Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR SEARCHING FOR PROFESSIONALS WITHIN
AN ONLINE COMMUNITY
BACKGROUND
[1] Field of the Invention
[2] The embodiments described herein are generally directed to an online
community
of professionals and non-professionals, and, more particularly, to marketing
professionals
within the online community based on the professionals' activities within the
community
and/or feedback from the community.
[3] Description of the Related Art
[4] Conventionally, locating a professional, such as a tax professional, is
difficult.
Historically, most individuals identify a tax professional by asking someone
they know for a
referral. However, this is not necessarily an efficient or effective method of
finding a
professional. Different individuals may be differently situated and have
different needs,
preferences, desires, etc. Accordingly, a tax professional that is appropriate
for one
individual may not be appropriate for the individual to whom they are being
recommended or
referred.
[5] For example, a first individual may be employed with a modest salary,
whereas a
second individual may be a small business owner with many investments. A tax
professional
that is best suited for the first individual may not be as well-suited for the
second individual.
Moreover, the two individuals may have vastly different personalities and
preferences, which
influence the type of professional with which they would be comfortable. Of
course,
businesses and organizations can also have entirely different needs.
[6] In addition, most professionals (e.g., tax professionals) are either
too busy,
unwilling, or otherwise unable to effectively market themselves or establish a
brand around
the areas and expertise that they offer. Not only does this make it difficult
for potential
clients to identify suitable professionals to provide a desired service (e.g.,
tax advice), but it
also makes it difficult for employers to identify suitable professionals for
potential job
opportunities (e.g., tax opportunities).
[7] What has been lacking is a system or method that precipitates a
community for
professionals to interact and market themselves, while providing a way for
entities in need of
professional services to leverage this community in order to each find a
professional that suits
that entity's individual tastes and/or needs.
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SUMMARY
[8] Accordingly, systems and methods are disclosed for creating and
nurturing an
online community of professionals, and ranking, filtering, and/or presenting
those
professionals based on their activities within that community.
[9] In an embodiment, a method for searching for professionals within an
online
community is provided. The method may comprise using at least one hardware
processor to:
manage at least one database comprising member information for each of a
plurality of
members, wherein the plurality of members comprise a plurality of professional
members and
a plurality of non-professional members; store activity information for one or
more
interactions between one or more of the plurality of professional members and
a web
application; store feedback information received for one or more of the
plurality of
professional members; receive one or more search requests from at least one of
the plurality
of non-professional members, wherein each of the one or more search requests
comprises one
or more search criteria; and for each of the one or more search requests,
identify two or more
of the plurality of professional members based on the membership information
for each of the
two or more professional members and the one or more search criteria,
determine an order for
the identified two or more professional members based on the activity
information and the
feedback information for the identified two or more professional members, and
generate a list
comprising the identified two or more professional members in the determined
order.
[10] In an additional embodiment, a system for searching for professionals
within an
online community is provided. The system may comprise: at least one hardware
processor; at
least one database comprising member information for each of a plurality of
members,
wherein the plurality of members comprise a plurality of professional members
and a
plurality of non-professional members; and one or more executable software
modules
configured to, when executed by the at least one hardware processor, store
activity
information for one or more interactions between one or more of the plurality
of professional
members and a web application, store feedback information received for one or
more of the
plurality of professional members, receive one or more search requests from at
least one of
the plurality of non-professional members, wherein each of the one or more
search requests
comprises one or more search criteria, and for each of the one or more search
requests,
identify two or more of the plurality of professional members based on the
membership
information for each of the two or more professional members and the one or
more search
criteria, determine an order for the identified two or more professional
members based on the
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activity information and the feedback information for the identified two or
more professional
members, and generate a list comprising the identified two or more
professional members in
the determined order.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[11] The details of the present invention, both as to its structure and
operation, may be
gleaned in part by study of the accompanying drawings, in which like reference
numerals
refer to like parts, and in which:
[12] FIG. 1 illustrates an infrastructure in which a server platform may
operate
according to the described methods, according to an embodiment;
[13] FIG. 2 illustrates an example home page, according to an embodiment;
[14] FIG. 3 illustrates an example searchable directory of professionals,
according to
an embodiment;
[15] FIG. 4 illustrates an example question details interface, according to
an
embodiment;
[16] FIGS. 5A-5Q illustrate example user interfaces for a registration
process,
according to an embodiment;
[17] FIG. 6 illustrates an example profile page, according to an
embodiment;
[18] FIG. 7 illustrates aspects of an example virtual boardroom, according
to an
embodiment;
[19] FIG. 8 illustrates aspects of an example virtual boardroom, according
to an
embodiment;
[20] FIGS. 9A-9D illustrate example user interfaces for an online
community,
according to an embodiment;
[21] FIG. 10 illustrates an example user interface for listing job
opportunities,
according to an embodiment;
[22] FIG. 11A illustrates an example user interface for a panel, according
to an
embodiment;
[23] FIG. 11B illustrates an example panel dashboard for a panelist,
according to an
embodiment; and
[24] FIG. 12 illustrates a processing system on which one or more of the
processes
described herein may be executed, according to an embodiment.
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DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[25] In embodiments, systems and methods are described for ranking,
filtering, or
otherwise presenting professionals based on their activities within and/or
feedback from a
community of professionals. Embodiments described herein will primarily be
discussed with
respect to a community of tax professionals. These tax professionals may come
from
accounting firms, corporations, governments tax agencies, law firms, tax
associations, tax
consultancies, tax services firms, sole proprietorships, universities, etc.
However, it should
be understood that the embodiments described herein may be adapted for any
type of
profession, including combinations or mixtures of two or more different types
of professions.
[26] System Overview
[27] FIG. 1 illustrates an example system for supporting a professional
community
with ranking and filtering capabilities, according to an embodiment. The
system may
comprise a server platform 110 comprising a set of one or more servers which
host and/or
execute one or more of the various functions, processes, and/or software
modules described
herein. In addition, server(s) 110 are communicatively connected to one or
more user
systems 130 via one or more network(s) 120. Network(s) 120 may comprise the
Internet, and
server(s) 110 may communicate with user system(s) 130 through the Internet
using standard
transmission protocols, such as HyperText Transfer Protocol (HTTP), Secure
HTTP
(HTTPS), File Transfer Protocol (FTP), FTP Secure (FTPS), SSH FTP (SFTP), and
the like,
as well as proprietary protocols. In an embodiment, server(s) 110 may not be
dedicated
servers, and may instead be cloud instances, which utilize shared resources of
one or more
servers. It should also be understood that server(s) 110 can be, but are not
required to be,
collocated. Furthermore, while server(s) 110 are illustrated as being
connected to various
systems through a single set of network(s) 120, it should be understood that
server(s) 110
may be connected to the various systems via different sets of one or more
networks. For
example, server(s) 110 may be connected to a subset of user systems 130 via
the Internet, but
may be connected to one or more other user systems 130 via an intranet. It
should also be
understood that user system(s) 130 may comprise any type or types of computing
devices
capable of wired and/or wireless communication, including without limitation,
desktop
computers, laptop computers, tablet computers, smart phones or other mobile
phones, servers,
game consoles, televisions, set-top boxes, electronic kiosks, Automated Teller
Machines, and
the like. In addition, while only a few user systems 130 and one set of
server(s) 110 are
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illustrated, it should be understood that the network may comprise any number
of user
systems and sets of server(s).
[28] Server(s) 110 may comprise web servers which host one or more web
applications, such as websites or web services. In embodiments in which a
website is
provided, the website may comprise one or more user interfaces, including, for
example,
webpages generated in HyperText Markup Language (HTML) or other language.
Server(s)
110 transmit or serve these user interfaces in response to requests from user
system(s) 130.
In some embodiments, these user interfaces may be served in the form of a
wizard, in which
case two or more user interfaces may be served in a sequential manner, and one
or more of
the sequential user interfaces may depend on an interaction of the user or
user system with
one or more preceding user interfaces. The requests to server(s) 110 and the
responses from
server(s) 110, including the user interfaces, may both be communicated through
network(s)
120, which may include the Internet, using standard communication protocols
(e.g., HTTP,
HTTPS). These user interfaces or web pages may comprise a combination of
content and
elements, such as text, images, videos, animations, references (e.g.,
hyperlinks), frames,
inputs (e.g., textboxes, text areas, checkboxes, radio buttons, drop-down
menus, buttons,
forms, etc.), scripts (e.g., JavaScript), and the like, including elements
comprising or derived
from data stored in one or more databases (not shown) that are locally and/or
remotely
accessible to the server(s) 110. Server(s) 110 may also respond to other
requests from user
system(s) 130.
[29] Server(s) 110 may further comprise, be communicatively coupled with,
or
otherwise have access to one or more database(s). For example, server(s) 110
may comprise
one or more database servers which manage one or more databases. A user system
130 or
application executing on server(s) 110 may submit data (e.g., user data, form
data, etc.) to be
stored in the database(s), and/or request access to data stored in such
database(s). Any
suitable database may be utilized, including, without limitation, MySQL,
Oracle, IBM,
Microsoft SQL, Sybase, Access, and the like, including cloud-based database
instances. Data
may be sent to the server(s) 110, for instance, using the well-known POST
request supported
by HTTP, via FTP, etc. This data, as well as other requests, may be handled,
for example, by
server-side web technology, such as a servlet or other software module,
executed by server(s)
110.
[30] In embodiments in which a web service is provided, server(s) 110 may
receive
requests from user system(s) 130, and provide responses in eXtensible Markup
Language
(XML) and/or any other suitable or desired format. In such embodiments,
server(s) 110 may
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provide an application programming interface (API) which defines the manner in
which user
system(s) 130 may interact with the web service. Thus, user system(s) 130,
which may
themselves be servers, can define their own user interfaces, and rely on the
web service to
implement the backend processes, functionality, storage, etc., described
herein. For example,
in such an embodiment, a client application executing on one or more user
system(s) 130 may
interact with a server application executing on server(s) 110 to execute one
or more or a
portion of one or more of the various functions, processes, and/or software
modules described
herein. The client application may be "thin," in which case processing is
primarily carried
out server-side by server(s) 110. A simple example of a thin client
application is a browser
application, which simply requests, receives, and renders web pages at user
system(s) 130,
while server(s) 110 are responsible for generating the web pages and managing
database
functions. Alternatively, the client application may be "thick," in which case
processing is
primarily carried out client-side by user system(s) 130. It should be
understood that the client
application may perform an amount of processing, relative to server(s) 110, at
any point
along this spectrum between "thin" and "thick," depending on the design goals
of the
particular implementation. In any case, the application, which may wholly
reside on either
the server(s) or user system(s) or be distributed between the server(s) or
user system(s), can
comprise one or more executable software modules that implement one or more of
the
processes or functions of the application(s) described herein.
[31] Web Application Overview
[32] In an embodiment, server(s) 110, which may also be referred to as
platform 110,
comprises a web application which provides one or more user interfaces that
enable
professionals and potential clients to interact with each other. The web
application may
comprise one or more user interfaces which allow professionals, such as tax
professionals, to
establish a user account 112 (e.g., username/email and password) which
provides a
professional with access to platform 110, and/or a user profile 114 which
comprises
information about the professional (e.g., name, contact information,
credentials,
qualifications, etc.). In addition, the web application may comprise one or
more user
interfaces which allow other users (e.g., seeking a professional) to establish
a user account
112 (e.g., username/email and password) which provides a user with access to
the platform
110 and/or or a user profile 114 which comprises information about the user
(e.g., name,
contact information, etc.). Both the user account and user profile information
for
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professionals and other users may be obtained through a registration process,
described in
more detail elsewhere herein.
[33] Users can access platform 110 to interact with and select
professionals. It should
be understood that these interactions may include an interaction between a
professional and
professional, as well as an interaction between a non-professional (e.g., an
entity seeking
professional services) and a professional. Also, while the embodiments
disclosed herein will
primarily be described in relation to tax professionals, it should be
understood that the
disclosed embodiments may be adapted for any type of professional.
[34] In an embodiment, the web application comprises a website, and the
user
interfaces of the web application comprise web pages which are consistent
throughout the
web application. For instance, the web application may comprise a web server
that serves
dynamic and/or static web pages in response to requests from user system(s)
130. Each web
page may comprise a consistent sign-up input and login input (e.g., if the
user has not
registered or logged in to the web application), logout input (e.g., if the
user has registered
and logged in to the web application), search input, header and footer, and/or
feedback bar.
The sign-up input allows a user to register with the web application. The
login input allows a
registered user (also referred to herein as a "member") to log in to the web
application (i.e.,
access functionality of the web application that is unavailable to
unregistered users). The
logout input allows a user who has logged in to the web application to sign
out of his or her
account.
[35] Users, including professionals and those seeking a professional, can
access the
web application using a user system 130, which may comprise any one or more of
a variety
of computing devices capable of communications over network(s) 120 (e.g.,
comprising the
Internet). In an embodiment, users may comprise visitors, free members and/or
non-
professional members, and professional members. A visitor is someone who is
visiting the
web application, but who has not registered with the web application, or who
has registered
but has not logged in to the web application. A free member or non-
professional member is
someone who has registered with the web application for the purposes of
finding a
professional or asking a question and has not registered as a professional. In
an embodiment,
there is no cost to a free member to use the web application. A professional
member is a
professional (e.g., tax professional) that has registered with the web
application to promote
his or her expertise (e.g., tax expertise) in the web application's
interactive directory of
professionals that is available to visitors, free members, and other tax
professional members
(e.g., searching for expertise outside of their own area of expertise).
Additionally, users may
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further comprise an employer or other organizational user (e.g., searching for
professional
services and/or potential job applicants). In an embodiment, a professional
member must
purchase his or her membership (e.g., as a subscription, such as a monthly
subscription).
However, it should be understood that, in other embodiments, professional
members or
subsets of professional members may not be required to purchase their
memberships. It
should also be understood that, in embodiments which utilize subscriptions,
those
subscriptions may be tiered, such that lower-tiered subscriptions have more
restrictions
and/or less access to features of platform 110 than higher-tiered
subscriptions.
[36] 1. Header
[37] Each webpage for the website of the web application may comprise a
header with
inputs (e.g., hyperlinks) for accessing one or more other user interfaces. In
an embodiment,
the header may comprise a different color scheme depending on the type of
member. For
example, a visitor and a free member or non-professional member may see a
first header
(e.g., blue-themed header), whereas a professional member may see a second
header (e.g.,
green-themed header). The first header may comprise hyperlinks for returning
to a home
page or landing page of the website, accessing a user interface for finding a
tax professional,
asking a tax question, viewing events, viewing a tax blog, and/or viewing tax
polls. In
addition, the first header may comprise a navigation drop-down or other input
¨ e.g., labeled
"Welcome [Name of Free User]" ¨ that allows a user to select one or more user
interfaces or
search subjects, such as a tax connections interface, which allows a free
member to view
professionals with whom he or she has connected, a tax questions interface,
which allows the
free member to view questions which he or she has asked (including any
provided answers),
and/or an account settings interface, which allows the free member to view or
modify his or
her account 112 and/or profile 114. The second header may comprise the same
hyperlinks as
the first header, but may comprise a navigation drop-down ¨ e.g., labeled
"Welcome [Name
of Tax Professional]" ¨ which provides different options that allow a
professional member to
access the additional functionality of the web application that is available
to professional
members. For instance, the navigation drop-down of the second header may
provide a list of
tools available to the professional member, such as links to user interfaces
for viewing a
profile of the professional member, editing a profile of the professional
member, entering the
professional member's tax boardroom, viewing tax connections, viewing tax
questions asked,
viewing tax questions answered, viewing and editing account settings, etc. The
drop-down
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may also comprise a link to an inbox of an internal messaging system (e.g.,
the messaging
module described elsewhere herein) provided by the web application.
