includes (1) suggestions for any one of a product, a merchant, a service and service provider that were the target of at least one of the evaluations, (2) the target associated with a largest number of positive evaluations, and (3) the target associated with at least one of a highest rating and a highest aggregate rating of all the targets;   sort the filtered representations based on a degree of a recommendation selected from one of highest ratings and lowest ratings, based on a distance of the originator from the user within the social network; and   automatically chose at least one of a product, service, a merchant, and a service provider based, at least in part, on the recommendation.   
     
     
         10 . The apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein the filtered representations include the evaluations about at least one of a target and a target type and include an identifier for the groups indicating which evaluations were reported by the originator who is the member of the groups and include a social distance identifier indicating a social distance between a user and the originator of a respective evaluations. 
     
     
         11 . A method of collecting and managing evaluations regarding products, services and groups provided by consumers on network entities, the method comprising:
 receiving representations of evaluations that (1) attribute an identity of an originator of each of the evaluations to an individual who is most responsible for information included in the respective evaluations, and (2) maintain one or more desired characteristics of the groups;   filtering the representations based, at least in part, on the characteristics of the groups by
 determining which representations include evaluations reported by the originator who is a member in the groups; 
 excluding representations of evaluations reported by the originator who is not a member of the respective groups; and 
 choosing a reporter of the evaluations from the originator who is the member in the groups, wherein the reporter is one of a celebrity, a professional reporter, and a reporting organization; 
   configuring the representations received from the groups by,
 providing the filtered representations to a first of a plurality of users; 
 tracking connections of the first user to each of the plurality of user in the groups to determine a social network for the first user; and 
   generating the social network between the first user and the each of the plurality of users.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising:
 executing a network crawler program searching through the network entities to obtain the representations.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the evaluations include information regarding any of performance by the products, services, and groups that the network entities market, sell, and manage; and
 wherein the representations are received in response to an occurrence of a trigger event selected from at least one of a purchase of a product, a delivery of the purchased product, a time when an order is received from the first user, and a time when the order is fulfilled.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the filtering is performed responsive to a request from the first of the plurality of users, each having a unique identifier including any of a name, login information, an email address, a telephone number, and a mailing address. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the desired characteristics of the groups are selected from a geographic location of places of business and homes, professions, memberships in organizations, demographics, gender, income, and marital status of the plurality of users. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising:
 attributing the identity of a target of each of the evaluations, the target is selected from one of a product, a service, a service provide, and a merchant; and   identifying each of the evaluations with a unique ID, wherein the representations include one or more of a description of the respective product, phrases expressing appreciation for the product, information describing the target, product ratings, and a target related recommendation.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising:
 determining positivity of the evaluations, wherein a high rating and a positive recommendation indicates positivity and a low rating and a negative recommendation indicates not positive.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 16 , further comprising:
 providing the filtered representations as a recommendation to the user, wherein the recommendation includes (1) suggestions for any one of a product, a merchant, a service and service provider that were the target of at least one of the evaluations, (2) the target associated with a largest number of positive evaluations, and (3) the target associated with at least one of a highest rating and a highest aggregate rating of all the targets;   sorting the filtered representations based on a degree of a recommendation selected from one of highest ratings and lowest ratings, based on a distance of the originator from the user within the social network; and   automatically choosing at least one of a product, service, a merchant, and a service provider based, at least in part, on the recommendation.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the filtered representations include the evaluations about at least one of a target and a target type and include an identifier for the groups indicating which evaluations were reported by the originator who is the member of the groups and include a social distance identifier indicating a social distance between a user and the originator of a respective evaluations. 
     
     
         20 . A non-transitory computer-readable medium: storing instructions thereon that are executable by at least one processor, to cause an electronic device to perform a method of collecting and managing evaluations regarding products, services and groups provided by consumers on network entities, the method comprising:
 receiving representations of evaluations that (1) attribute an identity of an originator of each of the evaluations to an individual who is most responsible for information included in the respective evaluations, and (2) maintain one or more desired characteristics of the groups;   filtering the representations based, at least in part, on the characteristics of the groups by
 determining which representations include evaluations reported by the originator who is a member in the groups; 
 excluding representations of evaluations reported by the originator who is not a member of the respective groups; and 
 choosing a reporter of the evaluations from the originator who is the member in the groups, wherein the reporter is one of a celebrity, a professional reporter, and a reporting organization; 
   configuring the representations received from the groups by,
 providing the filtered representations to a first of a plurality of users; 
 tracking connections of the first user to each of the plurality of user in the groups to determine a social network for the first user; and 
   generating the social network between the first user and the each of the plurality of users.