AU2013205756A1 - Global network of a plurality of purpose driven virtual environments or 'channels', each possessed of multi-channel communication methods and multimedia hubs. - Google Patents

Abstract

Methods, systems and graphical user interfaces are disclosed for a location based, geographically relative network consisting of a plurality of internally and externally generated 'channels' based around physical environments, virtual environments, physical locations (being specific places, buildings, addresses, venues, establishments etc.), events, communities, clubs, organizations, businesses, groups, causes and such. Each channel to exist as a nexus for information gathering and sharing, broadcasting live video and audio, related multimedia, marketing, promotions and real time communications through text, voice and video. Methods allow for the searching and filtering of channels by categorization, both quantitative and qualitative. Each channel is given a virtual space and integrated virtual environment for engaging in commerce, social interaction, and other meaningful exchanges. Channels have relative meaning to users based on current geographical locations relative to that of channels input locations. A method allows the network to offer suggestions and recommendations to users based on certain factors.

Description

1 Global network of a plurality of purpose driven virtual environments or "channels", each possessed of multi-channel communication methods and multimedia hubs. Description GEOGRAPHICALLY RELATIVE NETWORK AND ASSOCIATED FEATURES FOR CREATING AN ADDITIONAL LAYER OF AVAILABLE ROUTES TO COMMERCE, MARKETING, COMMUNICATIONS, INTERACTIONS, SOCIALIZATION, SOCIAL NETWORKING, INFORMATION DISTRIBUTION AND OTHER MEANINGFUL EXCHANGES, THROUGH ESTABLISHMENT OF A PLURALITY OF CHANNELS, EACH RESPECTIVELY BASED AROUND PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENTS, VIRTUAL ENVIRONMENTS, PHYSICAL LOCATIONS, PLACES, AREAS, EVENTS, COMMUNITIES, GROUPS, CAUSES, ORGANIZATIONS AND SO FORTH. Technical field [0001] The present invention relates to a combination of networking for social and commercial purposes, multimedia sharing and viewing, advertising, marketing and promotions and inforrmational resources, defined by geo-locational proximity to create and imitate a plurality of digital virtual spaces relevant to individuals, groups, communities, suburbs, cities, countries and other locations. Background of invention [0002] Social networking has been explored extensively in recent years and is almost always focused solely or at least primarily on expressing oneself to ones friends (being existing relationships created in a different realm altogether) and similarly interacting with and responding to ones friends expressions. The means and methods of interacting are numerous and include the use of static pictures, comments and status messages, conversations, quotations and text, the use of maps and location tagging, mutli-player gaming, group conversations and other uses of media to engage singular or multiple people.

2 [0003] There is no obvious gap in the ability to communicate with friends and direct contacts in the current world of online networks. However if the target of interactions and communications is redefined away from friends and shifted to the extended community which may be comprised of acquaintances, local businesses, areas, places and neighbours all the way to completely unknown people, places, entities, organizations, visitors and temporary local occurences and events, the technological tools for making appropriate or useful connections and information seeking, interactions, connections and so forth through geographically relative means become significantly less abundant. [0004] Within this field there are dating networks that are usually aimed at uniting two people with common interests in each other, review sites for businesses and products, and websites aimed at selling and trading goods and services locally. These are a few of the limited tools currently available for more expansive communication to that which is beyond the intimately familiar. If a user's motivation for interaction varies beyond these parameters (dating, reading reviews, or exchanging goods and services) then choices are limited or nill as far as technological provision goes. [0005] There are a number of networks (both social and otherwise), applications and systems currently in existence today that are used on a massive scale. These provide some variant, some partial activity that some features of the network being disclosed will provide but they are not materially similar. The network being disclosed is the sum of cumulative features (some completely new and some in existence) which build into a completely new and innovative system for performing a plurality of activities and functions together or independently. For the purpose of highlighting these differences a few examples of these currently existing networks will be provided and the entire patent document will serve to illuminate the innovative steps taken by this network. - IRC or Internet Relay Chat is a protocol for live interactive text messaging (chat) in channels through an application, over the internet. It has existed for decades and there are thousands of IRC networks and servers and hundreds of thousands of IRC channels throughout the world currently in existence. IRC is often used to create purpose driven channels for specific topics based on something specific or general, 3 niche markets, niche hobbyists, niche segments of interest groups and so forth to gather in a completely text based environment. People join these channels to discuss things they have an affinity for. They may private message other users in the channels and carry out chat and conversations within the channels. There is no user profile or user account, just a nickname and Internet Protocol address or email address as a unique identifier for a user. There is no centralized network, no way to advertise a channels existence within the IRC framework and no search system to find channels inbuilt into IRC. There is no geographical relativity. To join a channel you must know which IRC server it is on and its name, amongst hundreds of thousands of channels spread over a vast number of networks. To find a channel, or advertise to people the location and existence of a channel this needs to be done externally. For example a fan website for a television show would provide a link, IRC server address and channel name so that people coming to that fan website would know where to go to find the corresponding IRC channel. --- Foursquare is a geolocational website and application which lists actual businesses and establishments only and plots them on their respective corresponding geographical locations on a world map. It lets you search their database using keywords. All results are displayed on a map and there are no filters for results other than the initial search and no categorization and sorting beyond the fundamentals (i.e. Bar, Cafe, etc.). Each location has a corresponding page when opened where a user may check in (mark that they are at that location currently), post a static comment or read all the comments left by previous visitors. The address is displayed and sometimes some images and a description message. A rating out of 10 is displayed and calculated based on the total votes by people visiting that page. Foursquare is primarily based on being a directory tool, and saving money and getting special deals at certain participating venues. --- Facebook is a social networking website which represents a significant portion of the technology and market share within its field in the current market. Facebook's predominant focus is to allow one to share aspects of life with an existing social circle, their 'friends list'. Once a user populates this list they are able to share photos, static comments, posts and other media with their friends and engage in private messaging. Users may create, share and send invitations out to events and mark themselves as 4 attending events. Users are able to view a newsfeed of their friends activities and witness how their friends interact with other users including their own other respective friends. Facebook users have a user account and a detailed profile about themselves which is then used to provide them with targetted advertisements based on their attributes, characteristics, demographics and so forth. Companies, businesses, commercial entities, venues, establishments and so forth have all begun creating their own Facebook page for use in advertising, marketing and promotional schemes. These pages are often used to provide status updates, images and information about whatever entity the page is representing. Users may post comments about the page and the entity it represents. The goal companies have is to get users to "Like" their page which generates a form of marketing buzz. Facebook pages have no geographical relativity to a users current location, and no automatic display of available results, categories and filterable searching for results. Generally, an individual needs to know what they are looking for and will then perform a Google search for the Facebook page of whatever they are seeking, or follow an advert link and then input that into their web browser to find the page they seek. Upon reaching their destination they are presented with a static display of information and may leave a static comment, this is an extremely limited form of interaction. - Twitter is a social networking and microblogging service that allows users to "tweet" brief messages in posts. Users may follow other users and then are able to track them with notifications when a new tweet is posted and then read these tweets at leisure. Twitter helps people hear updates from people they consider important and want to hear from, and allows people to post updates to followers who are interested in what is being posted or who is posting it. Businesses, venues and establishments have begun tweeting updates, upcoming events and such that they are having and communicating to their consumers via twitter and "tweets". Twitter has invented a system called hashtagging (#) whereby if any user posts a tweet and places # before the word or phrase this is recorded. At any given point in time, Twitter has the ten most frequently hashtagged items recently 'trending' which is effectively a giant generation of marketing buzz and the goal of most commercial entities is to be 'trending' on twitter. [0006] The disclosed network provides a layer of communication that may revolve 5 around a point of interest, between members relevant to the point, and is not centric to a respective person or particular social circle. Networking that occurs as a result of this is completely independent of the users existing social circle. Beyond networking, the system is also designed to engage a user commercially, socially, sensorally and in other ways, to the point of interest. The paramaters, context and purpose of interaction are unlike Facebook or any other existing network, and the realistic motives and goals of the individual user for using the disclosed network and any of the other systems do not align. [0007] Where existing methods for any type of communication and interaction with people, places and entities outside an individuals direct realm of contact are static and specific, it is also limited and not subject to much change in terms of what segment of society is being interacted with and what about. Something far more dynamic will be established herein this patent document: a network facilitating a "market place" style of open interaction within a geo-locational framework which marks a significantly innovative step to any existing network in the world today. Where users of the network, both consumers and businesses, drive the market as far as purpose, reason, topic and mode of interaction in a very supply and demand oriented environment with far fewer constraints. The methods of communication are NOT static, single-channel comments posts with little complexity which may or may not be read and quickly forgotten and disregarded. They are dynamic, evolving and multi-channel, real methods of human interaction and conversation, something which is sorely missing in society today as social media including comment based communications is retarding societies abilities to actually communicate, converse extensively and interact with other human beings. This is not only more useful to the current societal and commercial needs of present but also no doubt more adequate to cope with the unknown, always changing and potentially volatile requirements of future. [0008] What is lacking in the current realm of online networks both social and otherwise, has been identified as the basis for infrastructure aimed at creating and fostering a network of dynamic, relevant and expansive links and chains of communication between a respective user of this new network and their respective target (be it a person, group, place, area, community, cause or any other purpose driven 6 nexus) within a geo-locational setting - without the respective user having an existing relationship or even necessarily any prior knowledge of the respective target. Summary of the invention [0009] The presently disclosed invention and its systems, methods and figures all relate to the functionality and features of a network henceforward to be referred to as the network, with its primary purpose being creation, management, sorting and evolution of the network of a plurality of purpose driven virtual environments henceforward to be referred to as channels. The network and its methods allow for creation both internally and externally of channels by administrators and users of the network respectively, and the sorting, organizing, classification, searching, filtering and display of results of these channels. They also allow for the joining of channels and participation in their many functions and features. Channels will often take the form of geospatial virtual representations of actual places, venues, establishments, cities, areas, spaces, suburbs, events or anything else based on a temporal element or location. They may take the form of causes, groups, communities, specific hobbyists, or any other niche cluster and may cover a geographical area where individuals may discover and interact with others of a like mind within the channel environment. These channels will facilitate meetings, interactions and collaberation between users by providing a common destination for users of similar leanings, affinities and interests and eliminating barriers to interaction present in existing networks such as pre-existing social ties, or affinity matching systems that may not be comprehensive enough. [0010] A collection of supporting features and functions will be disclosed with their purpose being to compliment, supplement, enhance and contribute to the primary function of the network, and increase the overall usability and user friendliness to create a comprehensive user experience on the network. This will include the ordinary and common trappings of a user based network of this type along with some new inventions. Brief description of the diagrams [0011] FIG. 1 is a high-level flowchart of an overall encapsulation of the network and its 7 operations, the systems and devices required for the network to function and the flow of information and data through the network and its plurality of types of individuals that may make use of the network. [0012] FIG. 2 is a high-level flowchart which illustrates the individual user experience of the network, including the home screen, the process by which an individual becomes a user of the network and how a profile and contact list are established, and what the user may do on the network. [0013] FIG. 3 is an example of a network search page which illustrates how channels within the system are categorized, how searching may be performed, how a users current geographical location may be set, how geographical relativity is utilized, and how search results may be displayed. [0014] FIG. 3A is a conceptual overview of an embodiment of an example channel (x) and the user-base that it has derived from two different suburb areas. [0015] FIG. 4 is an example of detailed results from a network performed search which illustrates how channels within the system are categorized, how searching may be performed, and of what data is stored and how results may be displayed. [0016] FIG. 5 is a conceptual overview of an embodiment of an example channel (channel definition is stated below) and its potential layout, and the many features, multimedia and performable activities within the example channel. [0017] FIG. 6 shows where FIG. 5 above falls into context within the overall browsing and utilization of the network through a list of open channels and list of favourite channels retrieved through the network search methods and managed through the user interfaces methods. [0018] FIG. 7 shows the process, form and details required by which a new channel may be created and entered into the database of the network.

8 [0019] FIG. 8 is a high-level flowchart concerning the different conceptual layers and types of channels creatable on the network and the varying privacy and user control settings individuals may make use of when creating and moderating channels and private category networks of channels. [0020] FIG. 9 is a high-level flowchart concerning the algorithmically performable calculations doable by the network, the data sources used to perform those calculations, outside impacts that may be taken into account, and the purposes for the algorithms and the output results. [0021] FIG. 10 is a high-level flowchart which provides a detailed conceptual overview of two key user experience systems within the network: the invitation system and the contacts system. Wherein invitations may be sent by users to users and non-users alike for a plurality of reasons. Wherein a contact system exists and is manageable by a respective user, and a contact group system exists and operates both dependently and independently of the contact system. Detailed Description [0022] The disclosure described below for the purpose of this document will henceforward be referred to as the network or the system. The network will be explained with the aid of diagrams including high-level flowcharts and general illustrations of specific embodiments relevant to the disclosed topic in a specific section. Reference in this document to an embodiment means a portion of the art, such that an embodiment has a significant function but is combined with other embodiments to form the system. Reference to the embodiment will therefore be contextual to the paragraph it is being used in and always consistent with the diagrams that are referred to in said paragraph. The diagrams to be used in this document flow and are consistent in logic and every individual element that occurs in multiple diagrams will have the same numerical label in every diagram that it occurs in. Some elements, features and functions of the network and its systems may be mentioned in paragraphs in context with that paragraphs descriptions, without much elaboration or detail on them, such as algorithms 114 and channels 113-2, the detailed descriptions will follow later in the 9 document. The variable x or n may be used in the diagrams and their labels to embody certain things in context, x being an individual element for the purpose of examples and n signifying a plurality or large quantity of elements. [0023] The network described in this document requires a system to function, a system comprised of a plurality of computing systems that collectively work together to perform multiple functions to support this network, as database storage, servers, and processors to implement a networking environment both internally and externally. Internally, the plurality of computing systems being usable to access and process the data of the network. The system stores and processes the networks data where its individual respective users, affiliates, moderators, administrators and channels data is stored along with all their respective corresponding data and multimedia. Externally, an application programming interface and graphical user interface is required to allow access to and utilization of the network described by its respective individual users. [0024] FIG. 1 is a high-level flowchart of an overall encapsulation of the network in its entirety, including the internal systems of the network 100 and its operations 114-115, the systems and devices 107-113 required for the network to function and the flow of network information and data 115 through the network internally 100 and externally via communications networks 105 to its individual users 101. [0025] The internal network 100 comprises of computing systems and devices 107-113 that allow individual users 101 to use their respective individual devices 102 to be able to display a graphical user interface 104 which is effectively a display and user input controls with which the respective individual navigates the network. This GUI 104 is created, programmed, processed, executed and run on the user device 102 through the use of an application programming interface 103 which allows the graphical user interface 104 to connect with, interface with and display information from the internal network 100 and its databases 113 to allow individual users to submit data, network requests, queries and searches to the network 115-1 and to receive data, results, recommendations and output from the network 115-2 regarding data stored in the databases 113.