[38] In an embodiment, the header may further comprise a search bar that is
interfaced
with a search engine. The search bar may comprise an input (e.g., text box)
for entering
keywords and/or other criteria, and a drop-down menu (e.g., the navigation
drop-down
discussed above) for selecting a specific portion or type of data to be
searched. For example,
the drop-down menu may allow a user to elect to search stored tax questions, a
directory of
tax professionals, or both. This allows a user to search a specific part of
the web application
for better results. If the user selects tax questions, then the user may enter
keywords into the
textbox, and the search engine will utilize the entered keywords to retrieve
stored questions
(e.g., from or using a questions module discussed elsewhere herein) that have
been previously
answered by a tax professional through the web application. If the user
selects tax
professionals, then the search engine will utilize the entered keywords or
criteria to retrieve a
list of one or more tax professional members (e.g., from or using a
professionals-search
module, described elsewhere herein) whose user profiles 114 contain the
keywords or match
the criteria.
[39] 2. Footer
[40] Each user interface may also comprise a footer, which provides links
to various
aspects of the website, including, without limitation, an about us page (e.g.,
biographies of
team members of the operator of the web application), a contact us page (e.g.,
a form for
submitting questions, concerns, or comments to the operator of the web
application), a
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) page, a guidelines page (e.g., listing
guidelines for
posting content to the web application), media/press page (e.g., a form for
journalists and
media to submit questions to the operator of the web application), memberships
page (e.g.,
information regarding the benefits of becoming a member), privacy policy page,
site map, tax
jobs page (e.g., listing employment opportunities), terms of use page,
tutorials (e.g., basic
instructions on how to utilize the web application), report inappropriate
content page (e.g.,
allowing users to flag content as inappropriate, or report a violation of
intellectual property
rights, such as copyrights), and/or additional user interfaces or items.
[41] 3. Feedback Button
[42] Each user interface may also comprise a feedback button. For example,
the
feedback button may be consistently and conveniently placed along the middle
left of every
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web page. When a user clicks on the feedback button, a pop-up feedback user
interface may
appear that includes one or more inputs comprising text fields for the user to
fill in. If a user
has logged in to the web application, some of these text fields may be
automatically pre-
populated for the user based on the user's account 112 and/or profile 114. The
feedback user
interface may comprise text fields for inputting the user's name, email
address, company,
location, and comments, suggestions, or other feedback that the user wishes to
submit.
[43] 4. Home Page
[44] In an embodiment, the user interfaces of the web application comprise
a home
page. An example of such a home page is illustrated in FIG. 2. The purpose of
the home
page may be to communicate the web application's purpose of being an online
directory
resource and an interactive worldwide directory of tax professionals. The home
page may
also present users with all or some of the major options available to them
while visiting the
website. The home page may display photographs of numerous cities from around
the world
to provide a global feel to the web application.
[45] In addition to the consistent header, footer, and/or feedback button,
the home page
may contain two search boxes: (a) a find-a-professional search box which
interfaces with and
provides inputs to a professionals-search module, and (b) an ask-a-question
search box which
interfaces with and provides inputs to a questions module. The professionals-
search module
provides a simple, intuitive interface for users to do a text-based search for
a tax professional.
The questions-search module provides a simple, intuitive interface for users
to locate
questions and answers that are of interest to the user. Both search boxes may
be prominently
placed for quick and easy access.
[46] The home page may comprise a recently-answered-questions frame or
panel,
which lists the most recently answered questions between non-professional
users and tax
professionals. The recently-answered-questions frame may contain a
predetermined number
(e.g., five) of the most recently answered questions. These questions and
answers can be
streamed from a questions module of the web application. The recently-answered-
questions
frame on the home page may feature the tax question that was asked,
information about the
tax professional who answered the question, how long ago the question was
answered, a tax
topic or topics associated with the question (e.g., displayed as tags), and at
least a portion of
the answer to the question (e.g., the first sentence or line of the answer).
The recently-
answered-questions frame may also comprise an input (e.g., button) comprising
a link to a
user interface of the questions module for browsing all tax questions and
answers.
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[47] The home page may also comprise a featured-professionals frame, which
is an
above-the-fold area for validated tax professionals. One or more algorithms
may be used to
determine how the featured-professionals frame is populated. The algorithm(s)
may be
driven by analytics collected by the web application. For example, the
algorithm may select
a predetermined number of the most recently validated tax professionals. The
featured-
professionals frame may list the selected tax professionals from most recent
to least recent,
and for each professional, include the tax professional's profile information,
including an
image, name, title, primary areas of tax expertise, current employer, location
(e.g., city and
state), etc. In an embodiment, users can click on either the name or the tax
professional's
profile image to view the tax professional's complete profile page.
[48] 5. Professionals-Search Module
[49] In an embodiment, the web application comprises a professionals-search
module.
This module may comprise a user interface or search page that can be accessed,
for example,
using the find-a-professional search box and/or a find-a-professional link in
the header of one
or more web pages of the website. A user may input a search query to the
professionals-
search module to obtain search results. In an embodiment, a user may search
for tax
professionals based on first, middle, and/or last name, a blog, twitter
account, YouTubeTm
video, title, expertise, years of experience, location, degrees,
certifications, keyword, etc.
[50] A professionals-search user interface may comprise the results of a
search, which
may comprise a list of tax professionals identified for a given query. The
list of tax
professionals may comprise basic information for each tax professional
matching the given
search criteria and filters, including, without limitation, a profile image,
name, title, current
and/or recent employer, tax expertise, and/or current location (e.g., city and
state). The user
can click on one of the tax professionals in the list to be taken to the tax
professional's profile
page. Since the search page may only return a certain number of results per
page (e.g., ten,
twenty, fifty, or a user-specified number), at the bottom of the search
results, there may be
basic pagination buttons. A user can click a page number or "next" button to
view other
pages of the search results.
[51] The professionals-search user interface may comprise a search
refinement feature.
For example, the user interface may comprise a frame (e.g., on the left side
of the interface)
that filters a search based on various criteria. The frame may comprise
content filters that a
user may check (e.g., using checkbox inputs) to add a filter to the search.
Examples of such
filters include, without limitation, location, expertise, title, type of
organization, industry,
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recent employer, languages spoken, or any other criteria that can be matched
to information
in a professional member's profile.
[52] In an embodiment, after an initial query, one or more filters
presented to the user
on the professionals-search user interface may based on the search results
that were returned
by the initial query. For example, there may be a filter for tax expertise
that displays various
tax expertise values relevant to the search results returned by the initial
query. In other
words, the tax expertise values may represent all of the fields of tax
expertise possessed by
the tax professionals returned in the search results. If a user then clicks a
checkbox next to
one or more of the tax expertise values, the search results may be dynamically
and
immediately refined so that only tax professionals matching the newly-selected
tax expertise
filter will be displayed. Alternatively, the updated filter can be resubmitted
and a new
professionals-search user interface can be generated for the updated search
results. As an
example, if the user selects the checkbox next to a "Central America" tax
expertise filter, the
search results will be filtered to only those tax professionals who have
listed "Central
America" as one of their areas of tax expertise. As more tax professionals
register with the
web application, the list of possible filter criteria may grow or otherwise
change to
accommodate information collected about the registered tax professionals. Data
that is
received through the web application and the terms that are collected by
various modules of
the web application (e.g., professionals-search module, questions module,
events module,
blog module, polls module, etc.) and other logistics of the web application
can be used to
determine and improve search algorithms.
[53] In an embodiment, visitors and/or free members can search for
professional
members that match certain user-specified criteria, such as a geographic
location, area of
expertise, language, years of experience, and/or any other criteria that may
be relevant or
useful. Professional members can be selected and/or filtered by a search
engine according to
various algorithms that take into account one or more of the professional
member's user
profile information, demographics, areas of focus, experience, etc. The
professional
members can also be selected and/or filtered based on data related to the
searching user, such
as the searching user's demographics, needs, location, user profile
information, questions
asked, etc. In addition, the professional members can be selected and/or
filtered based on
other information, such as the types of answers the professional members have
given to one
or more questions posed using the web application, the frequency of answers
that the
professional members have given, peer ratings of the professional members
(e.g.,
representing feedback to a professional's answer to a question, etc.), client
ratings of the
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professional members (e.g., representing feedback to a professional's answer
to a question,
feedback about a professional's service of a client, etc.), and/or other
activities on the web
application (e.g., number or frequency of answers provided by the
professional, ratings, etc.).
[54] As an illustrative, non-limiting example, if a particular professional
member is
located in California and speaks Japanese (e.g., determined from the
professional member's
profile) and often works with small business owners (e.g., determined because
the
professional member frequently answers questions from users with profiles
indicating that
they operate or represent a small business or questions tagged with a "small
business" topic,
has submitted blog entries regarding small businesses and/or associated with a
"small
business" topic, has attended events related to small businesses and/or
associated with a
"small business" topic, etc.), then when a small business owner of Japanese
descent, living on
the West Coast (e.g., determined based on the small business owner's user
profile) searches
for a professional member, the search engine may identify the particular
professional and
present him or her as an option to the small business owner. Moreover, if the
professional
member often responds to questions from or relating to small business owners
through the
web application, and those answers are highly rated (e.g., based on feedback
from other
users), then the search engine may be configured to be more likely to identify
the particular
professional member in the small business owner's search. Thus, search results
can be
influenced, not only by the amount of activity that a professional member has
with the web
application or other users, but by the quality of that activity as determined
by ratings and/or
other feedback.
[55] In an embodiment, the search engine may be driven by algorithms that
are run on
data recorded over time. In other words, over time, an application on platform
110 may
generate and store data related to prior matches between users and
professionals. This data
may also comprise feedback about the satisfaction of one or both parties to
the match (e.g.,
received directly from one or more of the parties, determined based on the
consummation of a
connection or ongoing relationship between the parties, etc.). As this data
grows, pattern
recognition and other algorithms can be used to determine what drives
compatible matches,
and these determinations can be used by the search engine to improve search
results. For
example, the search engine can utilize this analysis of historical data to
weight certain
criteria, such as questions asked, location, profile information, and/or other
search criteria,
when responding to search requests.
[56] In an embodiment, professionals may be weighted by the web application
for
searching purposes based on their participation and activities in the online
community
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provided by the web application. Thus, the more a professional participates in
the online
community, the higher that professional may be weighted in user search
results, providing an
incentive for professional members to be active within the online community.
Examples of
participation criteria that may be used to weight professionals may include,
without
limitation, the completeness of the professional's profile, participation in
tax forums, whether
the professional has become an expert panel member, authorship of a blog,
commenting on
blogs, number of clients in the professional's boardroom, how frequently the
professional
accesses the web application (e.g., logs in), number of users whom the
professional has
referred to the web application, number of recommendations and/or referrals
received by the
professional, how many articles or blogs the professional has emailed or re-
tweeted, whether
the professional has signed up for a newsletter, whether the professional is
following social
media profiles of the web application, recommendations or referrals that the
professional has
provided, how involved the professional is in various communities of the
online community,
how many events to which the professional has RSVP'ed, how many users the
professional
has referred to events, number of tweets about events, the professional's
account status (e.g.,
up-to-date on payments, no past due balances, etc.), amount of traffic to the
professional's
profile page, how long the professional has been registered with the
application (e.g., whether
the professional registered in the first year or was a charter member), and/or
tax ambassador
designation (e.g., tax ambassadors are professionals who advocate for the web
application).
[57] In an embodiment, professional members may be segregated into one or
more
weighting tiers based on their participation or activities in the online
community.
Professional members with higher participation rates may be assigned to higher
tiers and
receive higher weighting in user searches and/or search results, whereas
professional
members with lower participation rates may be assigned to lower tiers and
receive lower
weighting in user searches and/or search results. It should be understood that
professional
members may be assigned to tiers based on thresholds. For example,
professional members
with a weighting or score greater than a first threshold may be assigned to a
first tier,
professional members with a weighting or score greater than a second threshold
may be
assigned to a second tier, and so on.
[58] By way of illustration, professional members may be grouped into three
tiers: Tier
1, Tier 2, and Tier 3. Tier 1 may comprise the most active professional
members, who, by
virtue of being in Tier 1, may receive a sixty percent (60%) additional
weighting (e.g., a
weighting coefficient of 1.6) within search algorithm(s). Tier 2 may comprise
less active
professional members, who may receive a thirty percent (30%) additional
weighting (e.g., a
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weighting coefficient of 1.3) in user searches or search results. Tier 3 may
comprise less
active professional members than Tier 2, each of whom may receive a ten
percent (10%)
additional weighting (e.g., a weighting coefficient of 1.1) in user searches
or search results.
There may also be a set of professional members who are even less active than
Tier 3
members, and who receive no weighting in user searches or search results
(e.g., a weighting
coefficient of 1.0).
[59] Tier 1 may comprise those professional members who have become an
expert
panel member, have achieved a tax ambassador designation (i.e., indicating
that the member
is an advocate of the web application), registered in the first year of the
web application or
are charter members, have achieved a certain level of traffic to their user
profiles, have
completed their entire profile (i.e., filled out all information), have
maintained registration
and up-to-date account status with the web application for a certain length of
time without
interruption (e.g., made all of their payments, no account suspensions, etc.),
and have
authored a blog for the web application. Tier 2 may comprise those
professional members
who do not meet the qualifications for Tier 1, but who have participated in
one or more tax
forums (in terms of asking and/or answering questions), have commented on one
or more
blogs, have received a certain number of recommendations on their profile,
have referred a
certain number of new members to register with the web application, have
achieved a certain
number of tax connections, have been involved in one or more tax communities,
and have
spent a certain amount of total time signed in to the web application. Tier 3
may comprise
those professional members who do not meet the qualifications for Tier 2, but
who have
RSVP'ed to an event, have emailed or re-tweeted an article or blog, have
signed up for a
newsletter through the web application, have followed the web application
through social
media, have referred or tweeted friends to tax events, have reported that they
were in a
meeting, have submitted a video or picture, and have listed a tax conference.
