Abstract: A method of addressing a communication, such as an e-mail, for transmission over a network is disclosed. A knowledge server accesses a descriptive profile for each of a number of potential recipients of the communication. A subset of the potential recipients is identified as suggested recipients based on detected correspondences between the content of the communication and the contents of the respective descriptive profiles for the potential recipients. The subset of suggested recipients is then presented to the sender of the communication, in conjunction with an indication of the correspondence between the content of the communication and the contents of the respective descriptive profiles. The indication of the correspondence may, for example, include highlighting terms within the communication that match published terms within the descriptive profiles of the suggested recipients.

Abstract: Knowledge neighborhoods are generated from concepts associated with knowledge profiles within an organization to create a knowledge taxonomy. A root concept is used to select a set of profiles associated with the root concept. At least one concept common to the set of profiles is determined and an affinity between the common concept and the root concept is derived. The common concept is a knowledge neighbor of the root concept. A set of one or more such knowledge neighbors forms one level of the knowledge neighborhood for the root concept. The knowledge neighborhood can grow through various levels by using one or more of the common concepts as a new root concept. A knowledge map can be employed to graphically illustrate the knowledge neighborhood.

Abstract: An agent in a knowledge management system automatically manages profile terms in a user profile by selecting certain terms in a private portion of the user profile and moving the selected terms to a public portion of the profile. Additionally, the selected terms can be further filtered to determine which will be moved. The owner of the user profile also may specify whether a particular term is always moved, never moved, or moved only when the user is alerted that the term is selected and the owner chooses to move the term.

Abstract: A method for facilitating user-authorized disclosure of profile information to a requesting entity involves the specification of notification and authorization rules pertaining to a composite profile or a collection of profiles. The notification and authorization rules specify appropriate responses to hits that occur as a result of matching operations against the composite profile or collection of profiles. The notification and authorization rules may specify appropriate responses on a profile by profile basis. The rules may further authorize publication of profile information to a requesting entity, or may specify that authorization for the publication of such information be expressly obtained from the subject (or owner) of the profile prior to any publication to the requesting entity. The composite profile, or collection of profiles, may include profile information submitted by a profile subject, or profile information harvested by an external profile owner (e.g., a website).

Abstract: A search is refined, where a user enters a keyword, and a database comprising terms is searched for terms comprising the keyword. Every unique member in the terms is assigned an importance value to produce a set of discriminator members. The discriminator members are presented to the user, and the user may select one or more of the discriminator members to refine the search. If the user selects any keywords, a new keyword is created using the original keyword and the selected discriminator members. A new search is conducted based on the new keyword.

Abstract: An agent in a knowledge management system automatically manages profile terms in a user profile by selecting certain terms in a private portion of the user profile and moving the selected terms to a public portion of the profile. Additionally, the selected terms can be further filtered to determine which will be moved. The owner of the user profile also may specify whether a particular term is always moved, never moved, or moved only when the user is alerted that the term is selected and the owner chooses to move the term.