10 [0026] The individual device 102 and the API 103 connect to the internal network 100 via a communications network 105 such as the internet and the network cloud 106 which is in turn connected to the internal network 100 via a router 107 which links the internal network 100 to the internet 105. The network cloud 106 hosts similar data and data structures as the networks internal databases 113 and the API 103 in a form that is easily accessible and light weight for individual users 101 and their devices 102. The network cloud 106 is hosted on the internet 105, and may take the form of a website or internet accessible web application usable by individual devices 102 that may be hosted using web, http or ftp servers using the physical servers 108 of the internal network 100. The website or web application may be coded using various programming languages including Hyper Text Markup Language, JavaScript, AJAX, PHP Hyper-text Preprocessor and other such programming tools. The physical servers 108 may host and support the functionality of the networks primary functions 115 to facilitate its usability by individuals 101. [0027] The internal network 100 itself is comprised of a plurality of devices including network servers 108 which are made up of physical servers being physical computer devices and systems which perform various functions for the internal network 100. [0028] The application server 109 is a computer system/plurality of computer systems which manage the databases of the hard drives and data storage 113, they have processors 112 and manage the incoming data submissions, data requests, searches and queries 115-1 that the system receives from individual devices 102 and output data 115-2 to those individual devices 102. The graph server 110 is a computer system/plurality of computer systems which receive queries from the application servers 109, process the queries 112 and return results, graph servers 110 possess random access memory (RAM) 111 which is utilized to perform network functions such as algorithms 114 which may be used to identify any connections or affinity relationships between any data entries in the networks databases 113 (see FIG. 9 below for a detailed account of this). The results are returned to the application server 109 which is then distributed as outgoing results 115-2 to the device 102 and interface 104 that is accessing the network 100.

11 [0029] Hard drives and data storage 113 includes data storage servers with large hard drive capacity which are used to store all network data and content for and of the network which enable its operability and functions. The data is stored in whatever form is appropriate depending on the type of data being stored, for this network that would include databases and structures of information (i.e. MySQL data stores which store user and channel details and information), images (jpeg, gif, png etc.), audio (mp3, podcasts, etc.), video (mpeg4, avi, etc.), text (ASCII, etc.), executable items such as games or multiplayer games, and other multimedia that is subject to being stored and used on the network for its many functions. [0030] The MySQL data stores or equivalent are sorted logically in a variety of separate yet integrated databases which allow for the maintenance of the data sets as separate yet allow for logic to be utilized to assess relationally ascertainable links between data contained in the separate data sets (the processes for doing this will be covered in detail under FIG. 9). [0031] These sets include the user database set 113-1 which stores an individual users respective data which is all their account information (account name, password, email), all their profile information (such as a users name, nick name (optional to use for display in channels as a privacy setting), profile picture, age, gender, current location, home address, work address, phone number, relationship status, email address, occupation, education, and subjective qualitative submissions such as likes, hobbies and further details about themselves), all their activities and actions on the network (including past channels engaged in and past searches performed and the frequency of searching for certain things or time spent in certain channels), their contacts, their open channels, their favourites list of channels, what devices they access the system with, their private messaging logs, records of their geographical movements, and any and all other user related information ascertainable by the network and storable in a database of this type that suit or assist in the means and ends of the network and its purpose and utility. The network may use any user database 113-1 information for whatever purpose deemed useful by the network and its administrators that are within the limitations of legality and accepted privacy settings, including as a marketing data resource or research tool, and may use this information internally or externally by removing personal identifiers such as 12 real names and identities from the data. [0032] These sets include the channels database set 113-2 which stores all of the channels on the network and all their data. A channels respective data includes all of its details including the channels name, a channel logo/image, channel type, category, sub category, location, whether it is public or private, a password if it is private, keywords for meta data tagging, and subjective qualitative submissions such as a channel status message and detailed channel description. The channels database also stores all the related data to every respective channel which may include a list of the current users in that channel (both online and offline), a list of similar and related channels on the network, a list of goods or services sold by or purchasable on or through the channel, logs of chat and communications carried out in a respective channel (chat, text, voice, video), links to and actual video and audio live streams, audio, video, images and any other multimedia and so forth that were submitted to that respective channel by its moderators or users and any other information related to that channel that the moderator makes available on that channel. This database will also contain all private category networks of channels (see FIG. 8). Channels and their many features, functions, types, characteristics and attributes will be covered in detail throughout the rest of this description (mainly FIG. 3 to FIG. 8 below). The channels with the largest amount of individuals 101 currently in them at any given point in time, being the most active channels with the most online individual accounts participating within them, will be stored within a list in this database called "Top Channels" and this will be displayed in the GUI 104 in an appropriate location. These "Top Channels" will be sortable and filterable by channel characteristics and details. For example, under "Top Channels" a user seeks the top channels on surfing, the channels regarding surfing with the highest number of users currently in them would then be displayed. Top channels may also be sorted and filtered by area covered or distance from the individual users current location, for example: top channels in the world, in a specific country, in a specific city, in a specific suburb, or around the specific user with the distance criteria being set by the respective user. Channels may also be internally generated by the system automatically without administrator assistance, using network algorithms to determine appropriate new hub channels or public channels that are suitable for the network and may generate, gather and assemble content related to the newly internally generated 13 channel automatically from all available sources including the internet, news media, streams, feeds, blogs and third party social networks and applications. [0033] These sets include the affiliates database set 113-3 which stores all the account information of individuals 101 who are registered with the network in the affiliate 113-3 capacity. An affiliate account is similar to a user 113-1 account except it has added features and functionality and methods of interacting with the network. An affiliated account has extra moderation capabilities and features over and above that which channels created by users 113-1 have. The purpose of this is to incentivize the creation of affiliate accounts for commercially beneficial quid pro quo arrangements between individuals being businesses, companies and such and the network. An affiliate account may engage in commerce on the network, selling, buying and exchanging goods and/or services or any other commercial interactions through the network. For example, an individual 101 may create an affiliate account 113-3, with this they may create an affiliated channel, in this channel they may put a menu inside its information page, and from this menu it would be possible for any other network account to make purchases and place orders from that menu through the networks channel interface in this respective affiliate channel. An affiliate account may engage in advertising, marketing and promotions and may bid to pay a sum to the network for this advertising which would take a plurality of forms, for example, a high ranking top of the list type placement of their respective channels in the outputting of results, recommendations and suggestions where appropriate (this will be covered in detail under FIG. 9). [0034] These sets include the moderators database set 113-4. A moderator is any individual 101 who creates a channel. Upon creating a channel an individual 101 will create an entry in the channels database 113-2 in the form of a new channel, as well as an entry in the moderators database 113-4. This database will store and recognize that this individual user account will have moderator control over that respective channel, to moderate, control, edit, change and update all the characteristics, features and attributes of the channel. A moderator of a channel may transfer moderation control of a respective channel to any other individual account, or they may appoint other individual accounts to become moderators of that respective channel as well, and upon doing so, these new individual accounts would be added to the moderator database 14 correspondingly linking them as moderators to the channels they are now moderators of. [0035] These sets include the administrators database set 113-5. An administrator is an individual 101 who is an employee or agent of the network itself, acting for the network and on behalf of the network. Administrators will have their own administrator accounts created in the administrator database 113-5. They will also have their own version of a graphical user interface 104 and a corresponding application programming interface 103 similar to the one used by any other network account except that these will have additional interfaces and input controls that afford them unlimited control over the network and all of the elements covered in this document. Examples of this control include: 1) an administrator may create channels as any other network account may, yet they may also edit, control, and moderate any channel on the network created by administrators or by any other user 113-1 or affiliate 113-3, administrators have all the control that respective moderators 113-4 have, and they have it over every channel on the network 2) administrators may remove moderators 113-4 and reassign moderator power to other network accounts if required 3) they may delete user accounts from the network, ban and un-ban user accounts, and delete channels from the network 4) they may create, edit and delete categories and subcategories 5) they may post administrator update messages which have a corresponding section in the networks graphical user interface 104 assembled and displayed as they are posted, these would typically involve status updates regarding the network itself and important upcoming network events and items. [0036] FIG. 2 is a high-level flowchart which illustrates the individual 101 user experience of the network in FIG. 1 from initial exposure to complete utilization. The individual 101 that intends to use the system may be a user who wants to use the system casually for socializing, information seeking and such or a business representative or any entity that may want to become an affiliate of the system to use the system for commercial, promotional, marketing or advertising purposes. Respectively these individuals 101 will use their individual devices 102 being a smart phone, tablet device, computer, laptop, or any other compatible device that may execute and run the application programming interface 103 to display a graphical user interface 15 104 to interface with and navigate the network with user input controls. The individual 101 upon opening the application of the network is first presented with a home screen 201 on their GUI 104, this is a basic interface allowing access to minimal network features and the ability for an individual to create a new network account or sign in to an existing account. [0037] The process by which an individual 101 signs up 202 to become a user of the network includes the question of whether they will use a third party application or network in the formation of their personal user profile on the network to import contact lists, profile and personal information, and any and all integration and data offerable by the third party network or application for use with the network, which the network can utilize. If the individual 101 selects not to use a third party application or network their user account will be blank and they must input, upload and set all user account and profile information manually and create a new contact list from scratch using the networks internal contacts systems. This user will still have the option at a later stage to synchronize, link and attach their user account with a third party application or network to import contacts, profile and personal information later. If the individual 101 selects to use a third party application or network upon creation of a network account then the network will retrieve all applicable data, information, contact list information, and images and form a new network account using all discernible information and data gatherable from the submitted third party network or application and leave the individual 101 to fill in any missing or indiscernible details to their overall user account later. [0038] Once the account creation process is complete this new individual's 101 user account information is submitted via incoming data 115-1 to the internal network 100 and becomes an entry in the user database 113-1. Once an individual 101 has an account they may sign in and have complete access to the network using their email address or user name and password but must initially fulfil any number of processes that the network may employ for its security and integirty which may include a verification email, a verification of human user test, a verification of location or any other critical factor test that the system deems necessary, depenent or independent of the device 102 the individual 101 is using to access the network 100. Upon signing in to the network, through the use of the internal network 100 and its systems, processors 112, 16 algorithms 114, and the incoming and outgoing transfer of network informations 115 the user has access to a user experience interface 200 presented to them through the GUI 103. Tutorials will be provided to assist the new individual by instructing them on the flow, features and so forth of the network and its graphical user interface 104. This will grant the respective user the ability to utilize the network and its databases 115-1 for the following functionality: [0039] Channels 113-2: a user may search for, browse, join, participate in, chat in, view multimedia content in, create, moderate creations, invite to, receive invitations to, gather information and leave channels. [0040] Contacts: a user may manage a contacts list 22, search for contacts through the user database 113-1, add contacts, remove contacts, invite contacts to channels, engage in private messaging with individual contacts or groups of contacts, view contacts profiles, create and manage contact groups and invite non-users to join the network and become contacts A user may monitor a list of information of the activities and actions performed by their respective contacts. [0041] Profile: a user has their own respective profile page 21 where they may view, edit, maintain, update and broadcast their profile information. They may manage an open channels list and favourite channels list. They may also import third party stored information, manage account settings, toggle on and off a profanity filter, manage privacy settings, link with accounts and store the account information of third party networks and applications, receive notifications, monitor their activities and actions on the network and view other individuals 101 profiles, their contacts profiles, and their respective activities and actions (visibility of these is dependant on the privacy settings of each respective individual). A user may manage a block list, to block and unblock any other network account, blocking means a respective blocked account may not contact an individual in any way and that any content blocked individuals submit in channels remains invisible to that blocking individual. All profile information of an individual 101 may be utilized by the algorithmic 114 methods of the network. Attaching a third party network or account to the individuals 101 network account stores the username and password for it so that the network may post, share and broadcast network data to that 17 third party network or application account if and when the individual wishes to do so. For example, a user may broadcast, share or post their current open channels list, favourites channels list, open events channels, past activities, profile status message or other such network profile data straight onto the respective third party network in whatever form that network utilizes for posts. [0042] Every individual 101 may manage privacy settings in their respective profile. These include "who can send you private messages", "who can send you channel invites", "who can view your email address", "who can view your phone number", "who can view your real name", "who can view your current location", "who can view your age, gender, and interests", "who can view your recent actions and activities", "who can view your open channels and favourite channels". The variable settings options for each of these privacy settings are "No one", "Everyone" and "Contacts only". This allows individuals to maintain their privacy at the level they desire, and elect to share what they are willing to share about themselves with strangers and contacts. [0043] Algorithmically provided content 114: A user may receive algorithmically generated content specific to them and their user account, this is dynamically generated content for every individual including recommendations, suggestions, and matchmaking features using all available network data and user profile and personal information to do so (this is covered further under FIG. 9). Further, a user will have access to sorted lists of information including lists of streaming live updated news items from their currently open and favourite channels, administrator, moderator or affiliated content submissions, news updates, status updates, messages, official messages, posts, official posts and events being hosted [0044] FIG. 3 is an example of a network search page which illustrates several things about the networks systems and how they flow in logic, it is also representative of the search process 115-1 as one of the graphical user interfaces 104 with which individuals 101 will be able to access, view, browse, utilize and interact with the databases 113 of the network 100. The individual using the site will set their current location 203 for use with the networks functions. This current location will always be on display to the individual 101 so they know the originating point of the performed network searches 18 relative to the results outputs. An individual 101 may set their location in the system 204 by various means. On a compatible GPS enabled device the network will (with the individuals permission) automatically detect the GPS location of the individual and set this location as the current location 203 of the individual by default. The individual may choose to manually enter a current address in set location 204 if they wish to use a location other than their current GPS location as the originating point of the search, or if they are not using a compatible GPS device. Thirdly an individual may set location 204 using the current detectible IP (Internet protocol address) of the device they are currently using as an alternative if the device is not GPS enabled and they do not wish to manually enter a current address. The IP address provides a very rough location as detectible using this method. Once an individual's current location 203 is determined for use with the search functions, an individual may input none, any or all of a plurality of search filters through the search request and query methods of the network 115-1 to retrieve search results 115-2. These filters align with the details of all channels in the channels database 113-2. A user has the ability to search and filter out the results to be displayed by any or all of the following: by the name of a channel (partial or complete), by the location of a channel (such as suburb, or street name, partial or complete), by keywords in the meta data of a channel, by category or a plurality of categories, by sub category or sub-categories within the selected category(ies) after selecting a category or multiple categories, by age demographic or a plurality of age demographics, and by distance from their set current location 203. Distance filters and current location 203 are a primary example of how geographical relativity is utilized by the network. [0045] To provide an example of how this search and filtering system works the channel results 115-2 as exemplified in FIG. 3 will be used in which a channel result is shown Bondi Social On The Sand 300. This example channel would be displayed as a search result If an individual were to do any or all of the following: 1) Type any or all of the words "bondi", "social", "on", "the", "sand" into the search bar. 2) Select the "Outdoors" category. 3) Select the "Beaches" sub-category. 4) Select "All" in age demographics. 5) The distance filter range falling within the acceptable distance between current location 203 and Bondi Social On The Sand's 300 location so as not to filter it out as an acceptable result. 6) By default upon opening the search interface of FIG. 3 without using any search filters to filter out results, all channel results may be displayed.

