Importance

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Abstract

A method allows participants of a social medium or network to unrestricted communication with each other (i.e., without first requiring a pre-established connection or relationship between the communicating participants), without an unacceptable risk of unwanted or unwelcomed communications. The method includes (a) allocating to each member an allocation of community currency units; (b) representing all members of the community in a graph in which each member is represented as a node and established relationships among the members are represented as edges; and (c) when a first member initiates an electronic communication with a second member, (i) evaluating a cost of the electronic communication by a measure that takes into consideration available paths in the graph that exist between the first member and the second member, (ii) modifying the cost of the electronic communication according to a set of pre-determined factors; (iii) deducting from the first member's allocation of community currency units the modified cost of the electronic communication; and (iv) effectuating the electronic communication.

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First Claim