Generic content collection systems
The invention generally relates to a universal, generic content collection method and system for collecting, storing, and sharing content on the Internet using computers, mobile and/or electronic devices. In one aspect, the invention relates to methods and systems for collecting multiple types of content using a user interface. The method includes activating the user interface associated with the content, wherein the user interface is configurable to be associated with at least two types of content; optionally, providing a list of one or more content collections services, wherein a first content collection service is configured to collect a first type of content and a second content collection service is configured to collect a second type of content; and directing the content to one or more content collection services. The user interface may be a virtual button on a webpage, browser or other screen device, or a physical button on a piece of hardware such as a PDA, mobile phone, watch, etc.
1. An apparatus, comprising:
a computing device;
the computing device configured to present to a user a user interface associated with first information of a first type and second information of a second type;
the computing device configured to receive a signal indicative of a user selecting to collect the first information of the first type;
the computing device configured to send, in response to the signal, the first information of the first type to a first information collection service such that the first information of the first type is stored in a database, the first information collection service being a preferred information collection service of the user to collect information of the first type; and
the computing device configured to send the second information of the second type to a second information collection service.
2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first information of the first type or the second information of the second type is used to identify an advertisement to present to the user.
3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein:
the user interface is a first user interface, the computing device configured to present to the user the first user interface at a first time; and
the computing device is configured to present to the user at a second time a second user interface based on at least one of the first information of the first type or the second information of the second type.
4. A method, comprising:
presenting, using a computing device, a user interface to a user on a display, the user interface associated with first information and second information, wherein at least one of the first information or the second information is to be stored in one or more databases;
identifying, using the user interface, a first type of information, the first type of information associated with the first information;
identifying, using the user interface, a second type of information, the second type of information associated with the second information;
receiving a signal indicative of a user selecting to collect the first information;
sending, using the computing device, the first information to a first information collection service, the first information collection service being a preferred information collection service of the user to collect information associated with the first type of information; and
sending, using the computing device, the second information to a second information collection service.
5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the sending the first information to the first information collection service is in response to the user selecting to collect the first information.
6. The method of claim 4 , wherein the first information includes at least one of a bookmark, an RSS feed, a podcast, a product, an advertisement, a contact, an event, an image, a video, a classified, a document, or a snippet of information.
7. The method of claim 4 , wherein the second information includes at least one of information entered by the user and user identification information.
8. The method of claim 4 , wherein at least one of the first information or the second information is used to define a profile for the user.
9. The method of claim 4 , wherein the user interface is associated with third information, the method further comprising:
identifying a third type of information, the third type of information associated with the third information; and
sending the third information to a third information collection service, the third information collection service being another preferred information collection service of the user to collect information associated with the third type of information.
10. The method of claim 4 , wherein at least one of the first information or the second information is used to identify an advertisement to present to the user.
11. The method of claim 4 , wherein:
the user interface is a first user interface;
the first information or the second information is associated with a third information displayed on a second user interface to be presented to the user; and
the third information includes one or more profiles of one or more users, additional metadata or specification or analytics data pertaining to the first information or the second information, or object attributes of one or more objects pertaining to the first information or the second information.
12. The method of claim 4 , further comprising:
sending the first information to the second information collection service, wherein
sending the first information to the first information collection service includes sending the first information to the first information collection service to be stored in a first database, and
sending the first information to the second information collection service includes sending the first information to the second information collection service to be stored in a second database separate from the first database.
13. The method of claim 4 , wherein the identifying the second type of information is based on user interaction with the user interface.
14. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first information includes at least one of a bookmark, an RSS feed, a podcast, a product, an advertisement, a contact, an event, an image, a video, a classified, a document, or a snippet of information.
15. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the second information includes at least one of information entered by the user and user identification information.
16. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first information or the second information is used to define a profile for the user.
17. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the user interface is associated with third information, the apparatus further comprising:
the computing device configured to identify a third type of information, the third type of information associated with the third information; and
the computing device configured to send the third information to a third information collection service, the third information collection service being another preferred information collection service of the user to collect information associated with the third type of information.
18. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein:
the user interface is a first user interface;
the first information or the second information is associated with a third information displayed on a second user interface to be presented to the user; and
the third information includes one or more profiles of one or more users, additional metadata or specification or analytics data pertaining to the first information or the second information, or object attributes of one or more objects pertaining to the first information or the second information.
19. The apparatus of claim 1 , the apparatus further comprising:
the computing device configured to send the first information to the second information collection service, wherein
the computing device configured to send the first information to the first information collection service includes sending the first information to the first information collection service to be stored in a first database, and
the computing device configured to send the first information to the second information collection service includes sending the first information to the second information collection service to be stored in a second database separate from the first database.
20. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the identifying the second type of information is based on user interaction with the user interface.
21. A computer program product embodied in a non-transitory computer readable medium, the computer readable medium having stored thereon a sequence of instructions which, when executed by a processor causes the processor to execute a set of acts, the set of acts comprising:
presenting, using a computing device, a user interface to a user on a display, the user interface associated with first information and second information, wherein at least one of the first information or the second information is to be stored in one or more databases;
identifying, using the user interface, a first type of information, the first type of information associated with the first information;
identifying, using the user interface, a second type of information, the second type of information associated with the second information;
receiving a signal indicative of a user selecting to collect the first information;
sending, using the computing device in response to the signal, the first information to a first information collection service, the first information collection service being a preferred information collection service of the user to collect information associated with the first type of information; and
sending, using the computing device, the second information to a second information collection service.
22. The computer program product of claim 21 , wherein the sending the first information to the first information collection service is in response to the user selecting to collect the first information.
23. The computer program product of claim 21 , wherein the first information includes at least one of a bookmark, an RSS feed, a podcast, a product, an advertisement, a contact, an event, an image, a video, a classified, a document, or a snippet of information.
24. The computer program product of claim 21 , wherein the second information includes at least one of information entered by the user and user identification information.
25. The computer program product of claim 21 , wherein at least one of the first information or the second information is used to define a profile for the user.
26. The computer program product of claim 21 , wherein the user interface is associated with third information, the set of acts further comprising:
identifying a third type of information, the third type of information associated with the third information; and
sending the third information to a third information collection service, the third information collection service being another preferred information collection service of the user to collect information associated with the third type of information.
27. The computer program product of claim 21 , wherein at least one of the first information or the second information is used to identify an advertisement to present to the user.
28. The computer program product of claim 21 , wherein:
the user interface is a first user interface;
the first information or the second information is associated with a third information displayed on a second user interface to be presented to the user; and
the third information includes one or more profiles of one or more users, additional metadata or specification or analytics data pertaining to the first information or the second information, or object attributes of one or more objects pertaining to the first information or the second information.
29. The computer program product of claim 21 , the set of acts further comprising:
sending the first information to the second information collection service, wherein
sending the first information to the first information collection service includes sending the first information to the first information collection service to be stored in a first database, and
sending the first information to the second information collection service includes sending the first information to the second information collection service to be stored in a second database separate from the first database.
30. The computer program product of claim 21 , wherein the identifying the second type of information is based on user interaction with the user interface.