19 [0046] Results are displayed as a plurality of markers on the map 113-2-x, with each marker representing a channel within the channels database 113-2 as the location of each respective channel plotted and marked on the map. The users current location is also marked and plotted on the map 203 with a "you are here" indicator above the map marker which is in a different colour to that of channels. Each result marker may be selected and clicked upon to bring up a detailed results box 205. Contained within this results box is the channels title/name 208, the channels image/logo 209, the channels status and/or description messages 210, the number of users currently in the channel 206, and the categorical sorting information being the category(ies) 207-1, subcategory(ies) 207-2 and age demographic(s) 207-3 . [0047] FIG. 3A is a conceptual overview of an embodiment of an example channel, Channel x 11 3-2-x which is a single channel entry in the channel database 113-2. Channel x has derived a user base from two different suburbs, Suburb A 11 and Suburb B 12. Four individuals are in Channel x, which was created by User 1 and joined by Users 2, 3 and 4 to form a channel population of 4 users in total. The fact that Users 1, 2 and 3 are in the same area and User 4 is in a different area highlight the fact that any user regardless of set current location 203 may join any public channel regardless of its location. For example, these Users may have found Channel x through the search features 115-1 of the network because it matches their interests and is within a distance that they are willing to travel from their current location. [0048] For example, residents of a common suburb can communicate in a suburb channel to discuss council garbage collection days or local events and so forth. Enthusiasts of a particular restaurant can discuss the menu or talk about the meal that they are currently eating. By viewing channels in a different country, travellers can socially network in a foreign location which they are yet to travel to and do not have any friends in to perhaps make plans in advance and see what and who is around and available. Citizens of the same city can engage in group chat in channels which are based on locations they are completely foreign to. The possibilities with this system are endless. [0049] User 1 is the moderator of Channel x as the creator of it. Moderator control, 20 moderation settings, and User 1's status as a moderator of Channel x is stored in the moderator database 113-4. This gives User 1's user account 113-1 -x a level of control through a moderator interface in the GUI 104 over Channel x. This level of control depends on the settings put in place by the systems adminstrators using their administrator accounts 113-5 while acting as agents of the network. Moderator control would be over the channel variables which include all the characteristics that make up the channel upon creation (see FIG. 7), moderator messages, channel status messages, modifying other individuals flexibility and ability to communicate in channels, muting individuals, removing and banning individuals, hosting channel events, editing, uploading, adding, removing and censoring multimedia in the channel and the positioning and marketing of the channel in the system. Administrators 113-5 may use their respective administrator only interface and GUI 104 to have complete control over all of the above settings and more for every channel on the network. [0050] FIG. 4 is an example representation of detailed results 115-2 from a network performed search 115-1 which illustrates how channels 113-2 within the system are categorized 207, how searching 115-1 may be performed and the multiple available filters usable, and of what data 113 is stored and how results 115-2 may be displayed. An individual 101 may choose to use none of the filters and search text-box inputs, or any one, or any combination of multiple or all of the filters when performing a search. Each row of results 115-2 contain the plurality of elements of individual respective channels 113-2-x. The top row in FIG. 4 performs two roles. It is a heading that titles and labels the content of the results contained in the cells below 115-2 the labels. Secondly it functions as both drop-down box filters and text-boxes for the inputting of search criteria and toggle-able buttons for sorting the data contained in the results below, similar to the functionality of an Excel spreadsheet column. [0051] The first column of the of FIG. 4 shows the number of Users 206 that are currently in, or have that respective channel open at the time of the performed search. This may be sorted into ascending and descending order by toggling the Users 206 button. [0052] The second column displays the name of a channel in the results 115-2, and it 21 may be used to input text to search for channels by their respective names 208, including any or all of the words that make up that name or by a keyword 212-1. Toggling this will sort the names by alphabetical order, starting with A or again to reverse to Z first. [0053] The third column displays the location details 212-2 of a channel as results and may be used to search and filter the results. Location details 212-2 may be broad (a country, a state, a city, a suburb, etc) or specific (an exact street address), or may be empty if the channel itself is the location or if the channel is representative of a virtual environment or environments elsewhere. Actual addresses are represented in the standard international format for addresses. This column may be used to input location details as text to search for channels by their respective location details 212-2. For example an individual 101 may enter "Bondi" into location details and the filters will then present them with every result in "Bondi", "Bondi Beach" and "Bondi Junction". Searching again using "Bondi Beach" in the text input would narrow the results to only channels containing "Bondi Beach" in their location details 212-2. Further, inputting a street name as well as "Bondi Beach" or an exact street address in "Bondi Beach" would filter the results to only provide results that are an exact match for the corresponding input search. Again this column header may be toggled to sort the location details 212-2 by alphabetical order as before. [0054] The fourth, fifth, and sixth columns contain the categorization headers and filters. A Category 207-1 or plurality of categories may be selected by the user and this would filter results 115-2 to only display channels 113-2 that match the input search 115-1 category(ies) 207-1. Sub-categories 207-2, and age 207-3 demographic(s) function in the same way. All of these columns may be toggled to sort the results 115-2 in alphabetical order or numerical order for age 207-3 using their column. For example, if an individual were to toggle the Category column, all results 115-2 would be sorted by categories alphabetically, all channels within the same category would be displayed together, all the "Sports" channels would be arranged together and so forth. [0055] The seventh column contains the distance 211 header and filters. Distance 211 represents the actual physical distance of a respective channels location details 212-2 22 from the current input location 203 of the individual 101 performing the search at the time the search was performed. This distance is typically displayed in numerical measurements shown in the standard measurements of the area where the search is being conducted, kilometers and meters or miles and yards respectively. It may be used as a filter of the results to within a specified distance. For example an individual 101 may only be willing to travel 20 kilometers, or may want to know what channels exist within 20 kilometers, so they would input <20km into the distance 211 filter and only results within that distance would be displayed. [0056] The eight and ninth columns, channel status and description 210 respectively are purely qualitative notes to allow the individual insight into more subjective details about respective channels and are not sorted by the system or filterable by the user. However key words contained within status and description 210 may be used when the network performs algorithmic 114 calculations. [0057] FIG. 5 is a conceptual overview of an embodiment of an example channel 300, one respective channel within the channels database 113-2 and its potential layout, and the many features, multimedia and performable activities within the example channel's graphical user interface 104 display. The channel name 208 in this example is "Bondi Social On The Sand" and it is presented at the top. The location details 212-2 are displayed, as is the channel's status and description 210 messages, its category 208-1, its subcategory 207-2, its age demographic(s) 207-3, and the number of individuals 101 currently in the channel 206. In this particular example, the channel 300 is intended to be a socialization channel based on Bondi Beach for people on the sand and at or around the beach to connect to one another, as well as for people elsewhere to connect to them as well. Maybe somebody is thinking of going to the beach and wants to know what the waves are like, if the sea is cold or warm, what people are there at the moment, if there are any events going on and so forth to determine if they would like to go. A space for communication, socialization, interaction and information seeking and sharing. The category is Outdoors and the subcategory is Beaches, this is just assigning the channel correct categorization based on its content and purpose. The age demographic(s) set fits the context of the channel, in the example it is "All" for all ages as Bondi is an all ages beach without restriction. To illustrate the point imagine another 23 channel existing for a nudist beach in Europe, in this situation the Age may be 18+ or whatever the government regulations and legality required in the corresponding country. The description highlights the purpose and intent of the channel, it is static and less likely to be changed and updated as it will generally be a description that will remain consistent. The status is dynamic and will be changed frequently, in the example it is an informative statement of the current situation that is subject to be updated as this situation changes. Feeds 213-3 collects all available information, both information internal to the network about a respective channel and all available information external to the network, including news items, news media, third party social networks and applications discoverable by the network or purposefully linked to a channel by its moderator(s) and places them into a chronologically sorted list. [0058] The network accounts that currently have this channel open are displayed in a list 206 of current users in the channel. The listed names 206-1 may be the real names of network account holders or nicknames depending on their preferences and settings. Each name corresponds to a network account and the names or nicknames provide a link to the corresponding network account's profile where information is visible depending on their respective privacy settings, this ranges from all visible, partially visible or all hidden to either mutual contacts and non contacts alike. [0059] Typically placed at the top of the user list 206 in any given channel 11 3-2-x will be that channels administrator(s) 113-5 or moderator(s) 113-4, in this example 300 'Sean' would likely be the moderator of the channel in which case his name would be visibly different to other names in the list 206 and there would be a moderator or administrator icon or symbol to mark this status. When moderators or administrators contribute content to their respective channels it is highlighed and in a different colour to content contributed by other network accounts. This content is also stored in a chronologically sorted list within the channel called "Moderator Content" which allows easy access for individuals to see previously submitted communications made by moderators to a respective channel. The purpose of this is so that if an individual 101 joins a channel 113-2-x they may immediately see all the contributed content (messages, status updates, posts, images, videos, event listings, etc) submitted by the respective channels moderator or administrator without having to browse through logs 24 306 which include other network account made contributions. An individual may not have been in the channel when a moderator posted an important update regarding that channel hours before, this would save that individual from having to scroll through the logs to find moderator content and immediately be able to view all moderator content in one interface. [0060] Directly underneath the moderator(s) or administrator(s) of a channel will be the online network accounts (individuals who are currently logged in to the network) currently in the channel. Beneath the online accounts, all offline accounts that were in the channel and had not left it at the time of going offline (logging out of the system, not connected by their individual device 102 through the internet 105 to the network) are still stored and displayed in this list 206. This list displays an avatar 216-2 which may be a profile picture or image representative of the corresponding individual or it may have an image and/or text to represent the corresponding network accounts 'status' on the network in the form of custom avatars for account rank. [0061] Individuals are able to mark or vote their approval of every other individuals contribution to channels by pressing a button 315 next to that respective submission. In FIG. 5 Tammy's post about the waves in Bondi and the corresponding image have received 15 positive votes from other individuals. Contributions receiving a proportionally high number of positive votes are stored in an interface similar to "Moderator Content" above called "Top Rated Content", allowing for the same functionality and storage of these highly rated individuals submissions so that they are easily retrievable and displayable in a list providing easy access for individuals to submissions that have been deemed to be positive contributions by other individuals. The positive voting system would impact the overall network and individual network accounts overall. For example, a veteran user who has made significant contributions to the networks communities, channels, databases and informational resources in the form of positive, insightful and useful content in channels, creating great channels, hosting great events, and any other performable activity on the network, may receive a cumulative number of positive votes from other network accounts (only one unique vote per individual account towards another individual account will count towards this cumulative total) and earn a title, rank, status, custom veteran avatar and so forth 25 depending on the number of votes received and when they reach a certain threshold. All this information including the cumulative total of votes received and current 'level' or rank of a respective account would be displayed in that individual accounts profile page and viewable by all network account holders. As an example, upon reaching 5000 positive votes an individual may be granted the title "Super Contributer", have a custom colour name-tag when contributing content to channels, a custom avatar picture, an account 'level' which ranks up 1 through x highest level based on certain thresholds per level, and a unique rank amongst other network accounts, such as "veteran". This sets goals for network account holders to aspire to and may influence the quality of contributions being made by individuals to channels with these goals in mind. Further it provides a way of identifying those network users whose submitted content is worth considering as likely to be the most helpful and trustworthy. An extended use of this system would allow moderators 113-4 and administrators 113-5 to activate within their respective channels a submissions restriction feature which may restrict the individual account 'level' or rank (number of positive votes received) required before an individual is allowed to make submissions or participate and contribute in the respective channel. For example, an account with zero positive votes may be blocked from making any submissions or contributions into a particular channel if this is what its moderator desires for whatever reason they desire it. [0062] Adjacent to the user list 206 is an accrued channel communications window 306 which consists of communications made within the channel with the display of the respective contributing users name, the contributed content and a corresponding timestamp noting the time of the contribution. The newest content is always displayed here as it is contributed. This is a live interface, the second a network account submits something to this channel, this interface would be updated to display that submission. Individuals may scroll up through this communications window 306 to view previous submissions. In the example, Tammy has submitted a message and an image to the channel at 9:48am. Tammy does not appear in the user list 206 of the channel so she must have subsequently left the channel 300 after making the contribution. Individuals 101 in channels 11 3-2-x will have a text-box 307 for use with submitting text based messages and chat to channels, this simply involves typing a message into this text-box and pressing enter on a keyboard or the equivalent depending on individual device 102.

26 [0063] Multimedia submission buttons 308 exist to submit live video streams 301, live audio streams 304, videos 302, images 303 and voice or audio 305 recordings which are then stored within this channels database entry 113-2-x and displayed on the channels interface 300 so that they may be accessed by individuals. Live video stream 301 would typically be a live video feed of the channels location, a camera within the proximity of the intent and purpose of the channel. For example, a venue may live stream their live security camera footage as it is being recoreded to show the venue in real time so that individuals may decide if the venue appeals to them based on this live video. A university lecturer may live stream a lecture in a private category network called University x within a channel called Class 101. A respective channel may utilize channel settings to allow or disallow the contribution of multimedia content by individuals and may limit their submission to moderator(s) and administrator(s) only. Moderators, administrators and individuals (if allowed) may engage in these types of submissions and live streams. If individuals are not allowed to contribute they may just view, listen and watch the submissions and live streams of the moderators and administrators without participating in them, if allowed they may participate. This system allows the possibility of live voice and video chat conferencing over every respective individual channel of the network, as well as the recording (given user privacy settings agreement), storage and playback of said voice and video chat and conferencing within that channels database entry 113-2-x. Recordings of, by and for individuals using the network. [0064] Individual respective users may join their respective channel(s) of choice from those available on the network and may choose to enable network settings that allow them to engage in multichannel two way communications with the channel and any other individual user(s) that are also in the respective channel(s) and have the same network settings enabled, this will allow individuals to be able to communicate verbally and visually with respective channels and the respective individuals, being users, moderators and administrators in them in real time, to join and then communicate with visually and verbally. Connecting in this human way to participate in live, real time discussions with people (strangers and contacts alike), groups, causes, places, events, areas and such that appeal to the respective individual.

