Enabling participation in an online community using visual machine-readable symbols
View Patent ↗A facility for coordinating an online discussion is described. The facility receives an indication that a user has captured a machine-readable symbol encoding an identifier that identifies a particular online discussion. In response, the facility incorporates into an online forum that hosts this online discussion an indication that this user captured a symbol encoding an identifier that identifies this online discussion.
1. A computer-implemented method, comprising:
configuring a user interface for presenting information describing one or more online interactions;
receiving a selection of an online interaction;
generating a machine-readable symbol for capture by client devices;
associating the machine-readable symbol with the online interaction, wherein a client device capturing the machine-readable symbol performs an action associated with the online interaction; and
storing the machine-readable symbol.
2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the selected online interaction is an interaction between users of an online community.
3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the selected online interaction is a group discussion.
4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the machine-readable symbol is a two dimensional bar code.
5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , the method further comprising:
maintaining information describing users associated with client devices that have captured the machine-readable symbol.
6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , the method further comprising:
sending a capture program for installation on a client device, the capture program configured to perform the action associated with the online interaction in response to the client device capturing the machine-readable symbol.
7. The computer-implemented method of claim 6 , wherein the machine-readable symbol encodes a telephone number, wherein the capture program causes the client device to call the encoded telephone number.
8. The computer-implemented method of claim 6 , wherein the machine-readable symbol encodes an email address, wherein the capture program causes the client device to send an email message to the encoded email address.
9. The computer-implemented method of claim 6 , wherein the machine-readable symbol encodes data, wherein the capture program causes the encoded data to be decoded for presentation via the client device.
10. The computer-implemented method of claim 6 , wherein the online interaction is associated with a website maintaining user profiles, wherein the client device is associated with a user profile maintained by the website, and wherein the machine- readable symbol encodes data, wherein the capture program is configured to:
decode the encoded data; and
send a request to the website to associate the decoded data with the user.
11. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instructions for:
configuring a user interface for presenting information describing one or more online interactions;
receiving a selection of an online interaction;
generating a machine-readable symbol for capture by client devices;
associating the machine-readable symbol with the online interaction, wherein a client device capturing the machine-readable symbol performs an action associated with the online interaction; and
storing the machine-readable symbol.
12. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 11 , wherein the selected online interaction is an interaction between users of an online community.
13. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 11 , wherein the selected online interaction is a group discussion.
14. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 11 , wherein the machine-readable symbol is a two dimensional bar code.
15. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 11 , further storing instructions for:
maintaining information describing users associated with client devices that have captured the machine-readable symbol.
16. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 11 , further storing instructions for:
sending a capture program for installation on a client device, the capture program configured to perform the action associated with the online interaction in response to the client device capturing the machine-readable symbol.
17. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 16 , wherein the machine-readable symbol encodes a telephone number, wherein the capture program causes the client device to call the encoded telephone number.
18. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 16 , wherein the machine-readable symbol encodes an email address, wherein the capture program causes the client device to send an email message to the encoded email address.
19. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 16 , wherein the machine-readable symbol encodes data, wherein the capture program causes the encoded data to be decoded for presentation via the client device.
20. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 16 , wherein the online interaction is associated with a website maintaining user profiles, wherein the client device is associated with a user profile maintained by the website, and wherein the machine-readable symbol encodes data, wherein the capture program is configured to:
decode the encoded data; and
send a request to the website to associate the decoded data with the user.