Abstract: A method for conducting automated persistent searches with notifications includes receiving user inputted topic search criteria; receiving user inputted notification criteria; receiving user inputted search preferences; determining information content sources and collaborative environments to search in response to the user inputted topic search criteria; determining user context information from an event with a defined time of occurrence in response to user input or from a user's calendar and scheduling application; wherein user context information defines a period of relevancy for retrieved information content from a persistent search; performing a persistent search until an exit criteria is met by repeatedly interrogating the determined information content sources and the collaborative environments while taking into account the user's context information; and sending one or more notifications to one or more users upon meeting the exit criteria.

Abstract: A technique for automated discovery of relationships between components providing a service and discovery of the relationship of shared components to other services. A discovery engine determines a management address for a component experiencing a problem and retrieves a TCP connection table for the component. It then identifies TCP connections that are either active or that were recently active. For each, the destination address is added to a global connection table. After the TCP connection table has been processed in this manner, the global connection table is traversed and TCP connection tables for each listed destination address are examined recursively. At the conclusion of this recursive process, the management table contains a list of management agents in the distributed system to which the original component had a TCP connection, either directly or indirectly.

Abstract: A selectively removable graphic display for a sectional overhead garage door of a type including at least first and second pivotally connected horizontal steel door panels having respective first and second widths, respective first and second outer faces, and a first elongated horizontal joint therebetween. The display includes a first sheet segment having a first magnetic inner face, a first outer display face, a first outer shape having a first straight edge, and a first height. The first height is less than or substantially equal to the first width of the first door panel. A second sheet segment includes a second magnetic inner face, a second outer display face, a second outer shape having a second straight edge, and a second height that is substantially equal to the second width of the second door panel. The first and second shapes combine to form an overall shape, such as a logo.

Abstract: A system and method for dynamically recognizing a potential recipient of an electronic message. The method includes receiving content input for an electronic communication. The electronic communication includes at least one field of a plurality of fields, including a subject line, a message body, and a recipient address field. The at least one field of the electronic communication is populated with the content input. The method also includes parsing the content input of the at least one field of the electronic communication. The method also includes semantically analyzing the parsed content input of the at least one field of the electronic communication to identify a content qualifier of a recipient rule. The method also includes suggesting a potential recipient of the electronic communication based on the content qualifier of the recipient rule associated with the content input of the at least one of field of the electronic communication.

Abstract: A method and system for relational database design that allows records to be flagged as deleted but still retained in the database. Deleted records are not included in table viewing or editing activities. Reversing a deletion flag undeletes the record. Records that reference deleted records in delete-cascade relationships are flagged as deleted. Such dependent records are undeleted if the independent records are undeleted, unless the dependent records were independently flagged as deleted. If an active record is dependent on a record in a delete restrict relationship then the independent record cannot be deleted. If a foreign key references a deleted record in a delete-set-null or delete-set-default relationship then the field evaluates to null or the default value, but if the independent record is undeleted then the field returns to referencing the independent record. Unique indexes are enforced without regard to deleted records.

Abstract: A method is provided for exploitation of a social network to derive a location of an employee in a corporation utilizing instant messaging or automatic telephone calls. A search request is received for a location of an employee. A social network or acquaintance list of the employee is looked up in a corporate database. A list of contacts of the employee is extracted from the social network or acquaintance list in the corporate database. The list of contacts is presented, in response to the search request. The list of contacts is polled to locate the employee via instant messaging and/or automatic telephone calls. The location of the employee is received, in response to polling the list of contacts. The list of contacts is alerted that the employee has been located.

Abstract: A method for associating a calendar invitation for a calendar event to a web conference for a web conference event is provided. Invitees of a calendar invitation for a calendar event are received and are detected. The invitees of the calendar event are associated to a web conference event. Modifications relating to the invitees of the calendar event are detected. Modifications relating to the invitees of the calendar event are propagated to the web conference event, and the web conference event synchronizes with the calendar event. Modifications relating to the web conference event for the web conference are detected. Modifications relating to the web conference event are propagated to the calendar event, and the calendar event synchronizes with the web conference event. The invitees of the calendar invitation include first, second, and/or third tiers, and the tiers relate to user roles and privileges, such as a hidden or anonymous presence.

Abstract: A method for exploitation of location proximity to derive a location of an employee in a corporation utilizing instant messaging or automatic telephone calls is provided. A search request for a location of an employee is received. A look up of coworkers of the employee in a corporate database is performed. A list of neighbors of the employee is extracted from the coworkers, and the list of neighbors of the employee is generated in accordance with the proximity of neighbors in the list of neighbors to a workspace of the employee. The list of neighbors is presented, in response to the search request. The list of neighbors is polled to locate the employee via instant messaging and/or automatic telephone calls. The location of the employee is received, in response to polling the list of neighbors. The neighbors are alerted that the employee has been located.

Abstract: Detecting click fraud that includes a processing device that receives data related to a cursor movement towards an advertisement displayed on a web page. The processing device analyzes the cursor movement data and determines a confidence level useable in the determination of click fraud, the confidence level responsive to the analysis of the cursor movement. The received data includes data that the cursor on the web page has transited at least one pixel cluster on the web page prior to a clicking the advertisement. In one embodiment, a click fraud is detected when the click occurred without the cursor crossing a pixel cluster, and no click fraud occurring when the click occurred after the cursor crossed a pixel cluster.

Abstract: Detecting click fraud that includes a client device capable of accessing a server hosting a web page containing an advertisement. The client device includes a network interface allowing access to the server and code on the client device. The code accesses and displays a web page containing an advertisement, provides mechanisms (e.g., an applet, an ActiveX control, a plugin, a JavaScript, a browser scripting language, browser extensions, or code native to the browser) associated with each pixel cluster where each mechanism captures information regarding the transit of the pixel cluster by a cursor on the web page, and collects information based on the capturing by each associated mechanism regarding the transit of the pixel cluster by a cursor on the web page.