27 [0065] This will grant respective individuals making use of these features a human interactive network through technology at a level that currently does not exist, that brings communication methods and communication levels with strangers and other human beings to a superior level, one which technology can achieve and should strive for instead of deteriorate. This medium may provide dynamic, live, emotive, meaningful exchanges, using real communication methods and not just the same static frivolous medium of leaving comments or sending text messages which are severely retarding societies ability to communicate in more traditional ways, and actually engage in and hold a conversation. [0066] Live voice chat will provide the ability to verbally communicate with the other individuals in the channel that have the network settings enabled to hear them and a compatible sound device, through use of a respective users microphone or any other audio recording device such as the microphone of a mobile phone or other compatible device. [0067] Live video chat with voice will provide the ability to visually and verbally communicate with the other individuals in the channel that have the network settings enabled to view and hear them and a compatible video device, through use of a camera such as a web-camera or smart phone camera or other compatible device and an audio recording device. [0068] Individuals may view and hear the live video and voice chat of other users who are making use of this feature with a compatible sound and video device and the network settings enabled for this feature. [0069] Individuals may play back old recordings made in a respective channel that have been stored in that channels respective database, of voice and video chat that the individual may have missed when it was happening live. [0070] Information 213-2 is a tab within a channel which is controlled, edited and updated by a channels respective moderator(s) 113-4 and administrators 113-5. It may include a vast array and quantity of information regarding that channel, anything related 28 or applicable to that channel or desirable by individuals coming to that channel that may be seeking corresponding information resources that are contextually and situationally appropriate. For example a restaurant may post images of their menu and wine lists, opening and closing hours, and booking advice for the best way to get a table. A school or university may list curriculums, schedules, lecture slides, and so forth. It may include details about the location of the channel, a map of its location and directions from an individuals current location 203 to the location 212-2 of the channel. It may provide further details about the nature and purpose of the channel in the form of qualitative descriptions which may include pricing of entry, opening and closing hours if applicable and any other information on the venue, place, group etc. [0071] Similar channels 310 are determined by the network or administrators 113-5 to be similar based on network algorithms 114 (covered in detail under FIG.9) which determines similarlity based on channel characteristics, user base, target demographics and so forth. Virtual tour 311 typically enables an individual to view the area with the aid of previously taken images or digital imaging based on the location, grouped together to form a semi interactive simulation of the area. Related purchases 312 is a feature that enables the individual to purchase items, tickets or other commercial goods or services on offer by a respective affiliated channel 113-3. It may lead to a menu and/or an order form within the channel or a link to the related external source. Typically this would have the integration of a third party payment system such as PayPal to utilize in these transactions which occur through the network but are made towards the target affiliate. Affiliates may sell e-tickets within their channels, a ticket to an event or other such occasion requiring a ticket, this being a virtual e-ticket that is purchased through the channel and is bonded to that respective network account and is displayable and recallable in the network graphical interface 104. This e-ticket would be usable by showing it to a ticket collector at the respective time, verifiable by them as authentic through methods, and then being granted access to enter. A final utility provided within the channel interface may be a way for an individual 101 to engage in computer implemented games and multiplayer gaming together with other individuals in a respective channel, including objective based games, games for fun and gambling games (with or without real currency or money involved). These activities would be arranged and launched within the channel itself and launched onto another separate 29 window within the application programming interface of the network 103 or onto an external third party games application programming interface, onto the graphical user interface 104 of the individual device 102. This of course would be subject to collaborations and symbiosis with third party game developers and manufactuers. [0072] FIG. 6 shows where FIG. 5 above falls into context within the overall browsing and utilization of the network through the networks graphical user interface 104 displayed on an individual device 102. Every individual 101 network account stores a list of open channels 401 (channels an individual has joined and not left) and a list of favourite channels 402 (channels joined and added to this favourites list by the individual, which remain favourited even after leaving these channels) retrieved through the network search methods 115-1 from the channels database 113-2, joined and then manageable through the user interfaces 104 methods. Open Channels 401 and Favourites List 402 are the key navigation system with which an individual 401 will browse through their channels. They are presented in a list format sorted into two corresponding tabs. On this list, Hub channels 403 typically appear on the top of the list. The Hub 403 to which an individual 101 is assigned based on their respective current locations 203 is not leavable, so there is no close button 405 to leave the assigned hub on the open channels list 401. All other regular channels 404 are displayed beneath the hub(s) that are open or favourited on the respective lists. A user would click a channel on their list to open it. [0073] The example channel Bondi Social On The Sand 300 is currently opened and is therefore displayed on the interface 104. This example channel illustrates how the information of each channel is displayed on the list with channel name 208, channel logo/image, location 212-2, current number of users in the respective channel 206, and an X button 405 which performs two different functions depending upon whether the open channels list or favourites list is open. The X 405 on the open channels list 401 is used to leave a corresponding channel. The X 405 on the favourites list 402 is used to remove a corresponding channel from that favourites list. Both respective X buttons will prompt the individual if they are sure they want to perform this action before it occurs. [0074] FIG. 7 shows the process, form 500 and details required by which a new 30 channel 113-2-x may be created and entered 115-1 into the channels database 113-2 of the network. When an individual 101 creates a channel 113-2 using the channel creation process 500 they are required to input certain fields. The channel name 208 is the channel creators subjective name label and channel title for the channel 113-2. This will typically be the relevant, respective name of a venue, place, area or establishment and such or may be named to reflect some of the functions, interests, causes, locations, purposes or features of the channel 113-2 being created. Affiliated 113-3 members of the network are likely to name their channel 113-2 the same name as their establishment, venue, commercial entity, business name and such. The individual 101 then selects a channel type 501 to reflect the nature of the channel, an event channel is a temporary channel that expires and will be discussed thoroughly in the paragraph below, and a regular channel 113-2 which does not expire. [0075] Channel category 207-1 defines what category or plurality of categories the subject matter of that channel 113-2-x is likely to pertain to. This functions as a sorting and filtering tool for channels in searching and for algorithmic calculations 114 (see FIG. 9 below). Channels are categorized so that Individuals 101 may find exactly what they are looking for or may browse for what is appropriate, relevant, appealing or interesting to them. Channel sub-categories 207-2 are a further expansion from categories. They enable channels to be even more highly specialized and specific where needed in establishing this point of interest for individuals 101 and for offering even more advanced search filtering functionality when seeking search results 115-2. For example "Sport and Fitness" may be a category 207-1 in the network that an individual 101 may be interested in. Further, "Running" or "Personal Trainers" may be sub-categories 207-2 within "Sport and Fitness" and may be the exact specific things that this same individual is looking for. Age demographic 207-3 specifies the intended and appropriate age demographic for the channel. For example a nightclub or bar channel would have an Over 18 demographic in Australia because that is the requisite age to enter, further a respective bar venue may have a specific target audience or target market demographic that it caters to, "Over 30" for example. Subject to system administrators 113-5 settings, the age of an individual 101 user 113-1 may or may not be a restricting factor for entry to a respective channel 113-2.

31 [0076] Setting a location 212-2 is a requirement for making a channel 113-2. The individual 101 is able to use their current location 203 as the location for the channel to be created if desired. Alternatively, the individual 101 may opt to use any address as the location for a channel using one of the available location input methods. They may input using a Google suggested address 502 which makes use of the Google places API to auto-complete addresses with suggestions as the individual types the address details and puts in recognized key words or locations. They may also enter the address manually 503 using a set of address input fields including drop-down boxes containing the countries, states and cities of the world and text-boxes to optionally input suburb, zip-code and exact street address. The individual 101 may submit a channel image 209 which is a visual tool to enhance the aesthetics and marketability of the channel 113-2. Typically the image would be of a logo, picture or any other visual representation of the channels 113-2-x content and purpose, or it may otherwise be an image provoking the intended discussion range of the channel. The individual may enter a channel status 210 which is typically a subjective, qualitative message or assertion on behalf of the channel that is dynamic and subject to constant change and updates by moderators 113-4 of channels. Keywords 212-1 are words that are meta-tag descriptors of channels, processed by the system 115 in key-word searches 115-1 such as name or key word search 208 or location details search 212-2. Further, they are also used by the systems algorithms 114 in its recommendations and suggestions and such (see FIG. 9) of channels 113-2 to individuals 101. Channel description 210 shares a qualitative role similar to channel status 210, however it is typically more static and subject to less or no change unless required by the specific situation of the given channel. Once the individual 101 has finished inputting all the required elements of the channel creation process 500, they click create channel 506 in their GUI 104 which submits the information 115-1 to the system 100 and this results in a new channel entry created in the channels database 113-2. [0077] Under channel type 501, a channel 113-2 may be an event channel which is its own special category 207-1 of channels with a few unique features while still possessing all the other characteristics of regular channels. They are temporary and temporal channels 113-2 that usually have a lifespan which corresponds with the duration of their respective events and then expire after the events have run their 32 course. An event channel may be created at any period in time before the commencement of an actual real world event, with its location set where the event will take place, and a time and date set for the commencement and the cessation of the event. It may be created in the lead up to the event and may be used to promote the event, sell tickets to the event and other such commercial functions to be performable in event channels by affiliated 113-3 members of the network. Any individual 100 may create 500 an event channel 501 if desired, they may make it public or private and may invite whomever they want to come to the event itself if the channel is representative of an actual event to take place in the real world. Alternatively, the event channel may in fact be itself the event, for example an event channel may be created simply to be a place and forum where a famous movie director may host a question and answer session with their fans about an upcoming film, this in itself would be an event taking place within the channel itself. It would be given no physical address location as the channel itself is the location but it would also have a commencement and cessation time set. [0078] An affiliated member 113-3 may for example be a a major stadium and event destination, and they may be hosting a 3 night concert by a major music artist, they may list this event a month prior to the event date and may use this event channel to promote the event and sell tickets to it. All public events will be listed, viewable, search able and displayable on the networks many features and functions, as search results 115-2 in relevant searches, under the events category 207-1, sortable and filterable by sub-categories 207-2 and age demographic(s) 207-3 and viewable as recommendations 114 and such to individuals 101 using the network who may be interested in this said event based on their personal affinities as determinable by the networks algorithms (see FIG. 9 below). [0079] There will be a specialized event only search feature which will have the regular filters of searching 115-1 the network such as a name and keyword filter 208, a location specific filter 212-2, a category filter 207-1, a sub-category filter 207-2, an age demographic filter 207-3, a relative distance 211 from the individuals 101 current location 203 filter, and a qualitative status and description 210 on display. The main difference between the event search itself and regular search features is that the 33 network will track events by when they commence and when they end. This will allow for the display of results using a what? where? when? format. What being what the event is, where being the location it is taking place , and when being the time that it commences and the period it goes on for till it ends. For example, an individual 101 may be overseas on holiday and may go to the events search of the network to see what events happening within 50 kilometers of their current location interest them, so they would enter <50km into the distance 211 filter. The list would display results of what, where and when for every event within that 50 kilometer radius of the individuals 101 current location 203. The user may select "when" and this will sort the events logically by when they are occurring chronologically, with the currently occurring and soonest to end listed at the top, followed by the soonest to commence all the way down to the latest to commence. This same individual 101 may further filter the results based on what they desire, they may wish to attend a concert event, or a music festival event and select both of these as the categories 207-1 by which to filter the events. They may only be in town for a week, and set "within a week" as the time-frame by which to filter the events. They may wish the events to be 18 and over only, and may further filter the results by that criteria using the age demographic(s) 207-3. There would be no limit to the potential filtering of events data here by whatever the individual sought after and desired exactly, or generally, filtering and sorting and browsing as they engaged with this feature. Further, regular channels have an innate function inbuilt In them so that they may host events themselves. As an example, a regular channel representing an actual bar may host an event for their monthly costume party in their channel and this event would also be listed in the events category and search-able using the events search feature. [0080] FIG. 8 is a high-level flowchart concerning the different conceptual layers and types of channels 113-2 that are creatable on the network. Channels 113-2 can be public channels 601 meaning that they are visible to all individuals using the network, or private channels 602 meaning that they are not visible on a public search and have barriers to entry 604. All types of channels are the same in that they have a name, location details, a category(ies), an optional sub-category(ies), an age demographic(s) and a relative distance (in kilometers or miles) from the current location of the individual 101 who is viewing the respective channel. Private category networks 603 are private 34 networks of channels 113-2 which possess a name, location details and the relative distance from the individual user and the channels contained within the private category network 603 may have a subcategory(ies), demographic(s) and channels contained therein. Private category networks 603 will be discussed in more detail below. [0081] Public 601 channels are made up of two different types of channels: 1) Hubs 403 are created internally by the network only, they may not be made by users. They are created either manually by administrators 113-5 acting as agents of the network, or automatically generated by the system using algorithms for plotting key geographical hub points where user base is strong, no hub exists and one may be required. They are created by setting or selecting a geographical point on the map which acts as the center of an area and from that point they radiate outwards to cover that area based on a system defined range or distance to be covered (in kilometers or miles). The distance to be covered by each hub will vary and be completely situational. For example one hub may cover the entire area of Sydney City CBD, meanwhile one hub may cover the suburb of Bondi, and another may cover an entire rural area spanning a much vaster distance. Every hub will be named after the area which it covers, and every individual in that area will be automatically assigned to their corresponding hub for the area that they are currently in or the hub that falls within the closest proximity to their current location if they do not fall within a hub covered area. This assignment occurs upon the individual 101 signing in to the network or changing their current location 203 by physically moving from one hub covered area or closest proximity to another. These users will not be able to leave their assigned hubs, the intended result of this is that hubs are densely populated by individuals 101 who are in the area of the hub 403 and this will provide a vibrant, active general meeting area and conversational zone for people in the area to chat, interact and discover what is going on near them. Individuals 101 who are not in a specific area may search for and join any other hub from anywhere in the world if they please using the regular search features 115-1 of the network (see FIG 4) and browsing or searching through the "hubs" category 207-1. This would allow individuals from anywhere in the world to interact with other individuals in any area they are interested in. For example a New Yorker may be home sick while overseas and go to his favourite New York hub, or a Hollywood fan living in Australia may choose to spend time in the more active Hollywood hubs.