[60] FIG. 3 illustrates an example search user interface 300 of the web
application,
according to an embodiment. Search user interface 300 may comprise a search
box 310, into
which a user may input search terms. One or more other search boxes 312 may
also be
provided, into which a user may input additional search terms, such as a
location for tax
professionals (e.g., city and state, postal code, etc.). Search user interface
300 may also
comprise search results 314, listing one or more professional members
satisfying inputted
search criteria. The number of professional members displayed may be limited
to a
predetermined number (e.g., eight in the illustrated example), and pagination
320 at the
bottom of search user interface 300 may allow a user to view additional lists
of professional
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members who have satisfied the inputted search criteria. The locations (e.g.,
place of
business or residence) of the listed professional members (e.g., just those
professional
members being displayed in search user interface 300 at any given time) may be
displayed on
a virtual map 316 using one or more icons or other indications. In addition
search user
interface 300 may comprise one or more filters 318, which allow a user to
filter the results
based on additional criteria, such as location, expertise, organization type,
spoken languages,
and/or professional certifications. Each filter may be expandable and
collapsible. In
addition, for each filter, a set of one or more selectable values may be
listed. These selectable
values may be derived from the attributes possessed by the professional
members in the
original or subsequent search results. Each filter may initially list a
predetermined number
(e.g., five in this example) of possible values, and provide a link or other
input for displaying
more possible values. Each filter may also comprise an input box for entering
user-defined
values for refining the search results.
[61] 5. Questions Module
[62] In an embodiment, the web application comprises a questions module.
This
module may comprise one or more user interfaces via which a user can get
information and
advice on any number of tax questions they might have (e.g., income tax,
banking laws,
international regulations, tax legislation, etc.). In one embodiment, the
question module may
comprise at least three user interfaces: (a) a search interface for searching
for tax questions
and answers, (b) a discussion interface for reading, discussing, and
clarifying more about a
particular tax question or answer, and (c) a question interface for submitting
a tax question to
the worldwide tax community.
[63] The search interface may comprise a search-results frame which lists
one or more
tax questions that have been submitted, and a search frame providing inputs
for searching
available tax questions. In the search frame, one or more inputs may be
provided which
allow a user to enter keywords to search for tax questions (e.g., that other
users have
previously asked), or further refine already-found search results through one
or more filters.
For example, the search interface may comprise location, status, and topic
filters. The
location filter refines search results based on what country the tax question
was asked about.
The status filter allows users to choose to limit the search results to only
those questions
which have been answered or only those questions which have not been answered.
The topic
filter allows users to limit the search results to a particular topic. In an
embodiment, tax
topics are crowd-sourced tags that specify what areas a particular tax
question belongs in.
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Thus, the list of topics may grow as more questions are submitted using the
questions
module. The filter criteria that are selected by the user determine what tax
questions are
displayed in the search result frame of the search interface.
[64] In an embodiment, the search results frame of the search user
interface lists each
question returned in the search results in a separate record. Each record may
contain the tax
question as well as some additional information, including an identification
of who asked the
question (e.g., name, profile image, etc.), whether or not the question has
been answered, a
brief snippet of the answer (if answered), the topics that have been
associated with the
question (i.e., the topics with which the question has been tagged), number of
comments, etc.
In addition, a user may be able to view a pop-up of which tax professional(s)
answered a
particular question, as well as click on the question itself (and/or a
"comments" link
associated with the question) to view the question and all associated answers,
comments,
and/or clarifications. If a question remains unanswered and/or the user
viewing the question
is a tax professional member, a link may direct the user to answer the
question or, if the user
is not logged in, direct the user to a registration or login page.
[65] In an embodiment, answers can be ranked and rated according to their
usefulness.
Users and tax professionals may be given the ability to rate how well a
question was
answered using one or more inputs (e.g., a "like" button and/or "dislike"
button, selection of
a numerical rank from one to five or one to ten, etc.). In addition, answers
from tax
professional members can be automatically and initially weighted higher by the
web
application than answers by a free member. In addition, users may be given the
ability to flag
questions and/or answers that are inappropriate in any way. If enough users
flag a question
and/or answer, it may be removed. As discussed elsewhere herein, these ratings
may be used
to weight search results for professional members (e.g., by the professionals-
search module).
For example, if a professional member consistently receives high ratings for
his or her
answers, that professional member may benefit from a higher weighting
coefficient or tier in
other users' search results. Conversely, if a professional member consistently
receives lower
ratings for his or her answers, that professional member's weighting
coefficient or tier may
be reduced, or the member may not even be considered for search results (e.g.,
a weighting
coefficient of zero).
[66] One or more user interfaces of the questions module may also comprise
a leading-
professionals frame, which may list one or more leading or featured tax
professional
members, as determined by an algorithm and/or predefined criteria. For
instance, the leading
tax professional members may comprise those tax professionals who have
answered the most
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tax questions. The ratings of the members' answers may also be considered in
determining
which members should be listed in this frame. In an embodiment, the listing of
the
professional members may include, for each member, a profile image, name,
title, expertise,
location (e.g., city, state, country), etc.
[67] In an embodiment, if a user clicks on a tax question (e.g., in the
search results
frame), the user is directed to a question-details user interface comprising
all of the
information associated with a particular question. An example of the question-
details user
interface is illustrated in FIG. 4. This user interface may retain the search
frame and the
leading-professionals frame, and have a primary frame devoted to the selected
tax question.
A question portion (e.g., top portion) of this primary frame may comprise the
question itself
along with any description that the asker included with the question. The
topics associated
with the question may also be listed, along with how many times the tax
question was asked,
and when and from where the tax question was asked. If the asker has provided
any question
or any respondents have requested clarification about the question itself,
that information
may be included with the question portion of the frame.
[68] In an embodiment, immediately below the question portion of the
primary frame
of the question-details interface may be a button prompting the user to answer
the question if
they are a tax professional and can answer the question. If the user clicks
the button but is
not logged in, they may be redirected to a login page. If they are logged in
as a free member,
they may be redirected to a tax professional sign-up page. If they are logged
in as a tax
professional, a form field and button may appear for them to provide an
answer. However, in
an embodiment, if they have already answered the question, they are not
allowed to leave
another answer (but may still be permitted to comment on other members'
answers).
[69] In an embodiment, below the question portion and the answer section of
the
primary frame of the question-details interface is a listing of all answers
that have been
submitted for the selected question, as well as any comments on those answers.
This listing
may take a consistent form, e.g., the answering member's profile image and
name followed
by the answer that the member submitted. If the user is logged in and has
answered the
question, they may be given the option of editing or deleting his or her
answer. Other tax
professional members may have the option to leave a comment on an answer, flag
an answer
as inappropriate, mark an answer as "useful" to help the system determine what
the "best"
answer is (e.g., using one or more algorithms), rate the answer, or otherwise
provide feedback
about the answer. The questions module may determine the "best" answer based
on users'
feedback, and display that "best" answer first. In an embodiment, the
questions module may
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rank all of the answers based on users' feedback and order them with the
highest-ranked
answer displayed first and the lowest-ranked answer displayed last.
[70] The questions module may also comprise a user interface for asking a
new tax
question. An input (e.g., link or button) may be visible in the header of
every user interface
related to the questions module (including user interfaces provided by other
modules), which
directs a user to an ask-question interface for submitting a question (if
logged in) or a login
interface (if not logged in). The user interface may comprise a form,
comprising inputs into
which the user may enter the country and state or province of their location,
the question
itself (which may be limited to a predefined number of characters with a
dynamic display of
remaining characters), and/or further details to help potential answerers of
the question. The
ask-questions user interface may also comprise inputs into which the user may
enter, or via
which the user may select, one or more topics (e.g., at least one and up to
six) to be
associated with the question. These topics may be selected from a list of
crowd-sourced
topics via a pop-up window. In addition, the user may click a checkbox to
agree to a Terms
of Use agreement, privacy policy, and/or forum guidelines (which may all be
conveniently
linked), and then submit the tax question to be answered by the interactive
worldwide
directory of tax professionals supported by the web application.
[71] 6. Events Module
[72] In an embodiment, the web application comprises an events module. The
events
module may provide an events calendar that allows all tax professionals and
associations
worldwide to list their events, conferences, seminars, webinars, and any
continuing education
training and social gatherings for tax professionals in one online resource
directory. Every
tax association currently faces the challenge of effectively marketing their
offered
conferences and continuing education classes to tax professionals. In
addition, every tax
professional currently faces the challenge of having to search through many
different tax
association websites to locate the right tax training course required for
their continuing
education requirements. By providing a single online directory for all tax
events, tax
professionals who are visiting a city (e.g., for business or personal reasons)
can immediately
know what tax courses are available to them in that city. Also, the events
calendar may
create better cross-training between tax professionals in participating
countries. The events
calendar can also be used as a sales and marketing tool to attract tax
professionals to the web
application.
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[73] In an embodiment, the events module may comprise a searchable (e.g.,
by
location, topic, keyword, organization, event type, date range, etc.) events
user interface that
displays a list or grid of tax events (e.g., meeting the one or more search
criteria). For
example, the interface may comprise a list of five to ten tax events displayed
in time-
descending order. At the bottom of the interface, there may be a button that
indicates "More
Tax Events." If the user clicks on the button, he or she may be shown a list
of all tax events
in the location for which the user is searching. In addition, the events user
interface may
comprise a search frame with a search box which receives keywords and one or
more filter
criteria for refining a search, e.g., by location, organization, event type,
date and/or date
range, etc. For instance, the search frame may allow a user to select a date
range that will
display only those events that are within the specified date range. A drop-
down and/or
clickable calendar may also be provided for selecting a month, day, and/or
year as search
criteria. Results based on date may include dates within a day or two or a
week of the
selected date or date range.
[74] Each tax event may be listed with the name of the tax event, location
of the tax
event, date of the tax event, a brief summary of the tax event, and/or an
image (e.g., logo)
uploaded by the organization (e.g., tax association) or other entity
sponsoring the tax event.
If a user selects a tax event (e.g., by clicking on the name of the event or
the tax association
logo associated with the event), the user may be shown an event-details user
interface that
provides the user with all of the information about the selected event.
[75] In an embodiment, an organization (e.g., tax association) may pay to
be a
"Featured Tax Event." Featured tax events may be displayed in a sponsored
frame of one or
more of the user interfaces of the website (e.g., the events user interface).
[76] In an embodiment, the events module may also provide a searchable
archive of tax
events. This can be used for search engine optimization (SEO). One or more
user interfaces
of the events module may comprise a reference (e.g., hyperlink) to a tax
events archive user
interface, which will comprise all past events within a set or specified time
frame. Inputs
(e.g., a drop-down for day/month/year with a mini-calendar pop-out, when the
drop-down is
clicked, for selecting a date) may be provided to change the time frame (e.g.,
a start date and
end date). The tax events archive user interface can be formatted the same way
as the events
user interface, but will display events from previous months or years with a
feature that states
"Previous Events." All of the events may populate by month and year. In
addition, all events
may automatically change to events that happened in the selected month and
year in a click-
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ordered chronology, and all of the months and years may drop down, giving the
user the
ability to select any month and year.
[77] In an embodiment, the events module comprises a post-an-event user
interface for
posting a tax event to the events module. According to an embodiment, only
professional
members or other non-free members (e.g., employers or other organizations) may
post a tax
event. For example, a pop-up may be provided that states that you must be a
tax professional
(or other type of user) to list any events. If a user is logged in as a
professional member, then
he or she may post a tax event by filling out inputs in the post-an-event user
interface with
event information. This information will be used to generate an event-details
user interface
for the posted event, which may be viewed by other users. The post-an-event
user interface
may collect event information, including, without limitation, event type,
event title,
organization name, organization URL, registration page URL, event logo/image,
event
location (e.g., address, state, province, country, city, postal code, etc.),
date(s) and/or time(s)
(e.g., start date/time, end date/time, time zone, etc.), event topic(s), event
description,
information about event speaker(s) (e.g., name, title, company, image,
biographical
information, etc.), information about event contact(s) (e.g., name, email
address, phone
number), continuing professional education credits available, registration
fee, etc. The post-
an-event user interface may also perform form validation to ensure appropriate
inputs, and
may require the user to agree to terms of use and/or a privacy policy before
submitting the
event.
[78] A user who has submitted a tax event may be granted access to a
landing page for
the tax event. The landing page may be a user interface for all events posted
by the user, and
allows the user to manage communications with tax professionals who have
registered for the
event or otherwise indicated that they will attend the event. The events
landing page may
also comprise tools that allow the user to edit or delete event information.
Other user
interfaces provided by the web application to the user may provide a link
(e.g., as a selection
in a navigation drop-down of a header) to this events landing page, as well as
a link to the
post-an-event user interface.
[79] The web application may generate an event-details user interface for
each event
that provides details regarding the event. For example, the event-details user
interface may
comprise all or a portion of the information entered for the event using the
post-an-event user
interface. In addition, the event-details user interface may comprise one or
more of the
following:
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[80] (a) A link (e.g., hyperlink containing a Uniform Resource Locator
(URL) to an external or internal resource) for registering for the event. The
link may be to an
external website (e.g., of the organization that is sponsoring the event).
[81] (b) One or more inputs for inviting one or more other users to the
event.
For instance, the input may comprise a text box for entering one or more email
addresses, to
which the web application will send an invitation. In an embodiment, the
inputs may also
allow the user to send an invitation to everyone in his or her tax community
(e.g., all
professional contacts through the web application).
[82] (c) One or more inputs (e.g., a button marked "I Will Be Attending")
for
RSVP' ing to the event, if the user is logged in as a professional member.
[83] (d) An attendance list or link to an attendance list, which allows a
user
to see who is attending the event.
[84] (e) Map and/or directions to the event. For example, the event-details
user interface may interface with Google MapsTM to provide an indication of
the location of
the event overlaid on or integral to a virtual map of the area surrounding the
event location.
[85] (f) Comment section for discussing the tax event. The comments
section may be similar in structure to the question-details user interface,
described elsewhere
herein. For instance, the comment section may comprise a list of comments,
comments to
comments, etc. and may include the ability to provide feedback about a
comment, a comment
to a comment, etc. (e.g., using "like" and/or "dislike" buttons, flagging the
comment as
inappropriate, etc.).
[86] In an embodiment, when a user (e.g., professional member) posts a tax
event
through the web application, a confirmation email may be sent to the user to
confirm that the
event was submitted. In addition, an email or alert may be sent to the user
who submitted the
event whenever a professional member confirms his or her attendance, and/or
whenever
someone has submitted a comment about the event. The events module may also
perform
analytics on how many users viewed the event, how many users registered for
the event, how
many users commented on the event, etc., and supply those analytics in an
email or other
interface to the user who submitted the event. In an embodiment, the events
module may also
send emails or alerts to tax professional members concerning tax events that
have been
submitted, based on geographical location, tax topics involved, tax
organization sponsoring
the event, type of event, etc.
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[87] 7. Blog Module
[88] In an embodiment, the web application comprises a blog module, which
enables
the display and/or management of global and/or local blogs by the web
application. The blog
module may comprise one or more user interfaces, such as a blog-list user
interface, and a
blog-details user interface.
