Automatic propagation of user profile modifications
A source client generates an update event for a user profile. In response to the generated update event, contact information for one or more contacts is retrieved from a user contact list. The source client distributes the update event to one or more target clients independently of a central profile server and in accordance with the retrieved contact information.
1 . A method, comprising:
generating an update event for a user profile at a source client;
retrieving contact information for one or more contacts from a user contact list in response to receiving the update event; and
distributing the update event from the source client directly to one or more target clients in accordance with the retrieved contact information.
2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein distributing the update event comprises distributing an email that includes the update event from the source client to the one or more target clients.
3 . The method of claim 2 , wherein distributing the email that includes the update event comprises:
incorporating the update event into an electronic business card;
including the electronic business card as plain text in the body of an email; and
sending the email to the one or more contacts.
4 . The method of claim 2 , further comprising attaching a digital signature to the email to indicate an authorized modification source.
5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the contact information from the user contact list is maintained according to a first format and contact information stored on at least one target client is maintained according to a second format.
6 . A profile distributor for de-centralized propagation of user profile modifications, comprising:
a user profile agent to receive a profile modification of a user at a source client;
a contact retrieval agent at the source client to retrieve contact information for one or more contacts from a user contact list in response to receiving the profile modification; and
a notification agent at the source client to automatically distribute a notification including the profile modification to the one or more contacts at one or more remote target clients.
7 . The profile distributor of claim 6 , wherein the notification comprises an email and the profile modification is included as plain text in the body of the email.
8 . The profile distributor of claim 7 , wherein the email includes a digital signature to authenticate the notification.
9 . The profile distributor of claim 7 , wherein the profile modification is incorporated into at least one of an electronic business card or a vCard.
10 . The profile distributor of claim 7 , wherein the contact information is retrieved from at least one of an address book or an Instant Messaging (IM) local to the source client.
11 . The profile distributor of claim 6 , wherein the contact information in the user contact list is maintained according to a first format and contact information in a contact list of a contact that receives the distributed notification is maintained according to a second format.
12 . An article of manufacture comprising a machine-accessible medium having content to provide instructions to result in an electronic device performing operations including:
receiving an update event for a user profile on a source client;
retrieving contact information for one or more contacts from a user contact list in response to receiving the update event; and
distributing the update event from the source client to one or more target clients in accordance with the retrieved contact information.
13 . An article of manufacture according to claim 12 , wherein distributing the update event comprises sending an email that includes the update event from the source client to the one or more target clients.
14 . An article of manufacture according to claim 12 , wherein sending an email that includes the update event comprises:
incorporating the update event into an electronic business card;
including the electronic business card as plain text in an email; and
sending the email from the source client to the one or more target clients.
15 . An article of manufacture according to claim 12 , the machine-accessible medium having content to provide instructions to result in an electronic device performing further operations including attaching a digital signature to the email.
16 . A profile acceptor, comprising:
a notification unit to receive a notification from a source client at a target client, the notification including contact information for a user of the source client;
a contacts updater to receive the contact information and incorporate the contact information into a contact list local to the target client; and
an acceptance agent to cause the notification unit to accept the received notification and pass the contact information to the contacts updater at the target client.
17 . The profile acceptor of claim 16 , wherein the notification comprises a vCard incorporating the contact information.
18 . The profile acceptor of claim 16 , wherein the auto-accept agent verifies authenticity of a digital signature in the notification.
19 . The profile acceptor of claim 16 , wherein contact information in a contact list associated with the user of the source client is maintained according to a first format and contact information in the contact list associated with the user of the target client is maintained according to a second format.