35 [0082] 2) Public Channels 504 are the regular standard channels of the network, they may be created internally by the network and its administrators 113-5 or externally by any individual 101 user 113-1 of the network, or by any affiliate 113-3 who upon creation of a respective channel becomes the moderator 113-4 of that channel. Moderation privileges of a channel are assigned to the creators of channels yet they may be reassigned by administrators 113-5 for whatever reason. For example, if an unaffiliated regular user 113-1 of the network makes a channel representative of an actual venue, his favourite local bar with the name, address and other characteristics input in the network and is therefore the moderator 113-4 of this channel 113-2, and the actual owners of that bar wish to assume moderator control of that channel to communicate with their customers, or they may wish to become affiliates 113-3 of the network and use the channel for commercial reasons 704 (see FIG. 9 and the description below), the administrators may reassign moderation control over that channel to the bars owners and away from the unaffiliated individual 101 user 113-1. Public channels 504 are visible to all individuals 101 using the network and will appear in search results 115-2 as long as they meet the filtering criteria of the respective search, and they will appear in algorithmically generated content 114 such as recommendations for individual users 101 wherever appropriate. [0083] Private channels 505 are created the same way as public channels 504 are except that the creator opts to make them private during the creation process 500. They carry the exact same characteristics of a public channel 504 except that the creator may set a password and the private channels 505 are not visible on public searches. The only way to join a private channel 505 is to pass the barriers to entry 604 which require an individual 101 to have either the password for the channel and to input it into the GUI 104 in the appropriate field of the application interface 103, or receive an invitation to join the channel from the creator or a moderator of that respective private channel. [0084] Private category networks 603 are an especially unique innovation, they provide an entire category that is private and not visible on a public search. A private category operates much like a regular category 207-1 in that it may contain a plurality of channels which may posses subcategories 207-2, or age demographic(s) 207-3. The distinction being that the respective private category possesses the same barriers to entry 604 as 36 private channels, requiring a password or invitation to join 605 it so that it becomes visible to an individual 101. A private category network 603 would be created by an individual 101 who would then have moderator 113-4 control over it, they could assign moderator control to a plurality of other individuals. Moderators of a private category network 603 may create channels within the private category network 603, invite individuals 101 to join, view and use the network, and may control privacy and visibility settings within the network for all the users within it. A moderator may decide to make all invited users in the private category be able to see, join and participate in all channels contained within the category, or they may decide to make one or a plurality of them visible to specific individuals or groups of individuals depending on the situation and what is appropriate in its context. [0085] An example private category network 603 would be that of High School x 607 in which a plurality of channels with their own respective sub-categories may be created. A sub-category titled Grades may contain channels Year 7, Year 8, Year 9, Year 10, Year 11, Year 12. A sub-category titled Subjects may contain channels Math, English, Science, History. A sub-category titled Extracurricular may contain channels Basketball, Chess Club, Band. This private category network 603 would most likely be created by an administration member of the high schools staff. This staff member may invite other members of staff such as teachers to become moderators of the private category network, input all the desired channels, and their sub-categories and other attributes and invite all the students of the high school to join this private category network 607. They may then assign visibility and privacy settings for each student or groups of students by sorting them into groups based on whatever criteria was desired. The administrator may sort all the students into groups based on what grade they are in, and what subjects they do. Privacy and visibility settings for an example student User x 609 may be that he is in Grade 7, does History and is in the school Band, therefore the moderator may assign visibility to User x 610 to these corresponding channels within the network. This would be done to segregate groups of students for whatever purpose suited the moderators of the network. The overall goal of private category networks 603 is to create a closed network of channels with assigned visibility to invited users to specific channels as a practical instrument with many possible applications, most prominently for institutions such as schools and their respective teachers to 37 communicate with students and even parents in the appropriate channels for whatever purpose drives the communications. [0086] FIG. 9 is a high-level flowchart concerning the algorithmically 114 performable calculations doable by the network, and its processors 112 performed by the graph servers 110 and their RAM 111 at the request of the application servers 109, to be output 115-2 for the purpose of enhancing individual user account experiences of the network by making recommendations, suggestions and matchmaking of appropriate results and data entries in the network that have a high affinity factor to their respective network accounts. An individuals 101 network account will store a plurality of data regarding that individual broken down into 6 elements, this data will be factored in to perform calculations aimed at determining and establishing the affinity factor, relationships, connections and so forth between any two or more entries of data on the network. The 6 elements of data that are considered in these algorithms include: [0087] 1) All of a respective individuals profile and personal information 113-1 -x that is available to the network including demographic, geographic, locational, gender, age, relationship status, occupation, education, and all the subjective raw data input such as likes, hobbies and "about themselves". To give a simplified example, a single female 29 year old individual living in Eastern Sydney, employed as a lawyer with a masters degree whose hobbies include sailing and dating may be recommended: 1) the official "The Sydney Eastern Suburbs Royal Yacht Club" channel; 2) a casual social channel for single lawyers with the age demographic 25-49 and located in Eastern Sydney named "Too busy lawyering to date"; 3) a dedicated discussion channel for masters law degree holders to discuss the law titled "Masters Law Discussion" and located in Australia. [0088] 2) All of a respective individuals recorded past actions and activities 113-1 -x performed on the network by the individual. This is gauged by the amount of time spent searching, using, utilizing, or engaging in channels based on the respective channels details, including categories 207-1, subcategories 207-2, age demographic(s) 207-3, keywords 212-1, names 208, location details 212-2, and distance 211. To use the 38 example from above, if this same single female 29 year old individual spent the majority or large proportion of time (in days, hours or minutes) on the network searching, utilizing or engaging in channels about sailing, dating, and the law, within the age demographic 25-35, within 25 kilometers of her current location 203 she would be offered similar channels around her anywhere she went. If she traveled to a new area, perhaps overseas on vacation, the network would automatically recommend, suggest and match-make her with channels within 25 kilometers of her new current location that match the subject content, categories and age demographic(s) that she has exhibited an affinity for through her time spent engaging with them on the network with her user account. [0089] 3) All of a respective individuals currently open channels 401 and favourites list of channels 402 based on the respective channels details, including categories 207-1, subcategories 207-2, age demographic(s) 207-3, keywords 212-1, names 208, location details 212-2, and distance 211. The same technique used in element 2 above would be used for this element, if this same example individual had 10 channels on her favourites list regarding and 20 open channels, and their respective subject content were sailing, dating and the law this would be factored in to a calculation of her likely affinity factor for similar and related content. [0090] 4) All of a respective individuals contacts 701. This is gauged in deciphering potential linked affinities with the contacts of a respective individual to determine whether it is likely that if a contact has an affinity in the form of element 2 or 3 for a particular channel(s) or other network data point that the individual will also be likely to have an affinity for it as well. To continue to use the example from above, if this 29 year old female has 5 contacts who shared similar profile and personal information attributes (element 1) in common, it may be calculated that it is likely that they share an affinity for channels and may make suggestions, recommendations and match-making based on this using the information gained using elements 2 and 3 of the respective contacts. [0091] 5) All of a respective individuals geographical and locational tracking 702 data gauged in current location, frequent location and general geographic movements, whether consistently or otherwise. While an individual 101 is connected to the internet 39 105 and has their user account signed in through the application programming interface 103, the network cloud 106 on their respective individual device 102, which is a compatible GPS device such as a smart phone (subject to privacy settings) the network will track and record an individuals 101 current location 203 constantly, this will record geographical and locational movements, routes to destinations, common and frequent routes and destinations and record all of this data and store it within the confines of that individuals user account within the network database 113. This information may then be used to make recommendations, suggestions and match-making with channels 113-2 within the networks database that have the corresponding location details 212-2. To use the example from above, if the 29 year old female individual took the same route to work every day, including a drive to the train station, a train to the city, and a walk through the city to her office building, this route would be recorded and all channels appropriate to her other affinities along this route would be output as results that may suit her. [0092] 6) All of a respective individuals third party information, network or application submissions to the network. This may take the form of linking a third party network or application account with profile information that may be useful in algorithmic calculations. It may include allowing the network access to their web browser cache or web browser favourites list to determine potential affinity links with any network data. Any submittable data that may be used by the network in performing affinity calculations that it is possible to utilize are potentially covered by element 6 and will be used to supplement all of the available data in element 1 as it performs its functions. [0093] The purpose of the algorithms is to achieve an output, the output takes a plurality of forms and the example from above (single female 29 year old living in Eastern Sydney, employed as a lawyer with a masters degree whose hobbies include sailing and dating) will be utilized to highlight these forms: [0094] 1) Recommendations: any recommendation generated using elements 1-6 above to find suitable channels or users for recommendation, in the form of a list of displayable results and system generated comments about those results and recommendations that may pop up whenever appropriate within the graphical user 40 interface 104 of the network as an individual makes use of it, as well as in a recommendations section of the interface which an individual 101 may make use of at any time. Example recommendations for the example user were provided above under element 1 but to reiterate, examples of recommendations would include: "We recommend you try: 1) Feel like sailing? Head over to the official channel for 'The Sydney Eastern Suburbs Royal Yacht Club' venue. 2) Feeling frisky? Up for a casual social chat? Check out "Too busy lawyering to date". 3) Interested in a serious discussion about the law and issues concerning it in Australia today? Head to "Masters Law Discussion". All individual channel recommendations provide a direct link to join their corresponding channel. Recommendations may recommend an element or function of a channel if not the channel itself, things like Live video streams or in channel purchases (for affiliated 113-3 channels) may be recommended and not the channel they take place in specifically. For example, if a food shop has a channel that sells take-away and it is on an individuals route to work and is matched to that individual via affinity factor using elements 1-6 and that channel is an affiliate 113-3 channel with commercial features enabled so that they may list a menu and provide transactions through the channel interface, then an individual may follow a recommendation to make a direct purchase of take-away through that channel using that recommendation as a direct link to perform the action: "We recommend you buy your lunch through 'channel x', it is a Gourmet Deli 500 meters from your current location and is on your common route, they serve Gourmet Sandwiches which match your preferences for y, z, and a". Recommendations may recommend individuals 101 to other users 113-1 based on privacy settings as well, if an individual elects to allow this feature by activating it in privacy settings, and participate in it, they may be recommended to other individuals that match them similarly in characteristics and affinities. To use the same example, User a being the 29 year old female lawyer with a masters degree and an affinity for sailing may be recommended User b who has similar affinities. This feature would have filters too, criteria for the recommendation of individuals: close geographical proximity may or may not be set as a requirement, similar interests, similar geographical routes, similar attendance at similar venues and so forth. [0095] 2) Suggestions: as recommendations above, except suggestions make note specifically of a channel which a user has an affinity for (open channel, favourite 41 channel, frequently used, searched etc). An example suggestion for the example user: "You frequently hang out in 'The Sydney Eastern Suburbs Royal Yacht Club', we suggest you check out the event channel 'Sydney Easts Yacht Race' taking place on Saturday, May 05". A suggestion will always draw a correlation between x (a reason for drawing the affinity conclusion) and y (the suggestion being made). [0096] 3) Matchmaking: as recommendations above, except matchmaking is either manually opted for by pressing a corresponding button within the graphical user interface of the network 104 or network executed automated matchmaking at network set intervals determinable by administrators of the network 113-5. Matchmaking can occur between individuals 101 and other individual users 113-1-x placing them together within a channel environment. Matchmaking can occur between individuals 101 and channels 113-2 placing the individuals in appropriate channels automatically without them carrying out a search, selecting to join or reading recommendations or suggestions. Matchmaking can occur between any and all of the networks data sets 113 to any other, users 113-1, channels 113-2, affiliates 113-3, moderators 113-4 and administrators 113-5 can all be matched together when the system deems it appropriate. Matchmaking occurs based on elements 1-6 using the affinity factor calculation to determine appropriate matches to be made between individuals and individuals and channels. [0097] 4) The display of search results from regular searches: the ordering, layout and structure of results of individual 101 carried out searches 115-1 may be impacted by their respective calculated affinity factor for specific content. For example, upon performing a search using only the distance 211 filter set at 50 kilometers, every network channel within 50 kilometers of a current location 203 would be displayed in the results 115-2. The order, layout and display of the results list that is generated may be impacted by the algorithmic calculations 114 using elements 1-6. An individual performing a search would see every channel within 50 kilometers but by default the results will be ordered based on affinity, at the top of the results list would be channels that are most highly matched to their affinities in descending order of affinity rating/factor.

42 [0098] 5) Outside impacts: the affiliate system and affiliate 113-3 accounts exist on the network for the purpose of commercial quid pro quo arrangements between the parties. These accounts may engage in a commercial arrangement with the network for the purposes of promoting and marketing their channels (and the content of their channels) to users 113-1 of the network, and in turn marketing their businesses, establishments, venues, etc. This would work in a similar fashion to Google's sponsored search results, on a bidding system, where an affiliate account may bid a certain amount for placements of their content/channel(s) and the top bidder would have their channels results displayed at the top of any of the aforementioned outputs of results, display and ordering of search results 115-2, recommendations, suggestions, and match-making. With the second highest bidder having their results displayed directly beneath the first, the third to follow, and so on. Any affiliate channels that engage in the bidding system may and mostly will only have their results displayed when appropriate given the context of the situation, the search being carried out, its filter settings, and the affinities of the individual 101 user account carrying out the search or receiving the recommendations and so forth. For example, a company with an affiliate account may bid an amount higher than any other affiliate of the network bids to have their channel(s) displayed at the top of all the respective outputs. Yet this may only apply when appropriate, when their content matches the affinity factor of the individual to which recommendations, suggestions, matchmaking and algorithmic results sorting are being presented. Therefore to use the previous example again, if the 29 year old female lawyer, sailing enthusiast and dater were being provided results to her searches, recommendations and so forth, any affiliate channels that matched her affinity criteria and/or search filters would be at the top of her provided lists of output 115-2. If the highest bidder on her unfiltered search, or sailing category search or recommendations, suggestions and so forth was a sailing school's channel that matched her affinity ratings per elements 1-6 and set search filters, it would be displayed at the top of the list of results that is generated upon performing the search. It would or may be at the top of lists of recommendations, suggestions and matchmaking generated for this individual. [0099] FIG. 10 is a high-level flowchart which provides a detailed conceptual overview of two key user experience systems, the invitation system 800 and the contacts system 701, within the network 100, provided by its application programming interfaces 103, 43 displayed on its graphical user interfaces 104 and usable by the individuals 101 who utilize the network. [0100] The invitation system 800 allows for the sending of invitations for a plurality of reasons and purposes and in multiple ways. Any user 113-1 may send an invitation 803 to join any public channel 601 on the network. Any individual 101 may invite any other invidiaul regardless of whether or not the invitee is currently a user of the network or has a user 113-1 or network account. This invitation would be a direct link into the channel if sent externally, and internally the link would be an internal network notification that would open that channel in that users account. Any individual 101 with a network account may invite any other person to join the network if the invitee is not currently a member of the network. If the inviter is a moderator 113-4 or an administrator 113-5 or affiliate 113-3 of the network they may invite 804 other individuals to join their respective channels, private channels 505 and private category networks 603. Further a moderator or affiliate may invite any individual 101 to also become a moderator of the respective channel. For example, if an individual being a moderator or an affiliated user runs a nightclub and a corresponding channel for the nightclub, and has 10 employees who work as promoters of the nightclub, they may invite all 10 employees to become moderators of the respective channel. [0101] An individual 101 who has an account on the network may send invitations to people who do not have an account 801 as well as to those who do have an account 802. Invitations may provide direct links to the network and its content and may utilize external methods of sending out these invitations. Invitations may be sent externally via email, via SMS messaging, and via third party networks and applications using their corresponding systems and user accounts. Invitations may also be sent internally through the networks own interface in the form of internal notifications that are visible in every individual 101 network accounts profile. Invitations sent to an individuals network account to moderate a channel will offer the recipient the opportunity to accept the invitation, upon accepting, the recipient will become a moderator of the channel they were invited to moderate. Invitations to private category networks or private channels will make the corresponding visible once the invitation has been accepted by the recipient. If the invitee does not have a network account, external methods of invitation 44 sending must be utilized, these invitation will prompt the recipients to create a network account with a special link that recognizes them as the recipient of the respective invitation, and upon creating their account, the invitation will automatically be imported to the new network account. For example, if an individual runs a business and they invite an employee to moderate the businesses corresponding channel but this employee does not have a network account, they may email, SMS or send this invitation to that employee via a third party network or application. When that employee clicks the link they will be prompted to create a network account or sign in to an existing one and upon doing so they will have an internal notification request to become a moderator of the aforementioned channel. Once they accept this invitation, they will be a moderator of the channel and have all the associated power and controls therein. [0102] The contact system is a fairly standard and common concept in user based networks such as this. A contact system exists that is manageable by a respective individual 101. It allows every individual to search the networks databases for other individuals, add them to a contact list, manage this list, remove contacts from this list, and invite non-users to join the network and become contacts. Further, every individual network account has privacy settings regarding this contact system wherein an individual may set the visibility of their actions, activities, status, profile information and the other account specific details discussed previously in this document. Visibility will be different between contacts and non-contacts, wherein contacts mutually accept each other to be contacts through the process of searching, adding and acceptance of an add request notification and therefore have a mutually shared visibility of the aforementioned data based on the respective privacy settings. Any individual(s) who make use of a third party application or network when creating their network account, or who subsequently attach a third party application or network when using their network account will automatically import contacts, by identifying and adding any network users who they are mutual contacts with on the third party network(s), without having to go through the process of add request notifications and acceptance. They will just automatically become mutual contacts on the network. For example, if an individual registers with the network and imports contacts from a third party network, every contact that they have on that third party network who also has an account on the network will automatically be added to their respective contact list on the network by matching the contact data from 45 the third party network with the user 113-1 data from the network database, through details such as corresponding email addresses. [0103] Within the contact system, a contact group 805 system exists and operates both dependently and independently of the contact system. This system is completely unique and innovative and has not been done before. A contact group functions similarly to a private channel 505, an individual 101 may create, name, and categorize a contact group, and there is a similar barrier to entry 604, that is an invitation must be sent and then acceptance of that invitation is required to join the contact group. Upon creation of a contact group 805, an individual may invite any of their contacts, being other network users to join the contact group. To use the example in FIG. 10, upon inviting 806 users a, x, y and z to join the contact group, User a declines and users x, y and z accept. This would place the originating user and users x, y and z into the contact group together. Prior to the formation of this contact group, the origintating user had mutual contact settings and visilibity 807-1 links with their mutual contacts users x, y and z. Upon formation of the contact group and the acceptance of its invitations, users x, y and z now have mutual contact and visibility 807-2 links with each other and share contact status visibility with each other regardless of the fact that they were not mutual contacts to begin with. Visibility of account and profile information regarding contact groups may still be managed using the traditional privacy settings of the network. A contact group functions similar to an individual contact in that certain features are available. An individual may engage in private messaging, conversations and chat logs with the entire contact group similar to private messaging between contacts. An invidividual 101 may invite an entire contact group 805 to a public channel 601, private channel 505 or private category network 603 or even to a specific channel within a private category network. An individual may have privacy settings enabled which block non-contact network accounts from sending them a private message or invitations yet any mutual member of a contact group may now send them a private message or invitation. [0104] Contact groups may be purpose driven, for example a teacher or lecturer may form a contact group made up of all their students in a given class on Monday at 8am, and another contact group for a different class of different individuals in the same subject on Wednesday at 8am. The teacher may then invite both of these different 46 classes contact groups to a private channel to discuss the assignment due on Friday. To add to that example, this teacher may be a moderator in High School x's 607 private category network 603, both the created contact groups may be members of the private category network and the teacher may create and invite both contact groups to a temporary event channel within the private category network named Fridays assignment in which to interact and discuss the subject within the confines of this highly specialized, highly private event channel. This interaction may take whatever form the moderator desires and may include live text chat, live audio streams (the teacher speaking to the students - one way communication) and audio chat conferencing (the teacher and all students in the channel speaking to each other), live video streams (the teacher streaming themself audiovisually and speaking to the students - one way communication) and video chat conferecing (the teacher and all the students teleconferencing with each other). The teacher could speak to students as if they were in the same room through the virtual classroom representation in the form of this channel, vocally or audio-visually, effectively holding a gathering, a class by correspondence, within the channel itself. This would provide an invaluable tool for centers of education and distance learning that pass knowledge by correspondence without ever being in the same physical location, such as programs taking place in Africa to educate rural areas over the internet. Contact groups may themselves be the purpose for which they are created as well, to create an extended community of contacts that grows exponentially as more network accounts join the group, to form a vibrant contact network and method of interaction between user accounts that may not otherwise interact with each other at all. [0105] Contact groups themselves have settings 808, the originating user that created the respective contact group has moderation control over the contact group. They may remove individuals, mute individuals, and add individuals. They may lock the contact group meaning that only they have the power to invite additional contacts to join the contact group and partake in the functions and features of the contact group. Alternatively the originating user may open the contact group, meaning that any member of the contact group may invite their own respective contacts to join the contact group. Any network account that receives an invitation to a contact group and accepts it will share visibility as contacts without needing to be mutual contacts with any other 47 member of a contact group (depending on every network accounts individual privacy settings). Unlocked contact groups are the most likely to experience exponential growth and vibrancy and the meeting and interaction of individuals who are unlikely to interact otherwise, as discussed above.

