Social network based call management

1. A computer implemented method for social network based call management, the computer implemented method comprising:

receiving an incoming call from a caller for a subscriber;

responsive to receiving the incoming call, obtaining preferences for the subscriber;

obtaining attributes for the caller from the social network, wherein the attributes describe a caller relationship to the subscriber;

wherein the social network is an online community of people with common interests allowing to communicate and share information with each other; and

processing the call in accordance with the attributes and the preferences.

2. The computer implemented method for social network based call management of claim 1 , wherein the obtaining preferences for the subscriber further comprises:

determining whether the subscriber preferences are available; and

responsive to a determination that the subscriber preferences are available, identifying a location of the subscriber preferences.

3. The computer implemented method for social network based call management of claim 1 , wherein obtaining the attributes for the caller further comprises:

locating the attributes for the caller using a location in the preferences for the subscriber; and

retrieving the attributes for the caller from the location.

4. The computer implemented method for social network based call management of claim 1 , wherein processing the call in accordance with the attributes further comprises:

obtaining a rule associated with the caller and the caller relationship; and

applying the rule to process the call.

5. The computer implemented method for social network based call management of claim 1 , wherein the subscriber preferences are maintained by one of the subscriber, a phone service and a third party.

6. The computer implemented method for social network based call management of claim 1 , wherein the rule comprises call processing options comprising block, allow, route and forward.

7. A data processing system for social network based call management, the data processing system comprising:

a bus;

a memory connected to the bus, wherein the memory comprising computer-executable instructions;

a communications unit connected to the bus;

a display connected to the bus;

a processor unit connected to the bus, wherein the processor unit executes the computer-executable instructions to direct the data processing system to: receive an incoming call from a caller for a subscriber;

responsive to receiving the incoming call, obtain preferences for the subscriber; obtain the attributes for the caller from the social network, wherein the attributes describe a caller relationship to the subscriber;

wherein the social network is an online community of people with common interests allowing to communicate and share information with each other; and

process the call in accordance with the attributes and the preferences.

8. The data processing system for social network based call management, of claim 7 , wherein the processor unit executes the computer-executable instructions to direct the data processing system to obtain preferences for the subscriber further comprises:

determine whether the subscriber preferences are available;

responsive to a determination that the preferences are available, identify a location of the subscriber preferences.

9. The data processing system for social network based call management of claim 7 , wherein the processor unit executes the computer-executable instructions to direct the data processing system to be responsive to determine preferences are available for the subscriber further comprises:

locate the attributes for the caller using a location in the preferences for the subscriber; and

retrieve the attributes for the caller from the location.

10. The data processing system for social network based call management of claim 8 , wherein the processor unit executes the computer-executable instructions to direct the data processing system to process the call in accordance with the attributes further comprises:

obtain a rule associated with the caller and the caller relationship; and

apply the rule to process the call.

11. The data processing system for social network based call management of claim 7 , wherein the subscriber preferences are maintained by one of the subscriber, a phone service and a third party.

12. The data processing system for social network based call management of claim 8 , wherein the rule comprises call processing options comprising block, allow, route and forward.

13. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium comprising a computer program product for social network based call management, the computer program product comprising:

computer-executable instructions tangibly embodied on the non-transitory computer readable storage medium thereon, the computer-executable instructions comprising: computer-executable instructions for receiving an incoming call from a caller for a subscriber;

computer-executable instructions responsive to receiving the incoming call for obtaining preferences for the subscriber;

computer-executable instructions for obtaining the attributes for the caller from the social network, wherein the attributes describe a caller relationship to the subscriber;

wherein the social network is an online community of people with common interests allowing to communicate and share information with each other; and

computer-executable instructions for processing the call in accordance with the attributes and the preferences.

14. The computer program product for social network based call management of claim 13 , wherein the computer-executable instructions for obtaining preferences for the subscriber further comprises:

computer-executable instructions for determining whether the subscriber preferences are available;

computer-executable instructions responsive to a determination that subscriber preferences are available, for identifying a location of the subscriber preferences.

15. The computer program product for social network based call management, of claim 13 , wherein the computer-executable instructions responsive to determining preferences are available for the subscriber further comprises:

computer-executable instructions for locating the attributes for the caller using a location in the preferences for the subscriber; and

retrieving the attributes for the caller from the location.

16. The computer program product for social network based call management of claim 14 , wherein the computer-executable instructions for requesting the rule associated with the caller further comprises:

computer-executable instructions for obtaining a rule associated with the caller and the caller relationship; and

computer-executable instructions for applying the rule to process the call.

17. The computer program product for social network based call management of claim 13 , wherein the subscriber preferences are maintained by one of the subscriber, a phone service and a third party.

18. The computer program product for social network based call management of claim 14 , wherein the rule comprises call processing options comprising block, allow, route and forward.

19. A social network based call management system for managing telephone calls, the social network based call management system comprising:

a network for communicating a call between telephones of a caller and a subscriber on the network;

a set of servers connected to the network, wherein a call management service and a set of preferences for the subscriber of the call management service are located on the set of servers;

a social network site connected to the network, wherein the social network site contains attribute information for a relationship between the subscriber and the caller;

wherein the social network site is an online community of people with common interests allowing to communicate and share information with each other; and

wherein the call management service uses the attribute information with the set of preferences to process the call.