[89] The blog-list user interface may list one or more blog entries. For
instance, the
blog-list user interface may comprise a standard two-column layout, with
posted blog entries
listed in one column (e.g., with the most recent entry on top) and with blog
navigation and/or
search features (e.g., category filters, links to archives, etc.) in the other
column. It should be
understood that the listed blog entries may actually only comprise a portion
or preview of the
blog entry, and may be displayed with other relevant information (e.g., name
of user who
posted the blog entry, time that the blog entry was posted, topic tags, etc.).
[90] In an embodiment, the blog-list user interface may be a mash-up which
aggregates
blog entries from multiple external sources. Alternatively or additionally,
the blog-list user
interface may list blog entries which are hosted by the web application. For
instance, the web
application may provide one or more user interfaces which allow users (e.g.,
professional
members) to maintain and manage their own tax blogs. A blog dashboard may be
provided
by the web application. The blog dashboard may be linked to through the
navigation drop-
down in the header provided to professional members. In an embodiment, the
blog
dashboard allows a professional member to establish a blog category, input or
edit a blog-roll
(e.g., a list of other blogs that the blogger recommends), preview, post,
edit, and publish a
blog entry, and view prior blog entry posts and/or archives. The blog
dashboard may also
display analytics about the professional member's blog, such as the number of
views, how
long users are viewing blog entries, the city, state, and country of readers
of the blog entries,
etc.
[91] In addition, professional members who have established a blog may be
given a tax
blogger tag on their user profile interfaces, which may be visible and
searchable by other
users. Professional members who are bloggers may also be provided a link
(e.g., hyperlink)
on their profile page, which directs users to a list of their blog entries.
[92] The blog-list user interface may be searchable. For example, the
interface may
comprise a search frame with one or more inputs via which a user can search
blog entries by
keyword, topic, location, etc. In this manner, a user may be able to refine
the search by
keyword on any topic of interest written about by a tax blogger. Users may
also be able to
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refine the search by country or other location. This can be advantageous since
tax rules and
regulations generally differ among countries.
[93] If a user clicks on a blog entry listed in the blog-list user
interface, the user may be
directed to a blog-details user interface for the selected blog entry. The
blog-details user
interface provides the entire blog entry (or a portion of the blog entry if
the entry is long
enough to make pagination required or desirable), along with relevant
information, such as
the name of the user who posted the blog, time that the blog entry was posted,
topic tags, etc.
The blog-details user interface may also provide one or more inputs for users
to input
comments on the blog entry. In addition, if the user is a blog administrator
(e.g., the user
who posted the blog entry), the blog-details user interface may also comprise
one or more
inputs for editing the blog entry.
[94] The blog module or other module of the web application may analyze the
blogs of
users to determine the top tax bloggers. In an embodiment, top tax bloggers
may be
determined to be those bloggers who have been voted as the best by users of
the web
application. Blogs can be ranked by the number of views of their content
and/or other
feedback from readers. Top tax bloggers may be provided a badge (e.g., icon)
or other
indication that can be prominently displayed on the professional member's
profile interface
and viewed by users. Top tax bloggers may also benefit from a higher weighting
coefficient
or tier in other users' search results.
[95] In an embodiment, a user interface is provided for viewing a blog. For
example, a
user can utilize the user interface to view a worldwide tax blog, another
user's tax blog,
and/or his or her own tax blog. The user interface provides a list of tax blog
entries, wherein
each listed entry may provide a snippet or excerpt of the full entry, and
provide an input (e.g.,
link) for viewing the entire entry. The user interface may also comprise one
or more search
inputs for filtering the blog entries by keyword and/or topic. If a user
clicks on a blog entry
in a list of blog entries, the user may be provided a user interface for
viewing the entire blog
entry, along with any details, comments, etc. For members maintaining their
own blogs, an
input may also be provided for posting a new blog entry.
[96] In an embodiment, a user interface is provided for viewing a tax blog
entry. The
user interface may comprise the title of the entry, author of the entry, time
that the entry was
posted, one or more topics associated with the entry, input (e.g., icon) for
flagging the entry
(e.g., for inappropriate content), one or more inputs (e.g., icons) for
sharing the entry on one
or more social networks (e.g., FacebookTM, TwitterTm, etc.) and/or by email,
the content of
the entry, one or more images (e.g., related to the content of the entry),
and/or one or more
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discussions about the entry (e.g., comments on the entry, comments on
comments, comments
on comments on comments, etc.).
[97] In an embodiment, any professional member may be permitted to create a
blog
through the web application. The blog may be hosted by the web application or
an external
application (e.g., interfaced with the web application via one or more APIs).
A user interface
may be provided for creating a new tax blog. The user interface may comprise
inputs for
entering a blog title and/or a description for the blog. The user interface
may also require the
member to agree to a terms of use for the blog before submitting the blog for
creation. In
embodiments which permit externally hosted blogs, the user interface may also
comprise an
input for specifying a URL of the blog. The member may then submit the blog
for creation,
for example, by posting the inputted information to the web application for
creation of the
blog.
[98] Once the blog has been created, the professional member may add
entries to his or
her blog. Accordingly, a user interface may be provided for submitting a new
blog entry.
The user interface may comprise inputs for entering a blog title, blog
content, adding an
image, adding a video (e.g., by uploading the video and/or entering a URL of
the video),
entering one or more topics to be associated with the entry, confirming
agreement with a
terms of use and/or forum guidelines, saving the entry as a draft, previewing
the entry, and/or
publishing the entry so that it may be viewed by other users.
[99] In an embodiment, a user interface is provided through which a member
can
manage his or her blog. The user interface may comprise a list of the member's
submitted
blog entries, along with inputs for viewing individual blog entries, editing
individual blog
entries, and/or deleting individual blog entries. A similar user interface may
be provided for
managing the user's draft blog entries, i.e., those blog entries which the
member has not yet
published.
[100] In an embodiment, a user interface is provided for viewing statistics
or analytics
for a blog. The user interface may list each of the member's submitted blog
entries (e.g., by
title) in association with one or more statistics for that entry. Such
statistics may include,
without limitation, the number of views of the entry, the number of comments
posted for the
entry, and the number of clicks to the member's profile page that the entry
generated.
[101] In an embodiment, a worldwide tax blog and/or one or more regional
tax blogs
may be provided. These tax blog(s) may comprise a mash-up of blog entries
published by a
plurality of professional members and/or the operator of the web application.
The blog(s)
may also comprise search inputs for defining search criteria, such as
keywords, topics,
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location (e.g., country). Each blog may also comprise inputs for browsing
available blog
topics, view news regarding the web application, and the like. In addition,
the blog(s) may
comprise a list of a predetermined number (e.g., 5, 10, etc.) of the top
bloggers (e.g., as
determined by number of views, entries, comments, etc.) and/or an input for
viewing a top
predetermined number (e.g., 10, 50, etc.) of tax blogs. If a user selects the
input for viewing
the top tax blogs, he or she may be directed to a user interface listing the
top tax blogs.
[102] 8. Polls Module
[103] In an embodiment, the web application comprises a polls module, which
allows
polls or surveys of users to be taken. Tax polls provide a simple, interactive
solution for
allowing users to express their opinions on subjective tax matters. For
example, the polls
module may receive and display a question on one or more user interfaces of
the web
application (e.g., the home page, as a question on a user interface of the
questions module,
etc.). Users can read the question, select an answer from a list of options
(e.g., by selecting
one or more of a plurality of radio buttons or checkboxes), and click a voting
input (e.g.,
button) to record their votes. Each vote may be recorded in association with
an Internet
Protocol (IP) address or member identifier and only one vote may be allowed
per IP address
or member identifier in order to prevent users from voting more than once for
a particular tax
poll. Once a user votes, the list of options may be replaced with a bar graph
that displays a
bar for each option that represents the number of users who have voted for
that option or
another indication of the number and/or percentage of users who have voted for
each option.
In an embodiment, an input (e.g., hyperlink) may be provided which allows
users to view
results for past tax polls, as well as a list of recent tax polls, the date
and/or time they were
posted, and/or how many views they received. During creation of a poll, the
creating user
may specify an expiration time or time duration for the poll. Once the
expiration time is
reached or the time duration ends, the poll may be closed to further voting.
Thus, only an
indication of the voting results may be displayed (e.g., in place of the list
of options).
[104] In an embodiment, once a new poll is created by a user (e.g., a
professional
member), the tax poll may be presented to or made available to one or more
other users
through a poll user interface. The poll user interface may provide information
regarding the
poll, such as media (e.g., image(s), video(s), text, audio, etc.) and/or a
question, and two or
more selectable options. The poll user interface may also provide indications
of how other
users have voted (e.g., by displaying a number or percentage of selections for
each of the
selectable options). The poll user interface may also comprise inputs for
entering and
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submitting comments, as well as a list of comments that other users have
submitted. In
addition, the poll user interface may comprise a list with links to other
polls (e.g., a list of the
five or ten most popular polls).
[105] An example tax poll user interface may comprise an embedded video or
description about a new proposed tax, and the question "What is Your Opinion
on this Tax?".
In addition, the user interface may provide three selectable options: "Like",
"Dislike", and
"No Opinion." It should be understood that if the poll has expired or been
closed, these
options may no longer be selectable. In addition, an indication of voting
results for each
option may be displayed. For example, the user interface may indicate how many
votes were
cast for each option and/or percentage of votes cast for each option.
[106] 9. Registration Module
[107] In an embodiment, the web application comprises a registration module
for
registering users with the web application. Specifically, the registration
module allows
visitors to register with the web application to become a member by creating a
user account
112 and/or user profile 114. The visitor may register as a free or non-
professional member or
a professional member. For instance, the web application may comprise a sign-
up user
interface that provides one or more inputs for selecting either a free member
account or a
professional member account. The free or non-professional member account may
be free of
charge, whereas the professional member account may require a subscription
fee, such as a
monthly subscription fee. In addition, the free or non-professional member
account may
have access to fewer or different resources than the professional member
account. Thus, the
user account 112 and/or user profile 114 may comprise different data depending
on whether
the member is registered as a professional or free/non-professional member.
[108] Once registered, a member may log in to platform 110 to access the
functionality
of the web application. For example, a free member seeking a professional may
log in to his
or her user account 112, using a username and password, supplied during
registration, and
interact with registered professionals, review information, post questions,
and the like. A free
member may interact with a professional member by asking questions. In an
embodiment,
the web application may comprise a public message board, through which a free
member can
post a question and any professional member can post a response. Professional
members can
also be allowed to post questions, information, answers to hypotheticals, and
the like.
[109] In an embodiment, the registration module may comprise a first set of
one or more
user interfaces, which allow a user to provide basic sign-up information, such
as a username
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and password. This set of user interfaces may be identical or similar for
professional and
non-professional members. In addition, during registration of a non-
professional and/or
professional member, the registration module may also require the user to
validate their
newly acquired account access.
[110] However, when registration is of a professional member, the
registration module
may provide an additional or different set of one or more user interfaces than
during
registration of a non-professional member. This set of user interfaces may
comprise one or
more sections. Examples of user interfaces that may be used for registration
of a tax
professional will now be discussed. In an illustrative example, the set of
user interfaces may
be divided into at least ten sections: contact information, social media
presence, professional
experience, employment, law societies, associations, education, achievements,
professional
interests, and activities/hobbies. The sections may be presented on a single
web page or
distributed across a plurality of web pages (e.g., with each section on a
separate web page or
with two or more sections sharing a web page). Professional users may be
instructed to fill
out the form as thoroughly as they can, as the supplied information will be
used to populate
their user profile. As the professional user goes through the section,
entering information,
they may be given the options to save the inputted information, save the
inputted information
and continue inputting information, and after completion of the first section,
to return to a
previous section.
[111] A contact-information section may comprise inputs which allow a
professional
user to input basic contact information. The contact information may include,
without
limitation, a salutation, first name, middle name, last name, last name
suffix, home address,
country, state/province, city, postal code, language(s) spoken (e.g., using a
drop-down or text
selection area), date of birth, personal email, mobile phone number, business
email, and/or
business phone number.
[112] A social-media-presence section may comprise inputs which allow a
professional
user to upload a photograph, résumé, and share his or her social sites. For
example, a file
selection input (e.g., "browse" button) may be provided for uploading an image
(i.e., a profile
image), and another file selection input may be provided for uploading a
résumé (e.g., as a
Microsoft WordTM document or in Portable Document Format (PDF)). The social-
media-
presence section may also comprise text boxes for entering a company website
address,
SkypeTM user identifier, blog title, blog URL, YouTubeTm video, LinkedlnTM
profile URL,
FacebookTM profile URL, and/or TwitterTm page URL.
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[113] A professional-experience section may comprise inputs which allow a
professional user to provide his or her primary area(s) of technical
strength/expertise. For
instance, drop-down menus may be provided, which allow the user to select one
or more
(e.g., three) areas of primary technical strength from a plurality of
available areas. In
addition, the professional-experience section may comprise a text box or text
area into which
a professional user may enter a professional summary. Each tax professional
may be
encouraged to spend time filling out this area properly in order to promote
his or her tax
expertise to the widest audience available.
[114] An employment section may comprise inputs which allow a professional
user to
enter his or her recent employment. In addition, an input may be provided
which allows a
professional user to add additional employment sections for entering
additional employment
information. In an embodiment, the number of additional employment information
may be
limited. For example, a professional user may be allowed to add as many as
fifteen previous
employers. Each employment section may comprise inputs (e.g., text box, text
area, etc.) for
a user to enter and/or select a type of organization, tax title, tax
expertise, recent employer
name, year that employment at the employer began, year that the employment at
the
employer ended, location (e.g., country, state, city, postal code), industry,
company
revenues/sales, and/or a job description.
[115] A law-societies section may comprise inputs which allow a
professional user to
input one or more law societies of which he or she may be a member. The law-
societies
section may be geared towards users in countries outside the United States,
and may
comprise two side-by-side list menus. A user may select a law society or
societies from the
list on the left side, and click an input (e.g., right arrow icon) to add the
selected law society
or societies to the list on the right side. Conversely, a user may select a
law society or
societies from the list on the right side, and click an input (e.g., left
arrow icon) to remove the
selected law society or societies from the list on the right side. The law
societies in the list on
the right side will be associated with the user when he or she saves the
inputted information.
[116] An associations section may comprise inputs which allow a
professional user to
input one or more associations of which he or she may be a member. The
associations
section may be similar or identical to the law-societies section in format,
except that instead
of the user moving law societies from one list menu to another list menu, he
or she may move
associations from one list menu (e.g., a left side list menu) to a second list
menu (e.g., a right
side list menu), and vice versa.