Claims (81)

1. A system consisting essentially of: a geo-locational, location-based, geographically relative network for the purpose of creating an additional layer of available routes to commerce, business, marketing, promotions, communications, interactions, socialization, social networking, exchange of resources including monetary, and an entirely new information distribution process, a network comprised of: the establishment of a plurality of channels, each respective channel based around one or more of the following: a physical environment, virtual environment, physical location, specific place, area, event, community, group, society, cause, club, organization, government (and their individual departments, branches and divisions), institution, gathering, commercial entity and such; a network comprised of a plurality of internally and externally generated channels to each be its own respective dynamic virtual space and digital environment within the virtual Earth of the highly ordered network, each channel highly categorized, sub-categorized, subjectively, objectively and demographically detailed and assigned accurate meta tag descriptors; each respective channel may reference a real worldwide geographical location or area, allowing for the sorting and displaying of these relative to the current geographical location and position of respective users distance wise from the channels geographical location, allowing for every respective channel to have a direct proximity relationship with every respective user; each respective channel may be searched for and browsed by each respective network user as their respective interests and affinities may be used searching 2 and filtering through available network channels using all available criteria and categorization to get results that suit their respective wants and needs; the network shall exist for the purposes of providing a plurality of network users access and usage of a plurality of public and private channels and private category networks of channels, and all the associated features and functionality of the network; each respective channel may be used for: a nexus of information gathering, information sharing, chat rooms, social interactions, marketing, promotions, direct and indirect commerce, sales, purchases, the seeking and offering of services, public relations, multimedia uploads, multimedia viewing, multimedia storage and the live streaming of multimedia content including images, audio, video and textual; real time multichannel communications via text, images, voice and video using any or all methods and being able to communicate with any or all other network users, moderators, administrators or affiliates that are populating the same respective channel that a respective user is in.

2. A system and network for the implementation and execution of the system in claim 1, comprised of a plurality of computing systems that collectively work together to perform multiple functions to support this network, as database storage, servers, and processors to implement a networking environment, the plurality of computing systems being usable to access and process data: The database storage storing a plurality of data comprising multiple data sets: channels being a primary set of data, each channel in this data set corresponds to a respective channel created in the network; 3 users being a second set of data, each user in this data set corresponds to a respective user of this network; moderators being a third set of data, each moderator in this data set corresponds to a respective moderator of a channel or plurality of channels in this network; administrators being a fourth set of data, each administrator corresponds to a respective administrator, an agent of this network; affiliates being a fifth set of data, each affiliate is a user of the network in an official capacity, they are affiliated with the administrators of the network and are registered as affiliates; relationships and connections being both a sixth set of data, as well as a possible results set of algorithmically performed calculations, searches, queries, filtering and other system processed and exercised sorting or filtering of information contained within the databases of the network and its data sets for commercial purposes such as marketing or for providing a better user experience of the network as refined results for users, comprising of any possible algorithmically determinable affinities, connections, links, alignments or relationships between any of the individual pieces of data in any of the five data sets: channels, users, moderators, administrators and affiliates, using any and all available information gathered and gatherable by the network, these links may include amongst them actions of users on the network or determinable by the network, user defined information, categorical, subjective or objective data; computing systems acting as servers are linked to the data and databases providing access to the data via the internet, computing systems will process all user and network requests for access to the data and 4 databases and return the data to the requesting user, an application programming interface (API) which is coupled to the database and is usable on a plurality of devices with a display and user input controls.

3. The system of claims 1 and 2, wherein regarding the channels data set, methods allow each channel to be created either internally, generated by administrators acting as agents of the network or automatically generated by the network itself using the algorithms of the network, or externally generated by users, moderators or affiliates.

4. The system of claims 1 and 2, wherein regarding the channels data set, a method allows each channel be created by the inputting of a name, a location based point and both objective and subjective categorizing, sub-categorizing, demographic information, an image representative of the channel, keywords for the purpose of meta-data tagging and algorithmically determining connections and relationships, and subjectively crafted descriptions and status messages: Location-based points can include anything including but not limited to: countries, states, cities, suburbs, zip codes, a specific address, specific locations (schools, universities, nightclubs), societal or cultural points of interest, populated areas, natural attractions, buildings, clubs or social groups, charities, businesses of any sort, television stations, events or any other geographically determinable point, a channel may have a virtual location-based point that does not have to be an actual geographical address.

5. The system of claims 1 and 2, wherein regarding the channels data set, a method allows for each channel to be created either public or private, public meaning it is accessible by and visible to all users and private meaning the creator upon creation may set a password required for entry into the channel, the private channel is invisible, it is not listed publicly and the only way to access it is 5 by receiving an invitation from the creator or having the password.

6. The system of claims 1 and 2, wherein regarding the channels data set, if a user creates a channel they become the moderator of that channel and this becomes stored in the moderator data set, a moderator has control over all elements of a channel.

7. The system of claims 1 and 2, wherein regarding the channels data set, a moderator may post channel status updates, messages, images, videos, live video streams, audio, live audio streams, information feeds from related social media, and any and all other possible communicable materials over this medium, moderator live chat, chat messages and status updates are highlighted and stored for future viewing.

8. The system of claims 1 and 2, wherein regarding the channels data set each channels data may be modified, deleted, controlled, or edited by an administrator, an agent of the network using an administrator only accessible application programming interface (API), moderation and affiliate control over channels may also be applied, removed or adjusted by administrators in this interface.

9. The system of claims 1 and 2, wherein regarding the channels data set, a method exists for a special category of channel, Hubs, to be created internally by administrators, agents of the network only, all respective users of the network are automatically assigned to the nearest hub geographically based on their respective current locations.

10. The system of claims 1 and 2, wherein regarding the affiliates data set, any person, commercial entity, business, company may become affiliated with the network allowing them to create affiliated channels, allowing all moderator controls and extended business opportunity methods with perks for the purpose of advertising, marketing, sales, promotions, targeted or otherwise and other related activities. 6

11. The system of claims 1 and 2, wherein a computer implemented method is used to access and utilize the system, wherein all system data is accessible through an application programming interface (API) with a graphical user interface (GUI), a display and user input controls, a compatible device readable medium or program or application, this being executable by a processor for performing a method for displaying all relevant system data for practical use and utilization of the network.

12. The computer implemented method of claim 11, a method for a plurality of compatible devices including every available web browser in the form of a website, and a compatible application for every tablet, mobile phone, smart phone and any other device or derivation on such devices and an application (third party API) for any and all third party social networks or applications that may seek to make use of the network in the form of a third party application for the use of their respective network or application, that could make use of a computer implemented method to interface with and access this network.

13. The computer implemented method of claim 11, wherein the plurality of channels each have a corresponding space in this interface application, a respective virtual space within this network of virtual geo-reality in which to display all related data and multimedia attributed to them, each channel given an integrated virtual environment as a nexus for commerce, social interaction and other meaningful exchanges.

14. The computer implemented method of claim 11, wherein a method allows an affiliate channel to conduct business within their respective channel with users of the network who join the channel, allowing creation of a menu for products or services interface and the methods and functions allowing online purchasing and shopping through the respective channel.

15. The computer implemented method of claim 11, wherein a method allows an affiliate channel to conduct business within their respective channel, allowing creation of a menu for sale of tickets to events whether tangible at a real world 7 geographic location or intangible events be it online events on the network or on a third party site or application, or of a pay per view nature or event hosted within a channel that may have an event cost associated with it or any other such event that an affiliate seeks a price and a respective user may pay that price to participate, a method for a user to verify their identity when making such a purchase which may be either a real tangible ticket collectable at the event location or virtual ticket for access to the respective event, a method for a user who purchases a virtual online ticket to an event to use their network purchased ticket via the application window to enter the event on location and a system for verifying user identity and validity of purchased ticket.

16. The computer implemented method of claim 11, wherein within the application interface a method, set current location, allows respective users a means to interact with the location-based geo-locational system by inputting their current location into the system for use with searching and filtering the channels data sets and interaction with the connections data sets, current location is displayed in the interface and is applied to all the data set filters within the network to optimize user experience.

17. The computer implemented method of claim 16, wherein a users current location is automatically detected, automatically updated, or manually updated by a compatible global positioning system (GPS) device with which the respective user is accessing the network, for use with the networks functions and methods.

18. The computer implemented method of claim 16, wherein a respective users current location is unobtainable automatically as they are not accessing the network via a compatible GPS device or if a compatible GPS device is available a respective user may opt to use this method, a respective user may set their current location manually by entering current location address into set current location for use with the networks functions and methods, a respective user need not enter their actual current location, they may enter whatever location in the world from which they wish to retrieve results for whatever purpose that drives them to do so. 8

19. The computer implemented method of claim 16, wherein a user seeks an alternative method of inputting current location, a respective user may use their internet protocol (IP) address to get an imprecise current location detection for use with the networks functions and methods.

20. The computer implemented method of claim 11 and any of the preceding claims, wherein a user or affiliate may create a channel within the application interface and are engaging in externally generating channels within the network as described in claim 3, by filling out a create form within the application interface made up of all the channel creation criteria requirements from claim 4.

21. The computer implemented method of claim 11, wherein within the application interface, search methods allow respective users, affiliates, moderators and administrators a means to search and sort through the data sets and information stored within the network databases for practical usage and navigation of the network.

22. The computer implemented method of claim 21, wherein a first search method allows users, affiliates, moderators and administrators to submit a search query through the computing systems of claim 2, utilizing a detailed comprehensive search method comprising any or all of every possible data point or combination thereof within a channels data set as filters with which to search, sort and browse the channel data as search results, in any possible way or combination possible for highly specialized and targeted results or broad and extensive results allowing respective browsers of the system via this method to retrieve the exact results they seek and sort them by all available possible fields and categories desired.

23. The computer implemented method of claim 21, wherein a second search method allows users, affiliates, moderators and administrators all to be referred to as individuals in this claim, to submit a search query through the computing systems of claim 2, utilizing 'around me', a more mobile oriented, simplified search method based on point of origin, either current location of the individual or 9 any other designated origin point, centering from that point, it is marked on a map, an individual may select and modify the distance filter from that point of origin from which to show and filter results of surrounding channels geographically within that set distance limit, they may then filter further by categories and demographics if desired, results may also be filtered by any of the methods of preceding claims including by category or key word searches

24. The computer implemented method of claim 21, wherein a third search method allows users, affiliates, moderators and administrators all to be referred to as individuals in this claim, to submit a search query through the computing systems of claim 2, utilizing a simple interface involving a large map, with the respective individual's set location method from the preceding claims, which can be where the respective individual is currently located or any other geographical point the individual has set, being the centered point of origin on that map, from where the search displays from that point, respective individuals may visually see what channels are around them and where, as they are displayed on their respective geographical points and locations plotted on the map, with the ability to zoom in or out on the map as desired to view or hide channels located farther away or closer to the point of origin, that being the set current location of the individual.

25. The application programming interface of claim 8, wherein a separate computer implemented method is used to access and utilize the system, wherein all system data is accessible through an application programming interface (API) with a display and administrator input controls, a compatible device readable medium or program or application, this being executable by a processor for performing a method for displaying all relevant system data for practical administration of the network, a highly specialized administrator interface that is a slight modification on claim 21, for searching, sorting, editing, deleting, modifying and applying any other possible changes and other functions performable by administrators as agents of the network in maintaining and facilitating the usability, user friendliness, productive, positive and commercial elements of the network. 10

26. The computer implemented method of claim 25, a method for a plurality of compatible devices including every available web browser in the form of a website, and a compatible application for every tablet, mobile phone, smart phone and any other device or derivation on such devices that could make use of a computer implemented method to interface with and access this network for the purpose of administrating the network as an agent of the network, the administration modules and application interface being separate from other application interfaces to this network, being hidden, secured and protected from intrusion by any who are not administrators or agents of the network.

27. The system of claims 1 and 2, wherein a method allows the plurality of computer systems to engage together to achieve an outcome, regarding search queries from any user, moderator, administrator or affiliate through the methods of claims 21 and 25 and all search query related methods of the network, comprising the following steps: the system receives a search query from any user, moderator, administrator or affiliate from whichever respective network application interface, on whichever respective device the submitter of the query used to submit the query; the system submits and processes the query through its plurality of computer systems, databases, processors and servers; the system receives from its plurality of computer systems, databases and data sets stored therein, a combined result set comprising results that match the respective submitted query, the combined result set comprising data results from the database obtained from a plurality of search algorithms applied to the network databases respective of the initial query search request; the system processes the results and provides them to the respective submitter of the respective query in the manner matching the request of 11 the submitted query,

28. The computer implemented method of claim 27, wherein the system may process and display the plurality of a combined results set of the query in an order, structure, or any other formation based on data stored in the connections data set of claim 2, ordering the results based at least partially if not wholly on measures of the submitter of the queries affinities for a particular result or result set among the data, and any similarities or connections the submitter may have to a particular result or result set, or any possible algorithmically determinable connections, links, alignments or relationships between any of the individual pieces of data in any of the five data sets: channels, users, moderators, administrators and affiliates, using any and all available information gathered and gatherable by the network, these links may include actions of users, user defined information, categorical, informational, subjective or objective data and more.

29. The computer implemented method of claim 11, wherein within the application interface a user may join or leave (with the exception of their main assigned hub) any number of channels found using the search methods in any of the preceding claims, or add or remove any channel to or from their respective favorites list, which is a part of the application programming interface methods of any of the preceding claims.

30. The computer implemented method of claim 11, wherein within the application interface a method for a tutorial is provided for users to assist in understanding how the network functions, and how the application interface functions and its features, a respective user may disable this at will.

31. The system of claims 1 and 2, wherein a method will present certain network data or a plurality of data to respective users of the network at any moment or during the function of methods of searching, filtered connections data sets are established, refined and sorted through algorithms and then presented to individuals, the use of algorithms sorting through the data to optimize user experience and provide desirable results for each respective individual based on 12 that individual respective persons affinities as determinable by the network using all available data at its disposal to run through the algorithms.

