System and method for automated message response, within a system for harvesting community knowledge

1. A method for knowledge management, comprising:

identifying a set of information resources;

profiling the information resources;

monitoring a transmitted message;

scoring the monitored message with respect to the information resource profiles;

querying an information resource with content from the monitored message, if that information resource's score exceeds a predetermined threshold;

receiving a set of query responses from the information resources;

generating a response to the monitored message from the query responses; and

responding to the monitored message with the message response.

2. The method of claim 1 :

wherein the querying element includes, serially querying the information resources, in order of their score.

3. The method of claim 1 :

wherein the querying element includes, querying a fixed number of top scoring information resources.

4. The method of claim 1 :

wherein the querying element includes, translating the querying content into a language in which the information resource is written.

5. The method of claim 1 :

wherein the querying element includes, querying with key-strings from the monitored message.

6. The method of claim 1 :

wherein the querying element includes, querying with keywords from the monitored message.

7. The method of claim 1 :

wherein the querying element includes, querying with filters from the monitored message.

8. The method of claim 1 :

wherein the receiving element includes, terminating the query after a predetermined number of query responses have been received.

9. The method of claim 1 :

wherein the generating element includes, analyzing the query responses for information relevant to the monitored message.

10. The method of claim 1 :

wherein the identifying element includes, identifying information resources on a peer-to-peer network.

11. The method of claim 1 :

wherein the identifying element includes, identifying a K-base.

12. The method of claim 1 :

wherein the identifying element includes, identifying a search engine.

13. The method of claim 1 :

wherein the identifying element includes, identifying an expert finding system.

14. The method of claim 1 :

wherein the monitoring element includes, monitoring a message transmitted over a peer-to-peer network.

15. The method of claim 1 :

wherein the generating element includes, sending the query responses to their original authors for comments.

16. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

effecting all claim 1 elements with a dedicated network server.

17. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

effecting all claim 1 elements with a client computer on a peer-to-peer network.

18. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

effecting all claim 1 elements with multiple servers.

19. The method of claim 1 :

wherein the identifying element includes, identifying information resources only on a client computer.

20. The method of claim 1 :

wherein the identifying element includes, identifying client data on the client computer.

21. The method of claim 1 :

wherein the identifying element includes, identifying a client profile on the client computer.

22. The method of claim 1 :

wherein the monitoring element includes, monitoring only a client computer's message.

23. The method of claim 1 , wherein the generating element includes:

presenting the query responses as suggestions; and

requesting approval of the suggested query responses.

24. The method of claim 1 :

wherein the identifying element includes, identifying a set of previously transmitted messages; and

wherein the scoring element includes, scoring the monitored message with respect to the previously transmitted messages; and

wherein the generating element includes, generating the response from previous responses to the previously transmitted messages.

25. A system for knowledge management, comprising:

means for identifying a set of information resources;

means for profiling the information resources;

means for monitoring a transmitted message;

means for scoring the monitored message with respect to the information resource profiles;

means for querying an information resource with content from the monitored message, if that information resource's score exceeds a predetermined threshold;

means for receiving a set of query responses from the information resources;

means for generating a response to the monitored message from the query responses; and

means for responding to the monitored message with the message response.