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[117] An education section may comprise inputs which allow a professional
user to
enter educational details (e.g., university attended). In addition, an input
may be provided
which allows a professional user to add additional educational sections to
enter additional
educational information. In an embodiment, the number of additional
educational
information may be limited (e.g., up to fifteen additional universities). Each
educational
section may comprise inputs (e.g., text box, text area, drop-down menus, etc.)
for a user to
enter and/or select the name of a university, class year, type of degree
earned, major, location
(e.g., country, state, city), and/or comments.
[118] An achievements section may comprise inputs which allow a
professional user to
input or select certifications and achievements. In an embodiment, the
achievements section
comprises multiple sub-sections for each of a variety of possible types of
certification or
achievement. For example, sub-sections may be provided for entering one or
more areas
(e.g., states, provinces, countries, etc.) in which the user is a certified
public account, one or
more areas in which the user is a chartered accountant, one or more areas in
which the user
has bar admission, and one or more areas in which the user has international
bar admission.
Each sub-section may provide five drop-down menus for selecting five different
areas in
which the user is licensed, admitted, etc. In addition, an input may be
provided which allows
a user to add additional drop-down menus for additional area selections (e.g.,
up to fifteen
total areas per sub-section). The achievements section may also comprise a sub-
section
which allows a professional user to select additional certifications and/or
professional
designations, and a sub-section which allows a professional user to select
courts to which he
or she is admitted. These sub-sections may comprise the same dual menu list
format as
described above with respect to the law-societies section, which allows a user
to move
selections from a first list (e.g., left list) to a second list (e.g., right
list), and/or vice versa,
using one or more inputs (e.g., arrow icons). Those selections in the second
list will be
associated with the professional user when he or she saves the inputted
information.
Examples of additional certifications or professional designations include,
without limitation,
certified financial manager, certified financial planner, certified fraud
examiner, certified
fund specialist, etc.
[119] A professional-interests section may comprise inputs which allow a
professional
user to select one or more areas about which they would like to receive
alerts. For example,
the professional-interests section may comprise a plurality of checkboxes,
with each
checkbox associated with one of a plurality of professional interests. A user
may select the
checkbox for each professional interest about which he or she wants to receive
alerts,
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notifications, or other information from the web application. There may also
be inputs for
entering and selecting one or more other professional interests. Examples of
professional
interests include, without limitation, building tax professional brand,
business development,
contract/consulting projects, tax internships, building tax network, tax
communities, tax
professional connections, conference speaker, tax events, tax webinars, search
services, tax
blogger/writer, tax expert panelist, tax salary surveys, job opportunities,
tax
professor/instructor, generating new clients, mergers and acquisitions tax
practice, and/or
technical tax help.
[120] An activities/hobbies section may comprise inputs which allow a
professional user
to input or discuss his or personal interests. These interests may be
displayed on the
professional user's tax boardroom interface. For example, the
activities/hobbies section may
comprise five text box inputs, which may be expanded up to fifteen text box
inputs.
[121] Once a professional user has finished with all of the sections, he or
she may click
on an input (e.g., "finish" button) which completes the registration process.
[122] FIGS. 5A-5Q illustrate a registration process, according to an
embodiment. As
illustrated in FIG. 5A, the registration process may comprise four stages, and
the progress of
registration can be depicted in a progress bar at the top of one or more user
interfaces served
to a registering user during registration.
[123] In the first stage, a user is prompted to provide sign-up
information. An example
user interface for collecting such sign-up information is illustrated in FIG.
5A. This user
interface may comprise inputs that enable the user to enter first name, last
name, email
address, password, promotional code, etc. The user interface may also provide
information
regarding the benefits of purchasing a professional user account, and require
the user to agree
to a terms of use and/or privacy policy. Once a user has entered all required
information, he
or she can submit the inputted information and move to the second stage of
registration.
[124] In the second stage, the user is validated or verified. This
validation can be
performed using the email address submitted by the user in the first stage.
For instance, as
illustrated in FIG. 5B, after completing the first stage, the user may be
prompted to check his
or her inbox (and, optionally, spam folder) at the email address provided.
[125] A registration module may send an email message to the user's email
address.
This email message may comprise instructions and a URL hosted by platform 110
for
validating the user's email address. If the user clicks on the URL, platform
110 will receive a
request (e.g., an HTTP GET request) for the URL, and the registration module
executed on
platform 110 can verify that the email address is valid based on this request.
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[126] In response to validating the user's email address, the registration
module may
send a confirmation email message to the user's email address. The
confirmation email
message may confirm that the user has been validated and successfully
registered, and may
optionally provide a link for logging into one or more applications (e.g., web
applications)
executing on platform 110.
[127] In addition, in embodiments which comprise an internal messaging
system, a
messaging module may send a notification email message to the user whenever a
new
message is received for the user by the internal messaging system. For
example, the
notification email may inform the user about the new message, and may
optionally provide a
URL for logging in and viewing the message received via the internal messaging
system. As
an example of a notification message, after a user has been validated with the
registration
module, the registration module may send a welcome message to the user via the
internal
messaging system.
[128] Once a user has been validated, he or she may be prompted or
otherwise be
provided the ability (e.g., via hyperlink to a further aspect of the
registration module) to move
on to a third stage of the registration process. In the third stage, the user
is provided inputs
for entering personal information, contact information, professional
information, social
networking information, and the like about himself or herself These inputs may
be provided
via a wizard comprising a plurality of user interfaces, wherein each of the
plurality of user
interfaces is directed to a different set of information and is linked to a
preceding and/or
following user interface (e.g., via "previous" and/or "next" hyperlinks or
other inputs).
Example user interfaces of an embodiment of such a wizard are illustrated in
FIGS. 5C-5Q.
While the illustrated wizard is specific to the tax profession, it should be
understood that the
wizard may be similarly configured for any type of profession (e.g., medical
profession,
general legal profession, general accounting profession, etc.). In addition,
while the user
interfaces of the wizard are provided in a specific order, it should be
understood that they
may be provided in any order.
[129] As illustrated in FIG. 5C, the user is prompted to enter personal
information, such
as salutation, first name, middle name, last name, year that the
professional's career started,
date of birth, mobile phone number, business phone number, second email
address, SkypeTM
name, etc.
[130] As illustrated in FIG. 5D, the user is prompted to enter one or more
(e.g., up to
five) languages that he or she speaks.
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[131] As illustrated in FIG. 5E, the user is prompted to identify one or
more (e.g., up to
three) areas of primary expertise.
[132] As illustrated in FIG. 5F, the user is prompted to enter a
professional summary
(e.g., an overview of the user's tax expertise). This provides the user with
an opportunity to
associate himself or herself with a wider range of knowledge and expertise.
[133] As illustrated in FIG. 5G, the user is prompted to enter an
employment history.
The user may be provided with one or more input frames, and given the ability
to add
additional input frames. Each input frame may comprise one or more inputs for
entering
information about a single employer, including, without limitation, the name
of the employer,
title, location, state/province, city, postal code, start date of employment,
end date of
employment (if any), type of organization, type of industry, company sales,
country currency,
job description, etc.
[134] As illustrated in FIG. 5H, the user is prompted to enter an
educational history.
The user may be provided with one or more input frames, and given the ability
to add
additional input frames. Each input frame may comprise one or more inputs for
entering
information about a single educational institution, including, without
limitation, the name of
the university, degree earned, major or concentration, year of graduation (if
any), country,
state/province, city, achievements, awards, clubs, honors, organizations, etc.
[135] As illustrated in FIG. 51, the user is prompted to enter professional
certifications.
The user may be provided with one or more input frames, and given the ability
to add
additional input frames. Each input frame may comprise one or more inputs for
entering
information about a single certification earned, including, without
limitation, the name of the
certification, year the certification was earned, license status, etc.
[136] As illustrated in FIG. 5J, the user is prompted to enter bar
admissions. The user
may be provided with one or more input frames, and given the ability to add
additional input
frames. Each input frame may comprise a one or more of inputs for entering
information
about a single bar admission, including, without limitation, the jurisdiction
of the admission,
admission status, year the admission was earned, etc.
[137] As illustrated in FIG. 5K, the user is prompted to enter the court(s)
in which he or
she is admitted to practice. The user may be provided with one or more input
frames, and
given the ability to add additional input frames. Each input frame may
comprise one or more
inputs for entering information about a single court admission, including,
without limitation,
the name of the court.
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[138] As illustrated in FIG. 5L, the user is prompted to enter
associations, councils,
organizations, or societies of which he or she is a member. The user may be
provided with
one or more input frames, and given the ability to add additional input
frames. Each input
frame may comprise one or more inputs for entering information about a single
association
membership, including, without limitation, the name of the association, any
leadership role,
etc.
[139] As illustrated in FIG. 5M, the user is prompted to enter information
about any tax
blog that the user may have. This tax blog information may include, for
example, the name
of the tax blog, URL of the tax blog, etc.
[140] As illustrated in FIG. 5N, the user is prompted to enter information
about a
company website. This company website information may include, for example,
the title of
the company website, URL of the company website, etc.
[141] As illustrated in FIG. 50, the user is prompted to enter information
about one or
more social media sites of which the user is a member. This social media
information may
include, for example, usernames for one or more social media sites (e.g., a
LinkedlnTM
identifier or URL, a TwitterTm username, etc.), etc.
[142] As illustrated in FIG. 5P, the user is prompted to enter information
about one or
more (e.g., three) of the user's personal interests.
[143] As illustrated in FIG. 5Q, the user is prompted to upload a profile
image. For
instance, the user may be provided with an input for selecting and uploading
an image from
the user's personal computing device.
[144] Once a user has entered all of the required information, the user's
profile is
complete, and the user is moved to the fourth stage, in which he or she is
able to access
various features of the website application executed on server(s) 110 that
unregistered and/or
non-professional users may not. The user may be permitted to subsequently
review the entire
profile and/or edit/view specific portions of the profile.
[145] It should be understood that, after a professional user has
successfully registered
via the above process, any or all of the information entered by the user
during registration
(e.g., location, languages spoken, expertise, professional summary,
experience, education,
etc.) can subsequently be used to match and/or weight the professional user
with language-
based search criteria entered or selected by another user seeking professional
assistance
through the web application of platform 110.
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[146] 10. Profile Module
[147] In an embodiment, the web application comprises a profile module. The
profile
module generates one or more profile user interfaces for each professional
member. The
profile user interface can be viewed by other users, for example, when other
users click on
the professional member's name and/or image wherever they may appear on any of
the web
pages of the website of the web application. A professional member's profile
user interface
may display information about the professional member, so that users can view
the overall
tax knowledge, expertise, and qualifications of the tax professional member.
All or a portion
of the information displayed on the profile user interface of a member may be
received from
the member through a registration process of the registration module.
[148] FIG. 6 illustrates an example of a profile user interface, according
to an
embodiment. The profile user interface may comprise information about the
associated
professional member, including name, title, company name, professional
summary,
experience, education, certifications, admissions, languages spoken, and the
like. The user
interface may also comprise inputs for sending the member a message,
requesting entry into
the member's boardroom, recommending the member, and/or reading a blog
associated with
the member. In addition, the user interface may comprise a list of user
recommendations of
the member, a list of questions recently answered by the member, and/or a list
of recent blog
entries published by the member.
[149] The profile user interface may comprise a "send message" input 650
(e.g., button)
which allows a user to send a message directly to the professional member
associated with
the profile user interface. If a user clicks on "send message" input 650, the
web application
may display a pop-up which allows the user to send a message to the tax
professional
member via the web application's messaging system. If the user is not logged
in, the user
may be routed to the login page before being able to send a message.
[150] The profile user interface may also comprise a "boardroom" input 660
(e.g.,
button) which allows a user to go to the professional member's boardroom
(e.g., tax
boardroom). If a user clicks on "boardroom" input 660, the user may be
directed to the
professional member's boardroom, which is described elsewhere herein. In an
embodiment,
a user must "connect" with the member prior to being permitted to enter the
member's
boardroom (e.g., through a request and acceptance procedure). Thus, prior to
connection,
input 660 may be replaced with a "connection" input, which invites the user to
connect with
the member. If the user clicks on the connection input, the user may be
prompted to send a
request for connection to the member. If the member accepts the request, then
the user will
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be connected with the member, and the next time the user view the profile user
interface, the
connection input will be replaced with "boardroom" input 660 which allows the
user to enter
the member's boardroom.
[151] The profile user interface may also comprise a "recommend" input 680
(e.g.,
button) which allows a user to recommend a tax professional. If a user clicks
on
"recommend" input 680, the web application may display a pop-up or other user
interface
which allows the user to send a message to another user via email and/or the
web
application's internal messaging system. If the user is not logged in, the
user may be routed
to the login page before being able to send a message. The pop-up may comprise
inputs
which allow the user to enter and/or select the user's name, title, company,
and/or text
comprising the user's recommendation (e.g., a testimonial about the
professional member).
The pop-up may also provide the user an option to inform the professional
member about the
user's recommendation via a message (e.g., a textbox in which the user can
type a message to
the professional member being recommended). Additionally or alternatively, the
user may
submit a general recommendation that is not sent to another user but which is
used to rate the
member and/or determine a weighting coefficient or tier for the member that is
applied by the
professionals-search module during searching.
[152] 11. Tax Boardroom Module
[153] In an embodiment, the web application provides each professional
member with a
virtual tax boardroom. As mentioned elsewhere herein, a professional member's
profile user
interface may comprise an input for interacting with the professional member
in his or her
private tax boardroom. In addition, such an input may be provided for each of
a plurality of
professional members who appear in a user's search results.
[154] If a user clicks "boardroom" input 660 and is logged in, the user may
be directed
to a boardroom-request user interface (e.g., which may comprise a pop-up or
other user
interface). If the user is not logged in, the user may be directed to the
login page. Using the
boardroom-request user interface, a user may request entry to the professional
member's tax
boardroom by entering identification information and/or a message. For
example, the
boardroom-request user interface may comprise inputs for a user to identify
his or her
connection to the professional member (e.g., business associate, colleague,
client, new
potential client, friend, just curious, etc.) and a message introducing
himself or herself This
information allows the professional member to screen users who wish to
participate in his or
her boardroom.
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[155] Once a user submits his or her request using the boardroom-request
user interface,
a message or other notice may be sent to the corresponding professional
member. For
example, the message may be sent to the professional member's inbox and/or
another folder
or section in the professional member's internal messaging interface (e.g., an
"Invitations to
Boardroom" folder or section). The notice may comprise an input through which
the
professional member may approve the connection and allow the user to enter the
professional
member's associated boardroom.
[156] Forcing users to request access to a professional member's boardroom
prior to
being granted access allows a professional member to screen out anyone that
they do not
want having access to his or her private area, including advertisers,
recruiters, human
resources, or anyone else whom they feel may waste his or her time.
Conventionally,
screening presents one of the biggest time-wasting activities for tax
professionals. The web
application may provide well-written template letters that a professional
member can utilize
to screen out anyone that they cannot or do not wish to help or otherwise
connect with.
