System and Method for Establishing a Distributed Social Network

1 . A method of providing social media data in a distributed network, the method comprising:

discovering one or more mobile devices with which a network connection may be established with a host mobile device, the host mobile device comprising a social media application to provide the social media data to the one or more mobile devices;

mapping, at the host mobile device, one or more candidate routes through which the network connection may be established;

establishing the network connection between the host mobile device and the one or more mobile devices; and

providing social media data to the one or more mobile devices.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more mobile devices are discovered by applying a Kademlia algorithm.

3 . The method of claim 1 further comprising identifying the one or more mobile devices.

4 . The method of claim 3 , further comprising enabling the host mobile device to provide the social media data to at least one selected mobile device by applying social media permissions.

5 . The method of claim 3 , further comprising enabling the host mobile device to provide selected social media data to the one or more mobile devices by applying social media permissions.

6 . The method of claim 1 further comprising enabling an additional host mobile device to:

discover mobile devices with which a network connection may be established;

map one or more candidate routes through which the network connection may be established; and

establish a connection with the one or more mobile devices over the network connection.

7 . The method of claim 1 , the host mobile device establishing the network connection using at least one of: a session traversal utilities for network address translation (STUN) process, and a traversal using relays around NAT (TURN) process.

8 . A method of obtaining social media data in a distributed network, the method comprising:

discovering a host mobile device with which a network connection may be established, the host mobile device comprising a social media application from which the social media data can be obtained;

mapping one or more candidate routes through which the network connection may be established;

establishing the network connection with the host mobile device; and

obtaining the social media data.

9 . The method of claim 8 wherein the host mobile device is discovered by applying a Kademlia algorithm.

10 . The method of claim 8 further comprising sending a request for the social media data to the host mobile device over the network connection.

11 . The method of claim 10 wherein the social media data is provided to selected mobile devices in accordance with social media permissions.

12 . The method of claim 10 wherein selected social media data is obtained in accordance with social media permissions.

13 . The method of claim 8 , the network connection being established using at least one of: a session traversal utilities for network address translation (STUN) process, and a traversal using relays around NAT (TURN) process.

14 . A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising computer executable instructions for providing social media data in a distributed network, the computer executable instructions comprising instructions for:

discovering one or more mobile devices with which a network connection may be established with a host mobile device, the host mobile device comprising a social media application to provide the social media data to the one or more mobile devices;

mapping, at the host mobile device, one or more candidate routes through which the network connection may be established;

establishing the network connection between the host mobile device and the one or more mobile devices; and

providing social media data to the one or more mobile devices.

15 . A host mobile device comprising a processor and memory, the memory comprising computer executable instructions for providing social media data in a distributed network by operating the processor to:

discover one or more mobile devices with which a network connection may be established with the host mobile device, the host mobile device comprising a social media application to provide the social media data to the one or more mobile devices;

map, at the host mobile device, one or more candidate routes through which the network connection may be established;

establish the network connection between the host mobile device and the one or more mobile devices; and

provide social media data to the one or more mobile devices.

16 . A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising computer executable instructions for obtaining social media data in a distributed network, the computer executable instructions comprising instructions for:

discovering a host mobile device with which a network connection may be established, the host mobile device comprising a social media application from which the social media data can be obtained;

mapping one or more candidate routes through which the network connection may be established;

establishing the network connection with the host mobile device; and

obtaining the social media data.

17 . A mobile device comprising a processor and memory, the memory comprising computer executable instructions for obtaining social media data in a distributed network by operating the processor to:

discover a host mobile device with which a network connection may be established, the host mobile device comprising a social media application from which the social media data can be obtained;

map one or more candidate routes through which the network connection may be established;

establish the network connection with the host mobile device; and

obtain the social media data.