Methods and apparatus for collecting and transferring information over a network
In one aspect, the invention provides digital data processing methods and systems for collecting and transferring information, comprising one or more server digital data processors (“servers”) that exchange information requests and, optionally, responses between a first set of client digital data processors and a second set of client digital data processors. The first set of those client devices accept input from persons seeking information, e.g., reporters, bloggers, detectives, etc., (collectively, “reporters”) and, from that input, generate and transmit queries to the server(s). The server digital data processor, in turn, transmits those queries to the second set of client digital data processors, which display or otherwise convey the queries to persons that may have relevant information, e.g., industry professionals, public relations representatives, etc. (collectively, “sources”). Those second client devices route responses received from respective sources directly and/or indirectly (e.g., via the server(s)) to the client device of the “reporter” who inputted the request.
1. A digital data processing system for collecting and transferring information, comprising:
A. plural first digital data processors in communications coupling with one or more digital data processing servers,
B. the plural first digital data processors each accepting input from one or more persons seeking information and, from that input, generating and transmitting respective information queries to the one or more digital data processing servers,
C. the one or more digital data processing servers compiling a plurality of respective queries generated by the plural first digital data processors into a single compiled query and transmitting the compiled query to plural second digital data processors in communications coupling therewith, wherein the compiled query includes a plurality of respective queries from a plurality of first digital data processors,
D. the plural second digital data processors each:
(i) displaying or otherwise conveying the compiled query to one or more respective persons that may have relevant information,
(ii) accepting input from a said respective person that may have relevant information to a respective query of said compiled query,
(iii) generating a response to a said respective query based on that input, and
(iv) transmitting the response to the one or more digital data processing servers, wherein the one or more digital data processing servers privately routes the response to the one or more first digital data processors that generated the respective queries so that no second digital data processor displays a response input by another second digital data processor.
2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more digital data processing servers transmits query responses received from a second digital data processor to a first digital data processor that generated the respective query, along with an identification of the person who provided the information in that response.
3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more digital data processing servers transmit query responses anonymously.
4. The system of claim 2 , wherein the identification includes any of a name, e-mail address, physical address and phone number.
5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the plural second digital data processors route query responses to a first digital data processor via one or more further digital data processing servers.
6. The system of claim 5 , wherein the one or more further digital data processing servers comprise e-mail servers that anonymously forward query responses to the respective first digital data processors.
7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more digital data processing servers transmit one or more advertisements along with the information queries to the plural second digital data processors.
8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more digital data processing servers transmit queries to the plural second digital data processors via any of e-mail, instant message and text message.
9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the plural first digital data processors transmit queries to the one or more digital data processing servers via any of e-mail, instant message and text message.
10. The system of claim 1 , wherein the plural second digital data processors transmit query responses to the one or more first digital data processors via any of e-mail, instant message and text message.
11. A digital data processing system for collecting and transferring information, comprising:
A. plural first digital data processors in communications coupling with one or more digital data processing servers,
B. the plural first digital data processors each accepting input from one or more of reporters, bloggers, and detectives seeking information and, from that input, generating and transmitting respective information queries to the one or more digital data processing servers,
C. the one or more digital data processing servers compiling a plurality of respective queries generated by the one or more first digital data processors into a single compiled query and transmitting the compiled query to plural second digital data processors in communications coupling therewith, wherein the compiled query includes a plurality of respective queries from a plurality of first digital data processors,
D. the plural second digital data processors each:
(i) displaying or otherwise conveying the compiled query to one or more respective sources that may have relevant information,
(ii) accepting input from said respective sources that may have relevant information,
(iii) generating a response to a said respective query of the compiled query based on that input, and
(iv) transmitting the response to the one or more digital data processing servers, wherein the one or more digital data processing servers privately routes the response to the one or more first digital data processors that generated the respective queries so that no second digital data processor displays a response input by another second digital data processor.