[157] The virtual boardroom (e.g., virtual tax boardroom) allows a
professional member
to communicate more privately about issues (e.g., tax issues), as well as
screen users prior to
establishing direct communication about issues. For instance, there may be
some tax issues
which users may not want posted in the open (e.g., using the questions
module). The
boardroom is a private or semi-private user interface that allows the seeking
user to
communicate in a one-on-one setting with a professional member. The virtual
boardroom
may allow the seeking user to continue to post messages for the professional
and receive
responses to those messages, but in a private setting that is not viewable by
other users.
Alternatively or additionally, the virtual boardroom may comprise network-
based video
and/or audio conferencing. For instance, in an embodiment, the tax boardroom
may comprise
the ability to video conference face-to-face (e.g., using a third-party
service such as SkypeTM
or an internal system) so that a user can talk face-to-face with a tax
professional member
(e.g., over an Internet connection). The web application may provide a
dashboard for each
professional member, which allows the professional member to manage and
organize all of
his or her private communications with other users.
[158] FIG. 7 illustrates an example user interface 700 of the boardroom
module that is
accessible by the professional associated with the boardroom, according to an
embodiment.
The user interface may comprise a boardroom graphic 710, which may include a
photograph
(e.g., profile image) of the professional associated with the virtual
boardroom. In addition,
the user interface may comprise a list of requests 720 to enter the boardroom,
an inbox 730
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comprising messages sent to the professional by other users, a virtual book of
contacts 740,
and a library 750 (e.g., tax library).
[159] Requests list 720 comprises a list of all unanswered requests to
enter the
boardroom sent by users to the professional associated with the boardroom.
Each request in
the list may comprise information about the user who sent the request (e.g.,
name, profile
image, etc.) and/or a message submitted by the user, as well as an input for
confirming/allowing the request. Once the professional confirms the request,
the user who
submitted the request may be granted access to features (e.g., video chat,
messaging, etc.) of
the professional's boardroom. Otherwise, if the professional denies the
request, the user will
not be granted access to these features. In either case, the request may be
removed from
requests list 720 once confirmed or denied.
[160] Inbox 730 comprises messages sent by users to the professional
associated with
the boardroom. In an embodiment, inbox 730 may only comprise new (e.g.,
previously
unread) or recently received messages. Alternatively, inbox 730 may comprise
all messages
received by the professional, which the professional has not moved to another
folder or
archived. The virtual boardroom may comprise a communications archive of past
communication sent to and/or by the professional. The archive enables the
professional to
keep track of his or her communications with other users.
[161] Virtual "book of contacts" 740 allows the professional to keep track
of contact
information for all of his or her contacts (e.g., the users that have been
granted access to the
boardroom). The "front" of the book of contacts may list the number of users
that the
professional has screened and to whom the professional has granted access to
the boardroom.
If the professional clicks on the book of contacts, an alphabetized list of
his or her contacts
may be displayed.
[162] If the professional selects a contact (e.g., by clicking on the
contact) from the
book of contacts, the professional may be directed to a contact-specific user
interface, such as
the user interface 800 illustrated in FIG. 8. User interface 800 comprises a
message frame
860, which allows the tax professional to view recent and past messages from
the contact, as
well as compose and submit a new message to the contact. The interface may
also comprise
a contact-specific tax library 850, and boardroom notes 870. Boardroom notes
870 allows the
professional to input and manage private notes regarding the contact. These
private notes
may comprise dated tasks, reminders, etc.
[163] User interface 800 may be accessible by both the professional
associated with the
boardroom, as well as users who have been granted access to the boardroom.
However, it
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should be understood that one or more features of interface 800 may be
different for the
professional and visiting user. For example, notes in boardroom notes 870 that
are entered by
the professional may only be visible and accessible to the professional, and
notes in
boardroom notes 870 that are entered by a user visiting the boardroom may only
be visible to
the visiting user.
[164] User interface 700 may also comprise a library 1750, in which the tax
professional
associated with the boardroom may promote or display documents of his or her
choice. The
web application may limit the number of displayed documents to a predetermined
number
(e.g., nine). Library 750 may comprise a list of documents in the library 752,
each of which
may be represented by a selectable icon which directs a user to the
corresponding document.
Library 750 may also comprise an input 754 for uploading a new document to the
library
and/or an input 756 for editing or deleting a document in the library.
[165] It should be understood that user interfaces 700 and 800 may comprise
other
features which are not illustrated in FIGS. 7 and 8. For example, user
interface 700 may also
comprise a calendar (not shown) or a link to a calendar. The calendar may
allow a
professional to enter, modify, and otherwise manage appointments or other
notes on a virtual
calendar display. User interfaces 700 and/or 80 may also comprise a link to
the associated
professional's public profile page.
[166] 12. Feedback Module
[167] In an embodiment, the web application comprises a feedback module
which can
receive ratings, comments, recommendations, and/or other input about a
professional. The
web application may utilize this feedback to generate a rating for each
professional. For
example, the web application may be configured to run various algorithms on
the feedback to
rate the professionals, or generate a weighting coefficient and/or determine a
tier for each
professional. The generated ratings or other feedback, weightings, tiers, etc.
can be used to
filter the professionals in response to a search request, as a search
selection criterion, to
evaluate the professional for continued membership with the web application,
etc.
[168] In an embodiment, the web application may comprise a feedback engine
which
receives input(s) related to activity by a professional on the web
application. Such input may
comprise answers to questions, event postings, participation in discussions,
etc., including the
frequency and/or ratings of such activities. The input to the ratings engine
may also include
feedback (e.g., recommendations, "likes", "dislikes", or other ratings, etc.)
from users who
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have engaged the professional member's services. The ratings engine may output
a ranking
for the professional that can be input to a search engine.
[169] 13. Messaging Module
[170] In an embodiment, the web application comprises a messaging module.
The
messaging module may provide each member with an inbox, which comprises the
main
messaging center for professional members and non-professional members alike.
The
messaging module may comprise user interfaces similar to any standard email
account with
user interfaces for an inbox, a list of sent messages, and a list of deleted
messages. The user
interfaces of the messaging module may also comprise a "compose message" input
(e.g.,
button) which brings up a pop-up or other user interface for a user to compose
a message,
including identifying to whom to send the message (e.g., by selecting from a
drop-down or
list menu of the user's connections/contacts), inputting a subject of the
message, and
inputting a body of the message.
[171] In the inbox user interface, the user can view a message, reply,
and/or move a
message to a deleted messages folder. The inbox user interface may also
comprise additional
functionality, such as forwarding a message to another member, replying to all
users
associated with a message, and/or marking various messages as deleted, read,
or unread.
[172] In an embodiment, the inbox user interface comprises a list of
selectable folders
and a list of message records (e.g., emails) that have been received for the
member associated
with the inbox being viewed. Each message record may comprise at least a
portion of the
associated message's subject and/or body, as well as information about the
sender (e.g.,
name, image, etc.), time that the message was sent and/or received, a link for
deleting and/or
flagging the message, etc. In an embodiment, the messaging module implements
thread-
based messaging. In such an embodiment, each message record may comprise the
date
and/or time, sender, subject line, and/or snippet of the latest correspondence
in the thread and
may also comprise the number of messages in the thread. When a user clicks the
thread (e.g.,
in the inbox), the entire thread may be opened, so that the user can see the
complete history of
the discussion. If the user is outside of the thread, the history of the
thread will be
maintained. If the user is outside of the thread and clicks to compose a
message, a new
thread may be started.
[173] The inbox user interface may allow users to flag a message to
indicate its
importance, block the sender of the message, etc. The inbox user interface may
also allow
users to delete messages, view deleted messages, empty messages from the
deleted messages
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folder, view sent messages, create and manage folders for segregating
messages, and any
other features that are typical of email applications. Each listed folder
(e.g., inbox,
boardroom, sent, deleted, and/or user-generated folders) may be selectable and
indicate the
number of new (e.g., unread) messages in the folder. If a user selects a
listed folder, a user
may be directed to a user interface similar to the inbox user interface but
listing messages
stored in the selected folder.
[174] The inbox user interface may also comprise a search box for searching
messages,
a compose message button or link which directs the user to a user interface
for composing a
message, and an inbox button or link which directs the user to the inbox user
interface (i.e.,
comprising a list of messages in the inbox). In addition, the inbox user
interface may
comprise a boardroom button or link, which allows the user to view requests
from users to be
granted access to the user's boardroom and/or view other messages or
conversations
occurring in, or otherwise related to, the user's boardroom. The inbox user
interface may
also comprise a manage lists button or link, which directs the user to a user
interface that
allows the user to generate and/or manage groups of contacts.
[175] For example, the user may generate a list or group comprising a
subset of one or
more of his or her contacts. In an embodiment, the user may generate a group
by inputting a
name for the group and selecting one or more of his or her contacts to be
associated with the
group. Alternatively or additionally, the system may automatically generate
one or more
groups, such as a default group comprising all of a user's contacts or a
subset of the user's
contacts (e.g., all contacts that have been confirmed for the user's
boardroom).
[176] In an embodiment, a contact-groups user interface is provided for
managing
contact groups. A user may access this interface by selecting the manage lists
link. The
contact-groups user interface comprises a list of previously generated contact
groups, if any,
and allows a user to view, edit, and/or delete the previously generated
contact groups. The
contact-groups user interface also allows a user to generate a new contact
group (e.g., by
selecting a link or other input).
[177] If a user chooses to generate a new contact group, the user may be
directed to a
contact-group-naming user interface. The contact-group-naming user interface
may be
accessed, for example, by a user selecting link on the contact-groups user
interface. The
contact-group-naming user interface provides the user with an input for naming
a new contact
group. Once the user has submitted a name for the contact group, the user may
be directed to
an add-group-contacts user interface. The add-group-contacts user interface
allows a user to
add contacts to or subtract contacts from a contact group. The add-group-
contacts user
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interface may be configured to automatically suggest contacts to add based on
characters that
the user inputs into an add-new-contact input (e.g., textbox) for naming a new
contact. For
example, as a user types in characters into the add-new-contact input, a drop-
down list may
appear. The drop-down list may comprise a record for each contact in the
user's contacts that
matches the input characters in the add-new-contact input. The user may select
one of the
records in the drop-down list, and, in response, to the selection, the contact
is added to add-
new-contact input. The user may continue to do this until add-new-contact
input comprises a
list of one or more contacts that the user wishes to add to a list. It should
be understood that
automatic suggestion may be performed by a script executing in the user's
browser
application or by some other mechanism. Automatic suggestion mechanisms are
well-known
in the art, and thus, will not be described in detail herein. Also, it should
be understood that
the described user interfaces may, together, constitute a wizard (i.e., series
of associated user
interfaces) for generating a new contact group.
[178] In an embodiment, the user may only be permitted to add contacts with
whom
they are connected (i.e., a handshake, such as a request and acceptance or
confirmation, has
been performed between the two members) to a contact group. In this
embodiment, if a user
attempts to type or enter a name that does not match a member with whom they
are
connected into the add-new-contact input, an error message informing the user
that he or she
must select from his or her connected contacts, or other indication, may be
displayed.
[179] In an embodiment, a contact-group-editing user interface may be
provided. The
contact-group-editing user interface allows a user to edit a contact group,
and may be
accessed, for example, by selecting a link of the contact-groups user
interface that is
associated with a particular contact group. As illustrated, the contact-group-
editing user
interface comprises a list of contacts who are associated with the group,
allows a user to add
one or more new contacts to the group, allows a user to remove one or more
contacts from
the group, etc. In an embodiment, each contact record in the list of contacts
may comprise
the contact's profile image, name, title, company, expertise(s), location,
panels, one or more
inputs for interacting with the contact record (e.g., selecting the record for
a group change,
removing a record, etc.), etc.
[180] Lists or contact groups allow a user to quickly compose a message
that is
broadcast to a subset of his or her contacts. For instance, a compose-message
user interface
may be provided for composing a message and may comprise a contact-group-
selection input
for selecting one or more of the contact groups as the recipient of the
composed message.
For instance, the contact-group-selection input may comprise a drop-down menu
listing the
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name of each group. If the user selects a group, then, when the user sends the
message, the
message will be sent to each contact associated with the selected group. In an
embodiment,
these messages may be sent out as a plurality of one-to-one messages, rather
than a single,
one-to-many group message which would allow recipients to identify and/or
respond to other
recipients. However, in other embodiments, these messages may be sent as a
single group
message or allow a user to select whether to send the message as one-to-one or
one-to-many.
In additional embodiments, the contact-group-selection input may allow the
user to select a
plurality of contact groups, rather than just one group of contacts.
[181] Using the contact-group-selection input, a user may select a group of
contacts in
addition or alternatively to entering contact information manually into a
recipient input (e.g.,
textbox). In an embodiment, the recipient input may perform automatic
suggestion, for
example, implemented as an embedded or external script executing in a user's
browser
application. As a user types characters representing a contact's name into the
recipient input,
the script or other mechanism may search the user's contacts, identify one or
more contacts
matching the typed characters, and provide selectable suggestions (e.g., as a
drop-down frame
or panel under or otherwise adjacent to the recipient input) for the complete
contact name.
This automatic suggestion mechanism may be similar or identical to the
mechanism
described above in relation to the add-new-contact input.
[182] In an embodiment, the user may only be permitted to send a message to
members
to whom they are connected (i.e., a handshake, such as a request and
acceptance or
confirmation, has been performed between the two members). In this embodiment,
if a user
attempts to type or enter a name that does not match a member with whom they
are
connected, an error message informing the user that he or she must select from
his or her
connected contacts, or other indication, may be displayed.
[183] In an embodiment, the messaging module may enable users to set and
manage
alerts. For example, the messaging module may provide one or more user
interfaces
comprising inputs which allow a user to create or select or otherwise define
alerts, as well as
manage defined alerts for the user. In addition, the messaging module may
provide default or
system-defined alerts. The alerts may comprise one or more criteria which are
continually
compared to activities occurring in the online community provided by the web
application. If
the alert criteria match an activity, an alert or other notification message
(e.g., email or
messaging using an internal messaging system) may be sent to the user who set
or is
otherwise associated with the alert. For example, a member may be alerted if a
new job is
posted or if an employer expresses an interest in the member or an individual
with the
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member's expertise or qualifications, a new event is posted, a new panel is
featured, a new
survey is posted, the member has been recommended by a user, etc.
