CONFIGURABLE ELECTRONIC MESSAGING SYSTEM THAT MAINTAINS RECIPIENT PRIVACY

1 . An electronic messaging system comprising:

a message server available over a network;

message data accessible by said message server, said message data comprising at least one name associated with a message recipient, a list of at least one electronic mailbox to which the message recipient has access, an access list of senders authorized to send messages to the message recipient, and messaging routing rules;

software executing on said message server for receiving from a message sender over the network an authentication and a recipient identifier;

software executing on said message server for determining, based at least in part upon the message data, the authentication and the recipient identifier whether the message sender is authorized to send a message to the message recipient;

software executing on said message server for, if the message sender is authorized to send a message to the message recipient, receiving a message from the message sender over the network;

software executing on said message server for determining, based at least in part upon the message data, the authentication and the recipient identifier, to which of one or more of the at least one electronic mailbox to route the message; and

software executing on said message server for routing the message to the determined one or more of the at least one electronic mailbox over the network.

2 . The electronic messaging system of claim 1 wherein software executing on said message server:

receives the authentication over the network;

determines, based at least in part upon the message data and the authentication, a list of permitted recipient identifiers to which the message sender is authorized to send messages;

transmits the list of permitted recipient names to which the message sender is authorized to send messages over the network; and

receives a selection of the recipient name from the message sender over the network.

3 . The electronic messaging system of claim 1 wherein software executing on said message server:

determines, if the message sender is authorized to send a message to the message recipient, whether there are any restrictions on the message sender based at least in part upon the message data, the authentication, and the recipient identifier; and

transmits a list of restrictions to the message sender over the network.

4 . The electronic messaging system of claim 1 wherein network is the Internet.

5 . The electronic messaging system of claim 1 wherein the network comprises one or more of the following: a subset of the Internet, a local area network, a wide area network, a wireless network, and a cloud.

6 . The electronic messaging system of claim 1 further comprising message recipient hardware connected to the network and in communication with said message server.

7 . The electronic messaging system of claim 6 wherein the message recipient hardware comprises one or more of the following: a computer, a laptop, a mobile device and a smartphone.

8 . The electronic messaging system of claim 7 wherein the message recipient hardware can be used to access at least one electronic mailbox.

9 . The electronic messaging system of claim 1 further comprising message sender hardware connected to the network and in communication with said message server.

10 . The electronic messaging system of claim 9 wherein the message sender hardware comprises one or more of the following: a computer, a laptop, a mobile device and a smartphone.

11 . The electronic messaging system of claim 10 wherein the message sender hardware can be used to access and manipulate web pages.

12 . The electronic messaging system of claim 1 wherein the message routing rules are dependent upon a message sender identity.

13 . The electronic messaging system of claim 1 wherein the message routing rules are dependent upon a time of day.

14 . The electronic messaging system of claim 1 wherein the message routing rules are dependent upon a day of the week.

15 . The electronic messaging system of claim 1 wherein the message routing rules are dependent upon a particular date.

16 . The electronic messaging system of claim 1 wherein the message routing rules comprise a matrix dependent upon two or more of the following parameters: a message sender identity, a time of day, a day of the week and a particular date.

17 . The electronic messaging system of claim 1 wherein the message routing rules specify one or more formats in which the recipient desires to receive messages for each of the at least one electronic mailbox.

18 . The electronic messaging system of claim 17 further comprising message reformat software executing on the message server for translating the message into a specified format before routing to the at least one electronic mailbox.

19 . The electronic messaging system of claim 1 wherein the authentication and the recipient identifier are received from the message sender via a private web page associated with the message recipient.

20 . The electronic messaging system of claim 19 wherein the authentication and the recipient identifier are received from the message sender in response to a send message function being selected by the message sender on the private web page associated with the message recipient.

21 . The electronic messaging system of claim 1 wherein the message is received from the message sender via a private web page associated with the message recipient.

22 . The electronic messaging system of claim 21 wherein the message is received from the message sender in response after the message sender enters the text of the message on the private web page associated with the message recipient.

23 . The electronic messaging system of claim 1 wherein the message is received from the message sender via a non-public electronic mailbox address, whereby privacy of the message recipient is ensured.

24 . An electronic messaging system comprising:

a message server available over a network;

software executing on said message server for receiving from a message sender over the network a message, an authentication and a recipient identifier;

software executing on said message server for determining, based at least in part upon the authentication and the recipient identifier whether the message sender is authorized to send a message to a message recipient identified by the recipient identifier;

software executing on said message server for determining to which of one or more electronic mailboxes associated with the message recipient to route the message; and

software executing on said message server for routing the message to the determined one or more of the electronic mailboxes over the network.

25 . A method of routing electronic messages comprising the steps of:

providing a message server available over a network;

storing message data accessible by the message server, the message data comprising at least one name associated with a message recipient, a list of at least one electronic mailbox to which the message recipient has access, an access list of senders authorized to send messages to the message recipient, and messaging routing rules;

receiving from a message sender over the network an authentication and a recipient identifier;

determining, based at least in part upon the message data, the authentication and the recipient identifier whether the message sender is authorized to send a message to the message recipient;

receiving a message from the message sender over the network if the message sender is authorized to send a message to the message recipient;

determining, based at least in part upon the message data, the authentication and the recipient identifier, to which of one or more of the at least one electronic mailbox to route the message; and

routing the message, with the message server, to the determined one or more of the at least one electronic mailbox over the network.

26 . The method of claim 25 further comprising the steps of:

receiving the authentication over the network;

determining, based at least in part upon the message data and the authentication, a list of permitted recipient identifiers to which the message sender is authorized to send messages;

transmitting the list of permitted recipient names to which the message sender is authorized to send messages over the network; and

receiving a selection of the recipient name from the message sender over the network.

27 . The method of claim 25 further comprising the steps of:

determining, if the message sender is authorized to send a message to the message recipient, whether there are any restrictions on the message sender based at least in part upon the message data, the authentication, and the recipient identifier; and

transmitting a list of restrictions to the message sender over the network.