Multi-source journal content integration systems and methods

1. A system, comprising:

a processor;

a content datastore;

a layer datastore distributed across a plurality of servers to store a plurality of editing layers;

a multi-source content acquisition engine coupled to the content datastore;

a multi-source content selection engine coupled to the multi-source content acquisition engine;

an integrated content arrangement engine coupled to the multi-source content selection engine;

a collaborative edit aggregation engine coupled to the layer datastore;

a collaborative layer placement engine coupled to the collaborative edit aggregation engine;

a layer integration engine coupled to the collaborative layer placement engine, the collaborative edit aggregation engine, and the integrated content arrangement engine;

a multi-source content launch engine coupled to the layer integration engine;

a collaborative edit launch engine coupled to the multi-source content acquisition engine;

wherein, in operation:

the multi-source content acquisition engine provides a first instruction to launch an editor window to display a set of selectable content generated from user-generated content, the user-generated content being generated by a plurality of remote sources and stored in the content datastore, each of the plurality of remote sources comprising a digital device configured to provide the user-generated content to the system over a network connection;

the multi-source content selection engine identifies a set of selected content from the set of selectable content;

the integrated content arrangement engine arranges the set of selected content into a multi-sourced journal content sequence;

the collaborative edit aggregation engine provides an editing layer from the layer datastore to the collaborative layer placement engine according to instructions received from a first remote source of the plurality of remote sources;

the collaborative layer placement engine:

provides the editing layer, a portion of the multi-sourced journal content sequence associated with an item of content included as part of the set of selected content and used to display the editing layer, and at least a portion of a sequence of the multi-sourced journal content sequence in which to display the editing layer, to the layer integration engine according to the instructions received from the first remote source; and

provides to the layer integration engine a plurality of instructions comprising: a second instruction from a second remote source of the plurality of remote sources to apply a first layer from the layer datastore to the portion of the multi-sourced journal content sequence, and a third instruction from a third remote source of the plurality of remote sources to apply a second layer from the layer datastore to the portion of the multi-sourced journal content sequence;

the layer integration engine applies the editing layer to the portion of the multi-sourced journal content sequence during the at least a portion of the sequence of the multi-sourced journal content sequence by associating the editing layer with an edit layer classification associated with the multi-sourced journal content sequence, to allow the second remote source and the third remote source to collaboratively edit the multi-sourced journal content sequence;

the multi-source content launch engine provides, according to the application of the editing layer to the portion of the multi-sourced journal content sequence, a fourth instruction to display an integrated multi-sourced journal content sequence including the multi-sourced journal content sequence and the editing layer displayed superimposed on the portion of the multi-sourced journal content sequence in the editor window during the at least the portion of the sequence of the multi-sourced journal content sequence;

the collaborative edit launch engine:

receives the first instruction to launch the editor window from the multi-source content acquisition engine;

launches a first editor window on a first remote edit client associated with the third remote source, the first editor window displaying the multi-sourced journal content sequence during the at least the portion of the sequence of the multi-sourced journal content sequence, the launching the first editor window being based on the first instruction to launch the editor window;

launches a second editor window on a second remote edit client associated with the fourth remote source, the second editor window displaying the multi-sourced journal content sequence during the at least the portion of the sequence of the multi-sourced journal content sequence, the launching the second editor window being based on the first instruction to launch the editor window;

the first instruction to launch the editor window from the multi-source content acquisition engine facilitating the collaborative edit of the multi-sourced journal content sequence.

2. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a multi-source channel publication engine coupled to the layer integration engine, wherein, in operation, the multi-source channel publication engine creates a multi-source content channel comprising the integrated multi-sourced journal content sequence.

3. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a journalism sourcing engine coupled to the multi-source content acquisition engine and the content datastore;

wherein, in operation, the journalism sourcing engine provides to the multi-source content acquisition engine:

first user-generated coverage of an event obtained from a first citizen journalist;

second user-generated coverage of the event obtained from a second citizen journalist.

4. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a content marketplace engine coupled to the content datastore, wherein, in operation, the content marketplace engine facilitates user-based exchange of user-generated journal content.

5. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a content scrapbooking engine coupled to the multi-source content acquisition engine and the content datastore, wherein, in operation, the content scrapbooking engine provides to the content datastore user-generated social history content.

6. A method, comprising:

using a multi-source content acquisition engine to provide a first instruction to launch an editor window to display a set of selectable content generated from user-generated content, the user-generated content being generated by a plurality of remote sources and stored in a content datastore;

configuring a multi-source content selection engine to identify a set of selected content from the set of selectable content;

using an integrated content arrangement engine to arrange the set of selected content into a multi-sourced journal content sequence;

receiving instructions from a first remote source of the plurality of remote sources;

providing an editing layer from a layer datastore distributed across a plurality of servers to provide an unconstrained number of editing layers, a portion of the multi-sourced journal content sequence associated with an item of content included as part of the set of selected content and used to display the editing layer, and at least a portion of a sequence of the multi-sourced journal content sequence in which to display the editing layer, to a layer integration engine according to the instructions received from the first remote source;

using a collaborative edit aggregation engine to provide to the layer integration engine a plurality of instructions comprising:

a second instruction from a second remote source of the plurality of remote sources to apply a first layer from the layer datastore to the portion of the multi-sourced journal content sequence;