[184] By way of illustration and not limitation, in an embodiment, alerts
may be set for
the following non-exhaustive list of activities or interactions: request for
entry to the user's
boardroom, acceptance of the user for entry into another user's boardroom, a
message posted
in the user's boardroom, participation in a survey or poll (e.g., tax salary
survey), a
recommendation posted for the user, a comment posted for the user's tax
question, feedback
(e.g., a "like") posted for the user's answer to a tax question, a mention of
the user in a blog
or other post, participation as a panelist, birthday notifications for the
user's contacts, refer-a-
friend alerts, creation of new tax communities, notifications new users to a
tax community
created by the user, requests to join a tax community created by the user,
approval of the user
to join a tax community, posting of a new tax question, posting of an answer
to the user's tax
question, submission of new tax questions, submission of new answers to tax
questions,
notification that the user's answer has been rated or otherwise marked as the
best answer, a
comment posted for the user's tax question, notification of new professionals
in the user's
area, posting of an event, posting of a blog or blog entry, notification of a
new blogger,
TwitterTm post, cancellation of an event, posting of new or recent photographs
for an event,
new members to a tax association, posting of a new tax poll, upload of a new
video or other
media, a comment posted on the user's uploaded video or other media, replies
posted for a
customer question, notification of continuing education classes, new activity
in a community
discussion, new members to a community, new tax ambassadors, new job postings,
new job
descriptions, a new message in the user's inbox or boardroom, expert panel
notifications,
mergers and acquisitions updates, newsfeeds, notification of hottest topics
(e.g., tax topics),
new tax tips, new professional members, top bloggers, top tweeters,
notifications of
conferences, notifications of webinars, conference speaker engagements,
notifications of tax
internships, and/or alerts related to the user's interests and hobbies (e.g.,
new users with
similar interests or hobbies).
[185] 14. Connections Module
[186] In an embodiment, the web application comprises a connections module.
The
connections module comprises one or more user interfaces which allow a member
to manage
his or her connections through the web application. Accordingly, the
connections module
may be similar to, interfaced with, mixed with, inclusive of, or integral to
the messaging
module and/or boardroom module. In an embodiment, the connections module may
allow a
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user to view current connections, receive suggestions about potential
connections, view
connection statistics, add connections, and/or remove connections.
[187] In an embodiment, the connections module may comprise a list of a
user's current
tax connections. The list may comprise one or more connection records. Each
connection
record may correspond to a member with whom the user has connected (e.g., via
a request
and acceptance scheme) and may comprise the member's profile image, name,
title,
company, location, one or more inputs for selecting (e.g., for a group change)
or managing
(e.g., editing, deleting, etc.) the connection, etc. Each connection record
may also be
selectable such that the user may view and/or edit the connection (e.g.,
corresponding
member information) in more detail (e.g., in a frame of the same web page or
on a separate
web page).
[188] In an embodiment, the connections module may comprise a list of
members whom
a user may know or with whom the user may wish to be connected. Each member
record in
the list may comprise the member's profile image, name, title, company,
location, and/or
input for requesting to connect with the member through the web application.
The list may
also be filterable and/or sortable using one or more selectable or enterable
criteria, such as
keywords, current employer, previous employer, industry, college or
university, city,
expertise, associations, etc. The list of suggest members may be generated
using various
analytics which identify connections via a viewing member and other members.
For
example, the connections module may analyze connections throughout the web
application to
determine other members who are within a predetermined number of degrees of
separation
(e.g., two) from the member. Thus, if a first member is connected to a second
member who
is connected to a third member with whom the first member is not connected,
the connections
module may be configured to identify this indirect relationship and suggest
that the first
member connect with the third member (e.g., by including the third member in
the list of
suggested members).
[189] In an embodiment, the connections module may analyze a user's
connections and
present the results of the analysis in a user interface to the user. For
example, the user
interface may comprise one or more graphs (e.g., bar graphs) which identify
the percentage
of connections by location, association, languages spoken, industry,
certifications, title,
expertise, educational degree, years of experience, or any other criterion.
Initially, the
statistics may be provided for only a certain predetermined number (e.g., top
five) of
instances for each criterion, but the user may be provided the option to view
all instances.
For example, a location-based statistic may indicate that a user's connections
are distributed
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with 16% in San Francisco, 5% in San Diego, 3% in Chicago, 2% in Boston, and
2% in Los
Angeles, with an option to "see all." If the user clicks on "see all," the
user may be provided
with a breakdown for the remaining 72% of his or her connections. The other
statistics (e.g.,
association, languages spoken, etc.) may be provided in a similar manner.
[190] In an embodiment, the connections module may comprise a user
interface for
adding connections. For example, the user interface may comprise an input for
entering one
or a plurality of email addresses, importing contacts from an external file
(e.g., CSV file,
XML file, etc.) or application (e.g., a social networking application, email
application, etc.),
and/or entering and/or selecting a message or template. For each input or
imported contact,
the connections module may generate and send an email message using the
contact record
and message or template. The email message may comprise an invitation to join
the web
application (e.g., by including a URL for the registration module). The
connections module
may be configured to identify fields in a message or template and replace the
identified fields
with data from a contact record. For instance, the template may comprise a
"<name>"
placeholder. For each email message that the connections module generates for
a contact, it
may replace this placeholder with the contact's name. In this manner, each
email message
can be quickly and automatically personalized.
[191] 15. Account Settings Module
[192] In an embodiment, the web application comprises an account-settings
module.
The account-settings module may comprise one or more user interfaces which
allow a
member to change basic information in his or her account. For example, the
account-settings
module may comprise a first user interface which comprises inputs which allow
a user to
change his or her first name, last name, email address, etc. A second user
interface may
comprise inputs which allow a user to change his or her password.
[193] If a user has connected to the web application through a third-party
API (e.g.,
FacebookTM, TwitterTm, or LinkedInTm), the user interface for changing a
password may not
be accessible to the user, since changing the password could break their
ability to log in
through the third-party service. Instead, the user interface for changing the
password may be
replaced with an informational message, providing instructions on how to
change the user's
password at the third-party service through which the user logged in.
[194] If a user is logged in as a basic member (e.g., free or non-
professional member),
he or she may be presented with an option (e.g., as a button or other input on
a user interface
of the account-settings module) to "upgrade" their membership from basic or
free member to
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professional member. If a user chooses to upgrade their membership, the web
application
may redirect the user to a promotional code user interface and/or to a payment
user interface,
so that the user can complete the upgrade process and become a fully validated
professional
member. Once the upgrade process is complete, the web application changes the
user's role
(e.g., as stored in a database) to "professional."
[195] 16. Communities
[196] In an embodiment, the web application may provide one or more
communities in
which users may participate. For example, one or more of the modules or
features described
herein may be provided for two or more separate and distinct communities.
These
communities may be created and managed by the operator of the web application,
users of the
web application (e.g., professional members), or both. Alternatively, the
communities may
not actually comprise separate portions of the web application, but may simply
be defined by
the tags or topics associated with various postings (e.g., questions, answers,
blogs, areas of
expertise in professional members' profiles, etc.). Thus, all postings tagged
with a certain
topic may comprise a community for that topic. In some embodiments,
communities may be
defined both by segregated portions of the web application and tags or topics
associated with
postings through the web application.
[197] In the context of a tax-related web application, the communities may
be tax
communities that include, without limitation, "Big Four" Alumni, Deloitte
ToucheTm, Ernst
& YoungTM, PriceWaterhouseCoopersTM, KMPGTm, Financial Services, Expatriates,
FASB
ASC 740 (FAS 109), Estate and Trust, Tax Lawyers, VAT / Indirect Tax, Transfer
Pricing,
State and Local Tax (SALT), Property Tax, Sales and Use Tax, EMEA (Europe, the
Middle
East, and Africa), Direct Tax, Film Tax, International Tax, Customs, Private
Equity Tax, Life
Insurance Tax, Property Insurance Tax, Latin America Tax, Health Insurance
Tax, India Tax,
China Tax, Asia Pacific Tax, Canadian Tax, Payroll Tax, Tax Credits and
Incentives,
Brazilian Tax, Hedge Fund Tax, Enrolled Agents, Partnership Tax, Corporate
Tax, Individual
Tax, Tax Dispute Resolution & Litigation, Federal Tax Audits, State Tax
Audits, Foreign
Tax Audits, Entertainment Tax, 1031 Tax-Deferred Exchanges, Irish Tax, Mergers
&
Acquisitions, Real Estate Tax, Tax Treaties, Computers and Tax, Tax Court, Tax
Trade and
Policy, International Tax Compliance, Indirect Tax, Economists, Legislative
Issues, etc.
[198] In an embodiment, the communities may also comprise a
Careers/Opportunities
community for connecting users with employment (i.e., with employer users).
Alternatively,
this may be a dedicated module (e.g., comprising one or more user interfaces)
of the web
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application. The Careers/Opportunities community or module may be further
divided by
region. For example, it may include U.S. Tax Opportunities, Canadian Tax
Opportunities,
European Tax Opportunities, Asian/Pacific Tax Opportunities, Middle Eastern
Tax
Opportunities, Oceania Tax Opportunities, Latin American Tax Opportunities,
and African
Tax Opportunities. Each of these regional divisions may comprise opportunities
to practice
in that region and/or opportunities to practice in the tax law of that region.
[199] In an embodiment, a community-directory user interface may be
provided that for
presenting a directory of communities. The community-directory user interface
may
comprise a list of available tax communities, including a name and brief
summary for each
tax community. The user interface may also comprise search inputs for
searching the tax
communities, for example, by keyword, location (e.g., country), and/or type.
The search
results may displayed in the same manner as the general community directory,
but listing
only those tax communities meeting the user-specific search criteria. In
addition, the user
interface may also comprise a list of recommended tax communities (e.g., as
determined
based on feedback and/or a profile of the viewing user, as well as an input
for creating a new
community (e.g., tax community). If a user selects a community, he or she may
be directed
to a community-specific user interface.
[200] In an embodiment, a user interface may be provided which allows a
user to view a
selectable list of all the communities he or she is following or otherwise
involved in.
Additionally, a user interface may be provided which allows a user to select
one or more
communities which he or she is currently following or involved in and opt-out
of receiving
communications from the selected communities.
[201] In an embodiment, a community-creation user interface may be provided
for
creating a new community (e.g., tax community). As illustrated, the community-
creation
user interface may comprise inputs for entering a name for the community,
selecting a type
for the community, selecting a country, entering a description of the
community, entering a
URL for a profile on a social network (e.g., TwitterTm, FacebookTM, etc.),
uploading a logo
image or avatar for the community, entering a URL for a website associated
with the
community, agreeing to a terms of use or an appropriateness of content, etc.
In addition, the
user interface may also comprise one or more inputs which control access to
the community.
For example, if the creating member (e.g., "Ambassador" of the community)
selects "auto-
join," any professional may join the group without approval from the creator
or other
administrator of the community. However, if the creating member instead
selects "request to
join," users must request to join the group and be approved by the creator or
other
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administrator of the community. If a request to join is required, the creating
member may
also specify whether the community is displayed in the directory of available
communities
and/or whether members of the community may invite other users to join the
community.
[202] FIGS. 9A-9D illustrate an example community-specific user interface,
according
to an embodiment. The user interface may comprise one or more tabs. In the
illustrated
embodiment, the user interface comprises discussion, members, and profile
tabs. The user
interface for the creator or other administrator of the community may also
comprise an
additional dashboard tab.
[203] FIG. 9A illustrates the discussion tab of the community-specific user
interface,
according to an embodiment. The discussion tab may comprise an input for
starting a new
discussion, and list prior and/or current discussions. The discussion tab may
also provide a
condensed profile of the community ambassador (i.e., creator or administrator)
and list recent
activities in the community, such as the creation of new discussions, the
posting of new
comments, and new members who have joined the community. Each discussion may
comprise a thread of one or more comments, comments to comments, etc., and
inputs for
submitting a new comment or commenting on a comment. In addition, each listed
comment
may comprise a date and/or time and inputs for "liking" or "disliking" the
comment, as well
as indications of how many users have "liked" or "disliked" the comment.
[204] FIG. 9B illustrates the members tab of the community-specific user
interface,
according to an embodiment. The members tab may comprise a list of each member
who has
joined the community in association with a condensed profile of the member
and/or an input
for sending a message to the member. For instance, each member record in the
list may
comprise the member's profile image, name, title, company, location, and an
input for
sending a message to the member. The members tab may also comprise one or more
search
inputs for searching the members of the community (e.g., by keyword,
expertise, location,
etc.), a condensed profile of the community ambassador, and a list of newest
community
members.
[205] FIG. 9C illustrates a profile tab of the community-specific user
interface,
according to an embodiment. The profile tab may comprise a condensed profile
of the
community ambassador(s) or other administrator(s) (e.g., profile image, name,
title,
company, location, etc.), as well as other details associated with the
community, such as the
type of community, community country, website of the community, social
networking
accounts associated with the community, and a description of the community.
The profile tab
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may also comprise inputs for joining the community or requesting to join the
community
and/or sharing the community with other individuals (e.g., by email or other
message).
[206] FIG. 9D illustrates a dashboard tab of the community-specific user
interface,
according to an embodiment. The dashboard tab may only be accessible by the
community
ambassador (e.g., the creator or administrator of the community). The
dashboard tab may
comprise details about the community, and one or more inputs for entering a
contact email to
be associated with the community, uploading a group logo to be associated with
the
community, posting a community announcement, composing a community
announcement on
the discussion tab or other tab, sending the composed announcement to members'
inboxes
(e.g., via email or an internal messaging system of the web application),
sending the
composed announcement to all community members or selected community members,
posting the composed announcement, and modifying access controls for the
community (e.g.,
whether access is by "auto-join" or "request to join"). In addition, the
dashboard tab may
comprise a list of all pending members (i.e., users who have request to join
the community
but who have not yet been approved) and current members (i.e., users who have
joined the
community). Each member in the list of pending members may be associated with
an input
(e.g., checkbox) which enables the community ambassador or other administrator
to either
accept the user for membership or decline the user for membership in the
community. In
either case, the acceptance or declination decision may be notified to the
pending member.
Each member in the list of current members may be associated with an input
(e.g., checkbox)
which enables the community ambassador or other administrator to remove the
user from
membership in the community.
[207] 17. Marketing Module
[208] In an embodiment, the web application may comprise a marketing module
which
enables professional members (or, in some embodiments, other users) to market
their services
to users of the application, for example, through email or an internal
messaging system. For
instance, the marketing module may provide messaging features, contact
management
features, and/or library features.
[209] Email features may comprise sending one or more emails to one or more
users,
scheduling one or more emails to be sent to one or more users, managing
configuration
information for the email marketing system, and generating one or more reports
related to a
professional member's marketing activities. For instance, if a professional
member selects to
send an email, he or she may be directed to a user interface for composing a
message (e.g., to
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be sent via email or an internal messaging system). As another example, if a
professional
member selects to view reports, one or more reports regarding the member's
marketing
activities may be generated. For example, these reports may be presented in a
user interface
and provide statistics, including, without limitation, the number of emails
sent by the
member, number of "bounced" emails sent by the member, number of rejected
emails sent by
the member, number of complaints generated in response to emails sent by the
member,
number of delivery attempts for emails sent by the member, number of users who
opted in to
emails from the member, number of users who opted out of emails from the
member,
identifications of email addresses that bounced, etc. In an embodiment, these
statistics may
be segregated by and associated with separate marketing campaigns (e.g., email
campaigns),
and be presented in association with an identifier (e.g., name) of their
associated marketing
campaigns, along with the date that the campaign was undertaken.