32. The system of claims 1 and 2, wherein the method of claim 31 requires an algorithmic method which calculates a respective users (user defined as any individual user, affiliate moderator or administrator for the purposes of this claim) affinity for a particular respective result or results within the networks database by using all available data to determine this affinity, the algorithm to calculate an affinity factor using the following criteria within the network itself: each respective users self-defined profile information submitted to the network upon creation of a user account, or retrieved with the respective users permission from a respective users third party social networking account or profile upon creation of a user account, including demographic, geographic, gender, age, relationship status, occupation and self submitted user defined subjective qualitative submissions contained within their respective profile such as their interests and likes; each respective users past actions and activities on the network, gauged in time spent searching, utilizing or engaging in or with (on a scale ranging through sometimes, mostly, often, frequently or most frequently) any particular or a plurality of pieces of data of the network per claim 2, and its links with other similar pieces of data in the databases; each respective users set current favorites list within the network application interface on the respective user device on the respective user account, at the time of the algorithmic calculation of affinity factor, of channels or affiliates or any other related data set of the network that the respective user has marked as a favorite within the interface; each respective users current open channels as per claim 29 within the network application interface on the respective user device on the respective user account, that the user has searched for, joined and not yet 13 left at the time of the algorithmic calculation of affinity factor; each respective users contacts within the network, their interactions with their respective contacts, and any and all similarities or connections the algorithm can establish between user contacts to determine if a particular result or result set may have a positively correlated affinity factor with a respective user based on their contacts; each respective users geographical location currently and frequent geographical positioning and geographical movements as determinable by the network to provide data results that are a geographical match to the movements of the respective user.

33. The algorithmic method of claim 32, wherein the algorithm may also adjust and modify calculations of affinity factor for data sets in the network for a respective individual based on any and all data made available to the network by the respective individual whether it be the respective individuals internet browser history, internet browser favorites, browser caches, third party social networking profiles or other user submitted or shared information about themselves that they have waived privacy to submit and allow the network to access to better perform the algorithmic calculations of their respective affinities for a particular result or results set within the network database to further enhance the user experience.

34. The system of claims 1 and 2, wherein the algorithms of any of the preceding claims (especially claims claims 32 and 33) may be utilized to perform a method for a matchmaking function, to be used in multiple instances throughout the application interface of any of the preceding claims, matchmaking able to occur between any and all of the data sets: including users, moderators, administrators, affiliates, using connections data and algorithms for the purpose of matching any combination of users to users, users to affiliates, users to channels, and any other possible variation for the purpose of automatically assigning, matching and bringing together inside the virtual environment of the network, of any single data entry of the network to any other or a plurality of 14 others with the intention of matching these that are algorithmically calculated to have a high affinity factor for each other for the purpose of efficiently and effectively providing the best possible experience of the network exemplified by automatically placing respective users in respective suitable channels based on their respective affinities, as well as any other purpose the network may have for establishing such matches between pieces of data inside the network, such as the automatic population of a newly generated channel whether internally by the network or its administrators, or externally by users, affiliates or moderators.

35. The method of claim 34, wherein the network and its administrators have the right and ability to exercise any commercialization options including a bidding system for promotional objectives, marketing, advertising or target audience filtering, for registered affiliates of the network (defined in claim 2) in a business context, in any matchmaking generation, and capitalizing on the revelation of respective matches to respective users of the network or display or sorting, ordering or application of matchmaking as determinable and set by the network and its administrators.

36. The system of claims 1 and 2, wherein the algorithms of any of the preceding claims (especially claims 32 and 33) may be utilized to perform a method for a recommendations and suggestions and offering of results function to be used in multiple instances throughout the application interface of any of the preceding claims, recommendations and suggestions or the offering of results by the network to occur between any and all of the data sets: including users, moderators, administrators, affiliates, using connections data and algorithms for the purpose of making recommendations and suggestions and offering of results to any combination of users to users, users to affiliates, users to channels, and any other possible variation for the purpose of making and offering such results, recommendations and suggestions, of any single data entry of the network to any other or a plurality of others with the intention of offering results, making suggestions and recommendations that are algorithmically calculated to have a high affinity factor for each other for the purpose of efficiently and effectively providing the best possible experience of the network exemplified by offering 15 results, making suggestions and recommendations to respective users of respective suitable channels based on their respective affinities, as well as any other purpose the network may have for establishing and making such recommendations and suggestions to or between any or a plurality of pieces of data inside the network.

37. The method of claim 36, wherein the network and its administrators have the right and ability to exercise any commercialization options including a bidding system bidding system for promotional objectives, marketing, advertising, or target audience filtering for registered affiliates of the network (defined in claim 2) in a business context, in any recommendations and suggestions and offering of results generation, and capitalizing on the revelation of respective recommendations and suggestions and offering of results generated to respective users of the network or display or sorting, ordering or application of these as determinable and set by the network and its administrators.

38. The method and systems of any of the preceding claims, wherein a method allows the network to generate a list, make or do matchmaking, suggestions, recommendations or offering of results to respective users of the network, of data within the network that is around the area or nearby proximately the respective individuals current geographical location, around or nearby distance criteria or requirements being definable by the respective individuals themselves using the application interface, and always having the set current location methods of the preceding claims usable for this purpose, using this method to provide respective users a network generated list of network data sets or channels that fit the respective users set filters for the respective users to browse at will and do with the results as desired, this list may be influenced, displayed or sorted or ordered by any of the potential impacts made by the commercialization influenced settings of any of the preceding claims, made by the network and its administrators.

39. The method and systems of any of the preceding claims, wherein a method allows the network administrators to provide any network updates or messages 16 they as agents of the network see fit to post onto the network, these updates to be visible through any of the application interfaces of the network on any respective user device accessing the application interface.

40. The method and systems of any of the preceding claims, wherein a method allows the network to assess top discussions on the network, these being the current most active channels on the network, a number of top channels definable by the network administrators, calculated in terms of current online user numbers engaged within the respective channels which is as stated in the preceding claims a respective user that has used search methods, retrieved results and opened a channel in their respective application user interface on their respective user account and has not yet left it at the time of the network generated list of top discussions, this list to be sorted numerically from most users to least and filterable by top discussions in the world, top discussions in a country which the respective user may define, top discussions in a city which the respective user may define, top discussions in a suburb which the respective user may define, top discussions in the area which the respective user may define using a similar method to around me or nearby distance setting criteria of preceding claims.

41. The method and systems of any of the preceding claims, wherein a method allows the network to generate and provide respective users a list of news items or updates being from a plurality of sources including administrators, moderators or affiliates based upon a respective users current respective favorites list and currently open channels that they have opened within their respective application interface on their respective user account and have not yet left at the time that the respective list is generated by the network, updates to include any news updates, status updates or changes, messages, official messages, posts, official posts or events being hosted by any of the respective sources, the list to be sorted by the network upon generation of the respective list by any order it deems appropriate including but not always chronological with newest content listed first and may be impacted by the commercialization elements of the network from preceding claims. 17

42. The method and systems of any of the preceding claims, wherein a method allows for a displaying of a network generated list of events to respective users, events being a specific category of channel as well as any other channel that has used the application interface to host a channel event, with a specific purpose being that of an event taking place at a physical geographical location, a virtual location or within the virtual environment of the respective channel itself , at a predetermined time or during a predetermined time frame often for a predetermined duration, the filtering and display of results of these events to respective users that are around the area or nearby proximately the respective users current geographical location, around or nearby distance criteria or requirements being definable by the respective users themselves using the application interface, and always having the set current location methods of the preceding claims usable for this purpose, using this method to provide respective users a network generated list of network data sets or channels that fit the respective users set filters for the respective users to browse at will and do with the results as desired, this list may be influenced, displayed or sorted or ordered by any of the potential impacts made by commercialization influenced settings made by the network and its administrators, a common sorting of events will be chronological ordering of events with the currently occurring or soonest to begin being at the top of the generated events results list, based on when the events themselves began or begin either stating that the event is taking place currently, or a countdown in hours or days or weeks whichever is appropriate.

43. The method and systems of any of the preceding claims, wherein a method allows for the displaying of a network generated list of activities of a respective individual's contacts list including items relating to what a respective individual's contacts are doing, what actions they are performing, this list to contain activities of a respective individual's contacts including any action performable on the network, some actions of a respective individual's contacts may or may not appear on this generated list depending on the respective contacts network account privacy settings, including but not limited to creation of a channel or plurality of channels, invitation of others to a channel or plurality of channels whether private or public, joining of the network or invitation of others to join the 18 network, hosting or engaging in a group interaction in a channel, private messaging or in a private channel, any and all invitational functions within the network, moderation of a channel or plurality of channels, updates to status messages, information regarding channels a respective individual's respective contacts are in currently, active in or participating in currently, have open or have stored in their respective favorites list in their respective application interfaces on their respective network accounts, this list may be filtered, sorted and ordered by any method deemed appropriate by the network administrators having regard to potential commercialization elements as well as algorithmically determinable affinities the respective individual may have for the channels or other contacts of their respective contacts.

44. The method and systems of any of the preceding claims most notably claim 2, wherein a method for a user experience interface involving the respective user application interfaces of the network allows for the creation of a new respective user in the users data set, allowing each user upon registering with the network to have a user account for use with the network and its features that they may make use of whenever desired, able to utilize the functions and methods of any of the preceding claims, and administrative control over the user's respective account, this includes control over all the editable user definable data that comprises the respective users data set, and a standardized user experience package on a user based network of this sort including user profile, contacts list, current status, account settings, notifications, favorites list, currently open channel list and actions performed by that respective user on the network, what is claimed here is not the original concept of these standardized user account features but the usage of such features within the context of the original network of the kind described in the preceding claims.

45. The method of the user experience interface within the application interface of claim 44 and any of the preceding claims, wherein a method allows user defined and definable profile information both objective and subjective, and data such as demographic, geographic, age, gender, relationship status, occupation, qualitative descriptions and meta key-wording analysis within submitted profile 19 information, current status, account settings preferences, contacts list, favorites list, currently open channel lists, may be used with the connections data set and algorithms of the preceding claims to enhance the user experience of the network through methods described in the preceding claims.

46. The method of the user experience interface within the application interface of claim 44 and any of the preceding claims, wherein a method allows for the user data set created by creation of a respective user account to be stored in the database of the preceding claims which also corresponds to a respective page or environment in which this data is re-callable, which displays each respective users individual data in the application interface of the network of the preceding claims.

47. The method of the user experience interface within the application interface of claim 44 and any of the preceding claims, wherein a method allows each users data to correspond to a user profile page hosted by the computing systems, databases and servers comprising the overall system and network of claim 2 and any of the preceding claims.

48. The method of the user experience interface within the application interface of claim 44 and any of the preceding claims, wherein methods allow each user's data and user interface to correspond to a respective user contact list and network contact system contained within a respective page hosted by the computing systems, databases and servers comprising the overall system and network of claim 2 and any of the preceding claims, a contact list and contact system comprising of the following activities performable by a respective user: search the network user database to add a user or plurality of users to the contact list and send the respective user or plurality of users a contact request to add them to their respective contact list; receive contact requests from other users to become mutual contacts, accept or reject these requests; 20 manage a list of contacts including the ability to remove a contact; create, edit or delete contact groups, the naming of this respective contact group, and the adding of a contact or plurality of contacts into the respective contact group; engage in private messaging with any respective contact or contact group; invite any respective contact or contact group to any public channel, or private channel or private category network if the inviter is a moderator of the respective private channel or private category network.

49. The method of the user experience interface within the application interface of claim 44 and any of the preceding claims, wherein a method allows each respective user to invite new users to join the network and join their respective contact lists, public channels, private channels, private category networks or to become moderators of any of those which the inviting user is a moderator of: sending invitations through third party networks or applications; sending invitations through email; sending invitations through SMS messaging using mobile phone networks or third party applications.

50. The method of any of the preceding claims, wherein a method within the application interface of claim 11 in the channels interface contains a voting system comprising of the following performable activities and consequences: a respective individual may cast a positive vote on any respective post of contributed content made by any other individual within any channel of the network, which displays a cumulative total of all positive votes cast on that contribution in that channels interface display; 21 a respective individual that receives a positive vote from a respective unique individual from whom they have never received a positive vote from before, receives a positive vote displayed on their profile interface that is visible by all other users of the network, a cumulative total of positive votes per respective individual's profile, of votes from unique users of the network is stored and displayed; a respective individual receives a profile based rank and title and a corresponding rank image and avatar in a ranking system based on the number of cumulative positive unique user votes received, examples may include "veteran" or "super helpful"; a respective individual content submission posted within a channels interface that receives a highest proportion of positive votes is stored and always retrievable in a respective channels separate top rated content interface.

51. The method of the user experience interface within the application interface of claim 44 and any of the preceding claims, wherein methods allow each respective individual to modify in any way possible or allowable by the network, their own corresponding respective profile page and make use of the network and its functions using the user application interface through their network account: set, create, remove and update a status message; share status message with contacts, channels, other users, or other third party social networks or applications; edit a status being online, available, busy or away; set, create and update the profile information of the preceding claims; 22 set current location; monitor the actions performed by and activities of their respective contacts and other individuals on the network assuming the respective contacts and other individuals privacy settings allow this; monitor the currently open channels and favorites list of their respective contacts and other users of the network assuming the respective contacts and other users privacy settings allow this; monitor their respective actions on the network and edit how this is to be displayed or used by the network; manage and utilize a favorites list, add or remove items of network data to or from this favorites list, broadcast and share this favorites list with contacts, channels, other users, or other third party social networks or applications, invite users to channels contained in this list; use any of the network search methods to search the databases of the network; join or leave a channel of the network, participate in them and view all available data hosted by every respective channel unless it is a private channel or channel contained within a private category network and the respective user does not have the required password or has not received an invitation, invite other individuals to channels that the respective individual has joined and not yet left, broadcast and share this currently open list of joined channels with contacts, channels, other users and individuals, or other third party social networks or applications; utilize the voting system of the respective channels contained within the application interface; 23 create a channel or plurality of channels, moderate that channel or plurality of channels, invite contacts, other users or other third party networks or applications to that channel or plurality of channels, invite other network accounts or non-users to become moderators of a respective created channel;

52. The method of the user experience interface within the application interface of claim 44 and any of the preceding claims, wherein a method allows respective individuals control and the ability to adjust settings related to their respective network accounts: set or change account password; set or change email address, set or change nickname for use in channels instead of using their real identities and names, a privacy setting; upload, edit, change, and manage a user account profile picture; block and unblock other users; toggle on and off a profanity filter; adjust notification settings, that is when to be notified on certain events or actions within the network including on receiving a private message, on receiving a channel invitation, on any update by a respective users currently open or favorite channels respective status change or new moderator message post or content submission, on the hosting of a channel event by a currently open or favorited channel;

53. The method of the user experience interface within the application interface of claim 44 and any of the preceding claims, wherein a method allows respective 24 individuals to manage and adjust a plurality of account privacy settings including regarding visibility of a respective individual's profile details and the allowable interaction and actions between a respective individuals profile and other network accounts and the usability of this information by the network for algorithmic and connections purposes, for the purposes of a respective individual and their visibility and interactions to and with other network users it is either not visible or blocked to any other user, visible or possible to other users that are on a respective individuals mutual contacts list, or visible and possible to and for every other network account that may view or do the following: who can send a respective individual private messages; who can send a respective individual channel invitations; who can view a respective individual's email address on their respective profile; who can view a respective individual's phone number on their respective profile; who can view a respective individual's real name and identity on their respective profile; who can view a respective individual's real current location on their respective profile; who can view a respective individual's age, gender, and interests on their respective profile; who can view a respective individual's recent actions performed on the network on their respective profile; who can view a respective individual's currently open channels and 25 favorites on their respective profile.

