Abstract: A goods information collecting system for collecting information on goods on a network gives a contribution right to a user, records and manages an article when the user contributes the article, associates the article with information on goods, generates a link to the information on goods, displays the article, records and manages an operation history of other users with respect to the displayed article, calculates an influence degree showing the degree to which the contributed contents have an effect on the goods selection of other users, and generates a point given to the user contributing the article, based on the calculated influence degree.

Abstract: There is provided a sales promotion support method in an on-line shopping environment in which a goods provider server used by a goods provider that provides goods is connected to a user terminal used by a user through a communication path, wherein the goods provider server registers information on a user, presents information on goods to a user, manages service points to be given on the registered user basis, and in the case of detecting that a first user that has browsed through information on goods at a user terminal has distributed information on goods to a second user, updates service points of the first user that is a distribution origin.

Abstract: A repair component is specified based on repair request information including at least failure information of a product to be repaired and a desired repair fee. A component information database and an owner information database are searched based on the specified repair product, whereby component providing candidates owning a product including the repair component are selected. A purchase reference price is input based the desired repair fee to notify the component providing candidates of the purchase reference price. An evaluation value is calculated which is an index for evaluating a residual value of the repair component on the component providing candidate basis from selling component information containing a desired selling price, and a component providing candidate that provides a repair component having the highest evaluation value is selected as a component provider. A repair fee is input, and the repair requester is notified of repair information containing the repair fee.

Abstract: A virtual communication space is constructed, in which people that actually see, hear or experience the same thing in the real world can exchange impressions or opinions in real-time.

Abstract: A pattern matching rule for recognizing a weakly linked idiom is previously held in a pattern matching section. If a weakly linked idiom which is registered in the pattern matching rule and has separately placed portions is present in an input sentence, the pattern matching section recognizes the idiom. If the weakly linked idiom is recognized by the pattern matching section, the idiom is replaced by a series of symbolized pattern expressions in a replacing section. A sentence subjected to the replacement process in the replacing section is given to an analyzing section. The analyzing section treats the series of symbolized pattern expressions as one idiom and analyzes the sentence. As a result, the result of analysis in which the weakly linked idiom is adequately processed is obtained as an output of the analyzing section.