Abstract: Detecting click fraud that includes a server that hosts a website that includes a web page containing an advertisement. The server provides an advertisement on a web page, provides pixel clusters on the web page with the advertisement, each pixel cluster having an associated mechanism for capturing whether a cursor on the web page has transited the associated pixel cluster, and collects information based on the capturing of each associated mechanism of information regarding the transit of the pixel cluster by a cursor. The collected information is useable in a determination of a confidence level pertinent to the determination of click fraud occurring on the advertisement on the web page. The server verifies the cursor on the web page has transited at least one pixel cluster on the web page prior to a controller of the cursor clicking the advertisement.

Abstract: A method, system and program are provided for moderating the automated scheduling of meetings and their respective participants. Input actions are received resulting in the origination of a meeting, which is then assigned a hierarchical prioritization value that is cross referenced to the meeting moderator's hierarchical ranking parameters, which are contextually referenced to a hierarchical directory system. Candidate meeting participants are selected for the meeting and their availability information is retrieved. Comparison operations are then performed against the priority ranking of the meeting, the meeting participant's availability information, and the respective hierarchical ranking parameters of the meeting moderator and candidate meeting participants. Optimum scheduling for the meeting is determined and scheduling conflicts are identified.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention address deficiencies of the art in respect to arbitrating polling results and provide a novel and non-obvious method, system and computer program product for collaborative arbitration of polling results in a collaborative environment. In an embodiment of the invention, a method for collaborative arbitration of polling results in a collaborative environment can be provided. The method can include placing a poll within a message and sending the message to a select group of collaborators in the collaborative environment. The method further can include receiving poll results from a collaborator in the select group in a reply to the message, extracting the poll results from the reply and placing the poll within a new message along with the extracted poll results. Thereafter, the new message can be sent to the select group.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention address deficiencies of the art in respect to validating a specified identity for a participant to a chat session and provide a novel and non-obvious method, system and computer program product for trusted contact name validation for an instant messaging session. In one embodiment of the invention, an instant messaging contact name validation method can be provided. The method can include establishing a trusted relationship among at least two instant messaging servers in a trusted community of instant messaging servers, receiving a request to add a specified contact to a list of instant messaging contacts in association within one of the instant messaging servers in the trusted community of instant messaging servers, and validating the specified contact with another of the instant messaging servers in the trusted community of instant messaging servers.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention address deficiencies of the art in respect to buddy list management for instant messaging systems and provide a novel and non-obvious method, system and computer program product for buddy list pruning for instant messaging system performance enhancement. In one embodiment of the invention, a buddy list pruning method for instant messaging system performance enhancement can include comparing buddy list name entries in a buddy list to entries in a network directory used to authenticate users into a network supporting the instant messaging system. The method further can include characterizing selected ones of the buddy list name entries as either invalid where a buddy list name entry cannot be matched to an entry in the network directory, or as valid where the buddy list name entry can be matched to an entry in the network directory. Finally, the method can include performing presence awareness only on valid buddy list name entries in the buddy list.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention address deficiencies of the art in respect to message response management and provide a method, system and computer program product for motivating and de-motivating message responses. In one embodiment of the invention, a message reply motivation and de-motivation method can be provided. The method can include composing a message, addressing the message to at least one addressee, associating a reply preference specifying whether or not a recipient is to reply to the message, and forwarding the reply preference to the addressee. Upon receipt, the message can be displayed in a message viewer, and any reply preference for the message can be analyzed to determine if the reply preference specifies whether or not to reply to the message. Thereafter, the reply preference can be applied in the message viewer.

Abstract: A method, apparatus and computer-usable medium for improved load testing of subsystems comprising a larger system by intelligently and stochastically distracting virtual users from healthy subsystems such that they collaboratively converge on a subsystem exhibiting operating health problems. Virtual users are progressively targeted at a degraded subsystem to force it to sustain its respective share of a test workload, thereby exacerbating its behavior to facilitate problem determination and resolution. Virtual users that have failed or terminated in an unhealthy subsystem are replaced by selectively and intelligently redistributing virtual users from healthy systems. As virtual users are redistributed to the degraded subsystem and fail or terminate, additional performance and behavior data is generated as the subsystem degrades to an unusable or non-operational state. By accelerating time-to-failure, test cycle intervals are reduced and the number of identified performance defects are maximized.

Abstract: A communication system and method for optimizing a network (or web) conference. A communication system in accordance with an embodiment of the invention includes a network conference server, at least one mail server, a moderator's client device, a plurality of participants' client devices, a network interconnecting the servers and client devices, a network conference application executed by the network conference server, and an email application distributed amongst the mail server and the client devices. The network conference application receives from the moderator's client device a first communication comprising a conference schedule, participant details and conference material and transmits to the email application a second communication comprising a network address, the conference schedule, the participant details and the conference material.

Abstract: An instant message (IM) connection is established at an IM server in the usual manner, under the policies and security rules promulgated by the IM service provider. Using this connection to the IM server, an offline IM chat request is made at the IM server for establishing an offline connection directly between consenting IM clients. The request may be included in a message to the IM server from a client, or the request may be in the form of IM session parameter, for the client, that authorizes an offline chat as the preferred type of IM session under certain conditions. These conditions may result in the IM server being unavailable or may instead authorize the IM server to unload the client from an online session to an offline session based on IM server loading level or other factors that are under the control of the server. The conditions may also specify the presence of other IM clients as a criteria for establishing an offline chat; the clients may be present in an online chat session or merely available.