54. The method of the user experience interface within the application interface of claim 44 and any of the preceding claims, wherein a method allows a respective user to store the account information, log in details or any other required materials for the integration and usage of a respective users third party social networking or other application of a type usable by the network for enhancing the user experience and allowing the user to make use of such third party content for use with the network or linking this network and the content on it with other third party networks, using the methods of any of the preceding claims to do so.

55. The method of the contact system of claim 48 and any of the preceding claims, wherein a method allows for the creation and management of a contact networking groups feature which would function by allowing any respective user of the network to create a new separate contact networking group and become the originating user of this contact networking group, which would work as following: the originating user would invite a contact or plurality of contacts from their respective contact list to join a contact networking group; the invitees may accept or reject this invitation using a similar method to accepting or rejecting a contact request in claim 48; the acceptors join the contact networking group and become visible to all other members of this contact networking group in the application interface, even if these respective users are not mutual contacts of each other; each individual user that is a part of each or any respective contact networking group would have privacy settings equivalent to those of claim 53, that would impact privacy related to every respective contact 26 networking group that a respective user is a part of; the originating user holds moderation control over the respective contact networking group and may allow members of the contact networking group to invite new members to the group to allow for its cumulative growth, or may disallow other members to invite new members to the group and may hold that power for themselves only; all members of a contact networking group may interact with each other using all the activities, functions and features available on the network, and may interact in the same ways that mutual contacts per claim 48 may; a contact networking member may only have one mutual contact, the originating member who invited them to a contact network, yet they may engage in such activities as creation of a channel, moderation of that channel, and may invite that entire contact networking group to that channel; a private messaging function and forum exists between all members of a contact group which functions like a private channel that only the contact networking group members may view, this is automatically joined upon joining a contact networking group.

56. The method of any of the preceding claims and claim 5 especially, wherein a method allows for the creation, moderation, editing, administration and management of a plurality of Private Category Networks within the overall network systems, a private category, creatable and functionally similar to that of a private channel differs in that it is a network of private channels under a private, hidden, invisible to the public category that is not displayed in standard search results, a private category consists of the following traits: a private hidden category, invisible to any individuals on the network that have not received an invitation to it from the moderator(s) or 27 administrator(s); a closed network, viewable only by individuals selected to be able to view it; a respective individual requires an invitation from a moderator or administrator of the respective private category network to join, view, use and participate in it; once access is granted to a respective user, the private category appears in search results and is accessible until or unless access is revoked by the respective moderator or administrator; the ability for the respective moderator(s) or administrator(s) to create unlimited sub-categories and private channels within the private category; privacy settings and private network access controls: a respective moderator(s) or administrator(s) may give respective individual(s) or respective group(s) of individuals an invitation to the private category network and may select exactly which, (all, one, some, or none) of the sub-categories and private channels that the respective individual(s) or group(s) may be able to view, join, and have access to, and therefore are able to segment the private category network where appropriate to keep the correct users of the network sorted to their corresponding sub categories or channels.

57. The method of any of the preceding claims, wherein a method allows for the transmission of live voice and video chat and conferencing over every respective individual channel of the network and the recording (given user privacy settings agreement,), storage and playback of said voice and video chat and conferencing of, by and for individuals using the network, the method allows for the following: 28 Individual respective users may join their respective channel(s) of choice from those available on the network and may choose to enable network settings that allow them to engage in multichannel two way communications with channels and any other individual user(s) that are also in the respective channel(s) and have the same network settings enabled, this will allow individuals to be able to communicate verbally and visually with respective channels they join and the respective individuals in them in real time, connecting in this human way to participate in live, real time discussions and conversations with people, groups, causes, places, events, areas and such that appeal to them; what is claimed here is that this method will grant respective individuals making use of this feature a human interactive network through technology at a level that currently does not exist, that brings communication methods and communication levels with strangers and other human beings to a superior level, dynamic, live, emotive, meaningful exchanges, using real communication mediums; live voice chat: the ability to verbally communicate with the other individuals in the channel that have the network settings enabled to hear them and a compatible sound device, through use of a respective users microphone or any other audio recording device such as the microphone of a mobile phone or other compatible device; live video chat with voice: the ability to visually and verbally communicate with the other individuals in the channel that have the network settings enabled to view and hear them and a compatible video device, through use of a camera such as a web-camera or smart phone camera or other compatible device and an audio recording device; live view and hear video and voice chat of other users who are 29 making use of this feature with a compatible sound and video device and the network settings enabled for this feature; playback old recordings made in a respective channel that have been stored in that channels respective database, of voice and video chat that the individual may have missed when it was happening live.

58. The method of claim 3 regarding the generation of channels and any of the preceding claims, wherein methods allow for the automatic generation and creation of dynamic channels by the network itself, channels with location-based points defined in claim 4, may be related to locations, places, events or items taking place in the world, internal or external to the network, using algorithms and the retrieval of data both internal and external to the network from any or all of a plurality of sources including news media, third party social networks or applications, third party search engines, world geography sources and the like and it may automatically populate the multimedia and data storage attributes and user application interfaces of the respective channels using media collected from similar sources, the type of dynamic channels the network may automatically generate includes: new hub channels for major cities or suburbs or locations or areas geographically or of geographical significance, to which users would automatically be assigned to the nearest hub to their set current location of the preceding claims; new channels based on popular location-based points per claim 4, including locations, places, events, businesses and so forth that are highly tagged, flagged, repeated and active on other third party social networks or applications; new channels based on popular location-based points per claim 4, including locations, places, events and so forth that are mentioned in the 30 news or on news media, in promotional material from their respective promoters, or any similar launch or new item fit for display on the network, new channels based on location-based points per claim 4, that are not currently on the network.

59. The method of any of the preceding claims, wherein a method allows respective users in respective channels to play computer implemented games together, either internally in the networks application interface or through launching an external application or program from a participating developer, including objective based games, games for fun and gambling games for or without real currency or money involved.

60. The method of any of the preceding claims, wherein the power to own, operate and run a network of the type in the preceding claims resides with the patent holders, the network, the administrators acting as agents of the network and any and all employees of the network.

61. The method of any of the preceding claims, wherein the power to advertise, market, promote, commercialize, when possible making use of filtered target audiences, the affiliation with external entities for these purposes and for further commercial opportunities including the buying and selling of goods, services, tickets to events and other products through or over a network of the type in the preceding claims resides with the patent holders, the network administrators acting as agents of the network and any and all employees of the network acting on behalf of the network.

62. A method for assembling a list of dynamic, live, constantly updating information collections by collecting all available information, updates, news items, messages and so forth and placing this information into a chronologically sorted list with the newest items placed at the top, both information internal to a network about a respective item and all available information linked or about a corresponding item external to a network, including news items, news media, 31 news websites, blogs, third party social networks and applications discoverable by a network or purposefully linked to an by its

63. A method allowing users of a network to purchase virtual online e-tickets for entry into events and so forth held by affiliated entities of the network using the network to sell such tickets, tickets which becomes linked to a corresponding purchasing users profile within the network.

64. The method of claim 63, wherein a method allows these users to use their network purchased virtual e-ticket via the application window of a user device which is signed in to the network, to display this e-ticket contained within their profile, to enter the event on location and a system for verifying user identity and validity of the purchased ticket.

65. A method for establishing matches and performing match-making for the purpose of automatically assigning, matching and bringing together inside a virtual environment of a network, of any single data entry of the network to any other or a plurality of others with the intention of matching these that are algorithmically calculated to have a high affinity factor for each other for the purpose of efficiently and effectively providing the best possible experience of a network exemplified by automatically placing respective users into respective suitable matches based on their respective affinities, as well as any other purpose the network may have for performing such matches.

66. A method for establishing matches or performing match-making between pieces of data inside a network, being users, individuals, items, entities and so forth, based on the affinities, matching affinities or a likely high mutual affinity factor, and using these matches to perform automatic population of a newly generated virtual environment within a network, whether internally by the network automatically or initiated manually by its administrators, or externally by its users.

67. A method for displaying a generated list of events to respective users of a network, events with a specific purpose being that of an actual event taking place 32 at a physical geographical location, a virtual location or within the virtual environment of the respective virtual network or within the virtual environment of a third party network or application, at a predetermined time or during a predetermined time frame often for a predetermined duration, and the display of these events results relative to the user they are being displayed to, including items and sorting such as a geographical distance from where, time until when, and sorting through what each respective event is about.

68. The method of claim 67, wherein a method allows the filtering and display of results of these events to respective users of a network that are around the area or nearby proximately the respective users current geographical location, detectable by GPS or set by the user, around or nearby distance criteria or requirements being definable by the respective users themselves using the application interface of a network, using this method to provide respective users a network generated list of events, a common sorting of events would be chronological ordering of events with the currently occurring or soonest to begin being at the top of the generated events results list, based on when the events themselves began or begin either stating that the event is taking place currently, or a countdown in hours or days or weeks whichever is appropriate, and providing recommendations and suggestions of events to a respective user based on that users affinities as determinable by a network and its algorithms.

69. The method of claim 67, wherein the methods of displaying results from claims 67 and 68 may be influenced, displayed or sorted or ordered by any of the potential impacts made by commercialization influenced settings made by a network and its administrators, including affiliated entities engaging in a business relationship with a network to list, advertise and promote their respective events in this interface and enable methods which allow purchasing of tickets, both actual and virtual e-tickets, for entry into these events both by performing the transactions through a network itself and transferring the funds to the affiliates or transferring a respective user directly to the affiliates third party external application or interface where the transaction would then take place, registering that it was the network that sent that particular user to that third party 33 transactions interface.

70. A method allowing respective users of a network to store the account information, log in details or any other required materials for the integration and usage of a respective users third party social networking or other application of a type usable by a network for enhancing the user experience and allowing the user to make use of such third party content for use with a network or linking this network and the content on it with other third party networks.

71. A method within a contact system of a network allowing for the creation and management of contact networking groups which would function by allowing any respective user of a network to create a new separate contact networking group and become the originating user of this contact networking group, which would work as following: the originating user would invite a contact or plurality of contacts from their respective contact list to join a contact networking group; the invitees may accept or reject this invitation; the acceptors join the contact networking group and become visible to all other members of this contact networking group in the application interface, even if these respective users are not mutual contacts of each other; each individual user that is a part of each or any respective contact networking group would have privacy settings that would impact their privacy related to every respective contact networking group that a respective user is a part of; the originating user holds moderation control over the respective contact networking group and may allow members of the contact networking group to invite new members to the group to allow for its 34 cumulative growth, or may disallow other members to invite new members to the group and may hold that power for themselves only; all members of a contact networking group may interact with each other using all the activities, functions and features available on a network, and may interact in the same ways that mutual contacts on a network may; a contact networking member may only have one mutual contact, the originating member who invited them to a contact network, yet they may engage in such activities as are available on the network with other members of the respective contact networking group that may otherwise only be performed with other mutual contacts; a private messaging function and forum exists between all members of a contact group within a network which functions so that only the contact networking group members may view these, this is automatically joined upon joining a contact networking group.

72. A method for the creation, moderation, editing, administration and management of a plurality of Private Category Networks within the overall systems of a network, a private category creatable and functioning as a network of private virtual environments under a category header which is private, hidden, invisible to the public, that is not displayed publicly in standard search results, a private category network consists of the following traits: a private hidden category, invisible to any individuals on a network that have not received an invitation to it from its respective moderator(s) or administrator(s); a closed network, viewable only by individuals selected to be able to view it; 35 a respective individual requires an invitation from the creator, a moderator or administrator of the respective private category network to join, view, use and participate in it; once access is granted to a respective individual, the private category appears in search results and is accessible until or unless access is revoked by the respective creator, moderator or administrator; the ability for the respective creator, moderator(s) or administrator(s) to create unlimited sub-categories and private virtual environments within the private category network; privacy settings and private category network access controls: a respective, creator, moderator(s) or administrator(s) may give respective individual(s) or respective group(s) of individuals an invitation to the private category network and may select exactly which, (all, one, some, or none) of the sub-categories and private virtual environments that the respective individual(s) or group(s) may be able to view, join, and have access to, and therefore are able to segment the private category network where appropriate to keep the correct users of the network sorted to their corresponding sub-categories or virtual environments.

73. A method allowing for the transmitting and receiving of live voice streams and video streams and conferencing over respective virtual environments within a plurality of virtual environments that may make up a network, and the recording (given user privacy settings agreement,), storage and playback of said audio and video and conferencing of, by and for individuals using the network, the method allows for the following: Individual respective users may join respective virtual environments they choose from those available on a network and may wish to 36 enable network settings that allow them to engage in multichannel two way communications with the virtual environment and any other individual user(s) that are also in the respective virtual environment(s) and have the same network settings enabled, this will allow individuals to be able to communicate verbally and visually with respective virtual environments they join and the respective individuals in them in real time, connecting in this human way to participate in live, real time discussions and conversations with people, groups, causes, places, events, areas and such that appeal to them, what is claimed here is that this method will grant respective individuals making use of this feature a human interactive network through technology at a level that currently does not exist, that brings communication methods and communication levels with strangers and other human beings to a superior form and level, dynamic, live, emotive, meaningful exchanges, using real communication mediums.

74. The method of claim 73, wherein a method allows for live voice chat, the ability for individuals to verbally communicate with the other individuals in a virtual environment on a network that have the network settings enabled to hear them and a compatible sound device, through use of a respective users microphone or any other audio recording device such as the microphone of a mobile phone or other compatible device.

75. The method of claim 73, wherein a method allows for live video chat with voice, the ability for individuals to visually and verbally communicate with the other individuals in a virtual environment on a network that have the network settings enabled to view and hear them and a compatible video device, through use of a camera such as a web-camera or smart phone camera or other compatible device and an audio recording device.

76. The method of claim 73, wherein a method allows for the live viewing and 37 hearing of video and audio streams of and from other users who are making use of the methods of the preceding claims and their features so long as they possess a compatible sound and video display device and the network settings enabled for this feature,

77. The method of claim 73, wherein a method allows for the playback and viewing of old recordings made in a respective virtual environment that have been stored in that virtual environments respective database and displayed in that virtual environment on that network, of voice and video chat that the individual user of a network may have missed when it was happening live, or may wish to view for any other reason.

78. A method for the generation of virtual environments which allow for the automatic generation and creation of dynamic virtual environments by a network itself, virtual environments which may have location-based, may be related to locations, places, events or items taking place in the world, internal or external to a network, using algorithms and the retrieval of data both internal and external to a network from any or all of a plurality of sources including news media, third party social networks or applications, third party search engines, world geography sources and the like and it may automatically populate the virtual environment and its corresponding database with multimedia and data using media and items collected from similar sources.

79. The method of claim 78, wherein the virtual environment generated may be based around major cities or suburbs or locations or areas geographically or of geographical significance, to which users of a network would automatically be assigned to the nearest virtual environment to their respective current locations as detectable by a compatible GPS device being used to access a network, or by manually entering a current location.

80. The method of claim 78, wherein new virtual environments may be generated in a network based on popular location-based points or other places whether real and tangible or virtual, including locations, places, events, 38 businesses and so forth that are highly tagged, flagged, repeatedly mentioned, re-posted, active and so forth on other third party social networks or applications;

81. The method of claim 78, wherein new virtual environments may be generated based on popular location-based or other places whether real and tangible or virtual points, including locations, places, events and so forth that are mentioned in the news or on news media, in promotional material from their respective promoters, blogs, or any similar launch or new item fit for display on a network in the form of a virtual environment;