a third instruction from a third remote source of the plurality of remote sources to apply a second layer from the layer datastore to the portion of the multi-sourced journal content sequence;

using the layer integration engine to apply the editing layer from the layer datastore to the portion of the multi-sourced journal content sequence during the at least a portion of the sequence of the multi-sourced journal content sequence by associating the editing layer with an edit layer classification associated with the multi-sourced journal content sequence, to allow the second remote source and the third remote source to collaboratively edit the multi-sourced journal content sequence;

providing, according to the application of the editing layer to the portion of the multi-sourced journal content sequence, a fourth instruction to display, using a multi-source content launch engine, an integrated multi-sourced journal content sequence including the multi-sourced journal content sequence and the editing layer displayed superimposed on the portion of the multi source multi-sourced journal content sequence in the editor window during the at least the portion of the sequence of the multi source multi-sourced journal content sequence;

using a collaborative edit launch engine to:

receive the first instruction to launch the editor window from the multi-source content acquisition engine;

launch a first editor window on a first remote edit client associated with the third remote source, the first editor window displaying the multi-sourced journal content sequence during the at least the portion of the sequence of the multi-sourced journal content sequence, the launching the first editor window being based on the first instruction to launch the editor window;

launch a second editor window on a second remote edit client associated with the fourth remote source, the second editor window displaying the multi-sourced journal content sequence during the at least the portion of the sequence of the multi-sourced journal content sequence, the launching the second editor window being based on the first instruction to launch the editor window;

the first instruction to launch the editor window from the multi-source content acquisition engine facilitating the collaborative edit of the multi-sourced journal content sequence.

7. The method of claim 6 , further comprising using a multi-source channel publication engine to create a multi-sourced content channel comprising the integrated multi-sourced journal content sequence.

8. The method of claim 6 , further comprising:

using a multi-source content search engine to receive a request from the multi-source content selection engine to search the content datastore for subject-specific content;

using the multi-source content search engine to provide the subject-specific content to the multi-source content selection engine.

9. The method of claim 6 , further comprising using a collaborative layer placement engine to provide to the layer integration engine a first layer received from a first editor window and a second layer received from a second editor window.

10. The method of claim 6 , further comprising using a journalism sourcing engine to provide to the multi-source content acquisition engine:

first user-generated coverage of an event obtained from a first citizen journalist;

second user-generated coverage of the event obtained from a second citizen journalist.

11. The method of claim 6 , further comprising facilitating user-based exchange of user-generated journal content.

12. The method of claim 6 , further comprising using a content scrapbooking engine to provide to the multi-source content acquisition engine user-generated social history content.

13. A system comprising:

one or more physical processors programmed with one or more computer program instructions which, when executed, cause the one or more physical processors to:

provide a first instruction to launch an editor window to display a set of selectable content generated from user-generated content, the user-generated content being generated by a plurality of remote sources and stored in a content datastore;

identify a set of selected content from the set of selectable content;

arrange the set of selected content into a multi-sourced journal content sequence;

receive instructions from a first remote source of the plurality of remote sources;

provide an editing layer from a layer datastore distributed across a plurality of servers to provide an unconstrained number of editing layers, a portion of the multi-sourced journal content sequence associated with an item of content included as part of the set of selected content and used to display the editing layer, and at least a portion of a sequence of the multi-sourced journal content sequence in which to display the editing layer, to a layer integration engine according to the instructions received from the first remote source;

provide to the layer integration engine a plurality of instructions comprising:

a second instruction from a second remote source of the plurality of remote sources to apply a first layer from the layer datastore to the portion of the multi-sourced journal content sequence;

a third instruction from a third remote source of the plurality of remote sources to apply a second layer from the layer datastore to the portion of the multi-sourced journal content sequence;

apply the editing layer from the layer datastore to the portion of the multi-sourced journal content sequence during the at least a portion of the sequence of the multi-sourced journal content sequence by associating the editing layer with an edit layer classification associated with the multi-sourced journal content sequence, to allow the second remote source and the third remote source to collaboratively edit the multi-sourced journal content sequence;

provide, according to the application of the editing layer to the portion of the multi-sourced journal content sequence, a fourth instruction to display, using a multi-source content launch engine, an integrated multi-sourced journal content sequence including the multi-sourced journal content sequence and the editing layer displayed superimposed on the portion of the multi-sourced journal content sequence in the editor window during the at least the portion of the sequence of the multi-sourced journal content sequence;

receive, from a collaborative edit launch engine, the first instruction to launch the editor window from the multi-source content acquisition engine;

launch, from the collaborative edit launch engine, a first editor window on a first remote edit client associated with the third remote source, the first editor window displaying the multi-sourced journal content sequence during the at least the portion of the sequence of the multi-sourced journal content sequence, the launching the first editor window being based on the first instruction to launch the editor window;

launch, from the collaborative edit launch engine, a second editor window on a second remote edit client associated with the fourth remote source, the second editor window displaying the multi-sourced journal content sequence during the at least the portion of the sequence of the multi-sourced journal content sequence, the launching the second editor window being based on the first instruction to launch the editor window;

the first instruction to launch the editor window from the multi-source content acquisition engine facilitating the collaborative edit of the multi-sourced journal content sequence.