[210] Contacts features provided by the marketing module may comprise
managing the
professional member's contacts (i.e., other users with whom the professional
member has a
relationship), managing lists or groups of contacts, and creating new contact
lists or groups.
If a professional member selects to manage his or her contacts, the member may
be directed
to one or more user interfaces which enable the member to create a new contact
(e.g., by
entering contact information into one or more inputs), edit a contact, import
contacts from a
file (e.g., comma-delimited file, spreadsheet file, such as an ExcelTM file,
etc.) or another
application, and/or find contacts (e.g., using a search input which queries a
database using
entered search terms). Contact information may include, without limitation,
contact type
(e.g., tax professional, Chief Executive Officer, Chief Financial Officer,
Finance
Professional, Human Resources, General Public, etc.), job title, expertise,
prefix or title (e.g.,
Mr., Ms., Mrs., Dr., etc.), first name, middle name, last name, work email,
personal email,
company name, company address, company city, company state or province,
company postal
code, company country, home address, home city, home state or province, home
postal code,
home country, etc.
[211] If the professional member chooses to find contacts, the member may
be directed
to a user interface comprising a search textbox. The member may submit search
terms
through the search textbox and, in response, be provided a list of matching
contact records.
For instance, each contact record may comprise the contact's first name, last
name, email
address, company, date of last active send-out (if applicable), date that the
contact opted out
from emails from the professional (if applicable), date that the contact was
last edited (if
applicable), etc. Each contact record may also be selectable (e.g., using a
checkbox
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associated with each contact record). A member may select one or more or all
of the contacts
and select an input (e.g., button or link) that generates a new contact group
or list comprising
the selected or all contact records in the search results. An input may also
be provided for
generating a new contact group or list comprising all of the contact records
in the search
results.
[212] Contact groups may be separately managed by the member. For example,
if the
member selects to manage contact lists, the member may be directed to a user
interface
comprising a list of the member's contact groups. Each contact group record
may comprise
the date that the group was created, a name for the group, a description of
the group, number
of emails in the group, date of last send-out for the group (if applicable),
date that the group
was last modified or edited (if applicable), etc. Each contact group record
may also be
associated with an input or link which allows the member to view all contacts
within the
group, as well as edit the group. If a member views contacts within a group,
each contact
may appear in a list of contact records, in which each contact record may
comprise a
contact's first name, last name, job title, expertise, email address, company,
city, state,
country, etc., as well as an input or link for viewing and/or editing the
contact record.
[213] The marketing module may provide a user interface for creating a
contact group
or list by entering and/or selecting one or more criteria to be matched to the
member's contact
records. Such criteria may include, without limitation, contact type,
languages spoken by the
contact, job title, expertise, first name, middle name, last name, work email,
personal email,
company name, company address, company city, company state, company state or
province,
company postal code, home address, home country, home state or province, home
city, home
postal code, etc. If the member submits the criteria, the member may be
presented with a list
of contact records which match the submitted criteriat. Each contact record in
the list may
comprise, without limitation, contact type, first name, last name, language,
job title, expertise,
company, city, state, country, personal email, work email, etc.
[214] In an embodiment, the marketing module comprises or is interfaced
with a library.
The library may comprise templates and images which can be used by the
professional
member for marketing. Marketing module may provide a user interface through
which a
member may upload, view, edit, and/or otherwise manage templates. These
templates may
comprise templates for emails and/or letters, comprising tags that the
marketing module may
recognize and replace or fill in with contact-specific information, for each
contact in a
marketing campaign, prior to transmitting the filled-in template as an email
or printing the
template as a letter for sending. In addition, marketing module may provide a
similar user
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interface through which a member may upload, view, edit, and/or otherwise
manage images,
e.g., to be used in marketing campaigns.
[215] 18. Jobs Module
[216] In an embodiment, the web application may comprise a jobs module
which allows
employer users to post jobs, manage job postings, and/or find potential job
applicants, and
which allows job-seeking users to find job opportunities and submit job
applications to
posted job opportunities.
[217] FIG. 10 illustrates an example user interface for listing available
jobs (e.g., that
have been posted through the jobs module). The user interface may comprise a
list of all
available jobs, as well as search inputs for specifying search criteria. If a
user submits search
criteria, the search results may be displayed in a similar manner as shown in
FIG. 10.
Examples of search criteria may include location, job title, expertise,
company, type of
organization, salary (e.g., period and amount), date of posting, job type,
industry, and the
like. As illustrated in FIG. 10, the search inputs may be listed in expandable
and collapsible
sections for each available criterion. Within each section, available values
for that criterion
may be listed. These available values may be derived from the universe of all
values or a top
predetermined number of values associated with job postings for a specific
criterion. For
example, if the top five locations for the job postings are Redmond, San
Diego, Washington,
D.C., Paris, and Beijing, these five locations may be listed as available
values in the section
for the location criterion.
[218] In an embodiment, an advanced-search user interface for searching for
available
jobs (e.g., that have been posted through the jobs module) is provided. The
user interface
may comprise one or more inputs for specifying search criteria. If a user
submits search
criteria, the search results may be displayed in a similar manner as shown in
FIG. 10.
Examples of search criteria may include keywords, an indication of how to
combine the
keywords in a search query (e.g., require that all keywords be found in order
to constitute a
match, require that only one keyword be found in order to constitute a match,
etc.), one or
more locations (e.g., country, city, state, and/or postal code and/or a radius
specified in
miles), a job-posting time frame (e.g., jobs posted in the last day, week,
month, thirty days,
etc.), one or more industries, one or more organization types (e.g.,
corporation, public
accountant, law firm, government, university, etc.), education and/or
certification
requirements (e.g., high school, AA, BA/BS, MST/MS, MBA, CPA, Chartered, JD,
LLB,
LLM, Ph.D, EA, etc.), job type (e.g., full-time, part-time, contract,
consultant, flex-time, job-
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sharing, temporary, internship, etc.), salary range (e.g., minimum and maximum
salary), an
option to exclude jobs without salary information from search results,
exclusion keywords
(e.g., keywords that, if included in a job posting, will prevent the job
posting from being
included in search results), exclusion job title, exclusion company, etc.
[219] In an embodiment, a job-creation user interface for creating a new
job posting is
provided. The user interface may comprise one or more inputs for specifying
information for
a new job opportunity. For example, this information may comprise a contact
name, contact
title, contact email address, contact phone number, job type (e.g., full-time,
part-time,
contract, consultant, flex-time, job-sharing, temporary, internship, other,
etc.), title of job, tax
title, tax expertise(s) required, description of the job, educational or
certification requirements
(e.g., high school, AA, BA/BS, MST/MS, MBA, CPA, Chartered, JD, LLB, LLM,
Ph.D, EA,
other, etc.), years of experience required (e.g., minimum and maximum years),
salary range
(e.g., minimum and maximum salary), indication that salary range depends on
experience and
should not be listed, company organization type, company industry, company
name,
company address (e.g., street, city, state, postal code, country), company
logo (e.g., input for
selecting and uploading image), company website URL, company profile, and
poster's role
(e.g., corporate recruiter, executive/agency recruiter, tax professional,
other, etc.).
[220] Once an employer user submits the information for a new job posting,
the user
may be provided a user interface for previewing the job posting prior to
publication. In
embodiments that require a user to pay to post a job opportunity, the user
interface (or a
separate user interface) may also provide inputs for paying for the job
posting, such as a
name on a credit card, credit card number, card type, expiration date (e.g.,
month and year),
security code, etc. This payment information may be stored and automatically
charged
whenever the user submits a new job posting.
[221] In an embodiment, a budget user interface for specifying a budget for
job postings
is provided. The user interface may comprise one or more inputs for managing
costs. For
example, the inputs may allow a user to set a total budget (e.g., a maximum
amount that the
user is willing to pay), a maximum cost per click (e.g., the highest amount
that the user is
willing to pay for a click on a job advertisement), a maximum cost-per-
impression that the
user is willing to pay per number of impressions (e.g., per one-thousand
impressions) for a
job advertisement, a maximum cost per application that the user is willing to
pay per
application obtained through a job advertisement, etc. In this manner, a user
can manage its
costs. For instance, the job module or other module (e.g., an advertisement
module) may
present advertisements for a job posting through the web application on
platform 110, and
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charge the user per click, impression, and/or application submitted. Once the
charges reach
the specified total budget, the module may prevent any further advertisements
for the user
from being presented, thereby preventing the user from incurring any more
charges. In
addition, the specified maximum costs per click, impression, or application
can be used to
determine an advertisement's placement on various web pages of the web
application. For
example, a higher cost-per-click, -impression, or -application maximum will
enable the
advertisement to be presented on higher-cost "real estate" of the website
(e.g., at the top of
the homepage), while lower maximums will result in the advertisement being
placed on
lower-cost "real estate" of the web application (e.g., on a subsidiary page of
the website).
The total budget and maximums may be for all posted job opportunities or be
independently
set for each job opportunity posted. The user interface may also comprise
inputs for entering
a payment method, as described above.
[222] In an embodiment, a report user interface for presenting a report to
an employer
user who has posted job opportunities is provided. The report may comprise a
list of all or a
subset (e.g., resulting from a search based on one or more criteria) of job
opportunities that
the employer user has posted. For each job opportunity, the list may comprise
the number of
applications (e.g., résumés) submitted, the number of impressions (i.e.,
views), the number of
clicks, the total cost incurred (e.g., from impressions, clicks, and/or
applications), the budget
set for the job opportunity, the cost incurred for each application submitted,
the status (e.g.,
active, inactive, pending, etc.), as well as an input or link for editing the
job opportunity (e.g.,
editing the description, changing the status, etc.).
[223] In an embodiment, an applications user interface for viewing a list
of applications
submitted for one or more job opportunities is provided. The user interface
may comprise
one or more inputs which allow an employer user to filter applications based
on one or more
criteria (e.g., title, location, expertise, etc.). The list may be provided
for each individual job
opportunity or for all job opportunities, or both. The list may comprise, for
each application
submitted, the date of submission, the name of the applicant, the title and
current employer of
the applicant, the tax expertise of the applicant, the location of the
applicant, etc. If the
employer user clicks on an application in the list, the user may be directed
to a more detailed
view of the application, as well as further user interfaces for managing the
application (e.g.,
contacting the applicant, scheduling interviews, accepting or denying the
application, send
the applicant an interest letter, send the applicant a no-interest letter,
etc.).
[224] In an embodiment, a job-description user interface for displaying a
posted job
opportunity is provided. The user interface may comprise inputs for submitting
an
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application to the posted job opportunity and/or sharing the job posting
(e.g., by providing an
email address to which the messaging module should email information about the
job
posting, including, for example, a URL to the job-description user interface).
The job-
description user interface may comprise all or a portion of the information
that was entered
when the job posting was created. For example, this information may comprise a
company
name, job location, company profile, job description, job title, industry,
contact information,
URL for a company website, job type, education requirements, years of
experience required,
salary information, etc.
[225] In an embodiment, the jobs module and/or marketing module may also
provide
features for marketing an employer to potential employees. For example, an
applicant-search
user interface may be provided which comprises one or more inputs for
performing a search
for potential employees (e.g., from among professional members). An input may
be provided
for virtually any criteria that can be matched to a member. For example,
inputs may be
provided for filtering based on keywords, languages spoken, title, expertise,
experience level
and/or field, industry, current and/or previous employers, company revenue,
public
accounting firm name, law firm name, undergraduate degree, graduate degree,
law degree,
advanced law degree, associations, communities, location (e.g., within a range
of a location
specified by city, state, country, and/or postal code), interest in one or
more types of
employment (e.g., full-time, part-time, flex-time, contract, consultant, job-
sharing, temporary,
internship, etc.), etc.
[226] In an embodiment, an employer user can also create a job opportunity
which can
be marketed to each potential employee identified in a search or from a
selected contact
group. For example, the created job opportunity may be utilized to generate a
marketing
letter or email message, e.g., using a template. The template may comprise
identifiable fields
or tags, which the marketing module can replace with personal information from
the potential
employee's profile (e.g., name) as well as information from the created job
opportunity (e.g.,
title, company, company location, company profile, job description, contact
information,
etc.). The employer user may be provided with a preview of the marketing
message prior to
it being sent. The employer user may also be provided an opportunity to remove
or add
members to the list of recipients for the marketing message. Once the employer
user is
satisfied with the marketing message and list of recipients, the employer user
may submit the
message, and the jobs module will send the message to each of the recipients
in the list of
recipients. The jobs module may provide a record of the marketing message
(e.g., date sent,
title, name of list to which the message was sent, number of opens, status,
etc.), as well as
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analytics concerning the marketing message (e.g., number of replies,
applications submitted
in response to the message, etc.).
[227] 19. Mergers and Acquisitions Team
[228] In an embodiment, the web application may facilitate mergers and
acquisitions of
professional practices, such as tax accounting practices and/or tax consulting
practices.
Specifically, the web application may support interactions between users and a
Mergers and
Acquisitions Team, for example, provided by the operator of the web
application, comprised
of one or more registered professional members, and/or empaneled as a panel or
instantiated
as a community within the web application. The Mergers and Acquisitions Team
may help
professional members or other entities to sell or purchase professional
practices.
[229] 20. Professional Panels
[230] In an embodiment, the web application enables the creation and
management of
professional panels comprising one or more professional members. For example,
a panel
may be created by an administrator of the web application or by one or more
professional
members (e.g., by a professional member haying certain roles and/or
permissions, or
alternatively by any professional member). In an embodiment, a professional
member may
achieve membership on a professional panel based on his or her level of
activity and/or
reputation (e.g., derived from feedback submitted about the user) on the web
application.
The web application may provide a single panel or a plurality of panels. A
panel may
comprise a plurality of professional members of varying expertise, and may be
related to one
or more expertise(s) and/or topic(s). Membership on panels may change
periodically. For
example, new panel(s), comprising new professional members, may be created or
"convened"
each week. In addition, each panel may be created to address a particular
topic or topics.
[231] In an embodiment, a user interface for viewing upcoming panels or
panelists is
provided. A navigable calendar may be provided. The user may click on dates or
select date
ranges on the calendar and view upcoming panels and/or the panelists for each
upcoming
panel on that date or within that date range (e.g., within one or two days, a
week, etc.). The
user interface may comprise one or more inputs which allow a user to search
for a panel (e.g.,
by topic and/or date), as well as select a panel for viewing.
[232] FIG. 11A illustrates a user interface for viewing a panel of experts
(e.g., tax
experts), according to an embodiment. A user may utilize one or more inputs of
the user
interface to submit a question to the panel. The user interface may provide
condensed
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profiles for one or more of the members of the panel. In addition, the user
interface may also
provide a list of one or more questions recently answered by members of the
panel, including
the question, an identification of a questioner and/or respondent (e.g., name,
title, company,
location, etc.), date, topic tags, a portion or snippet of the answer,
comments, etc. The user
interface may also comprise one or more inputs, or a hyperlink to a user
interface comprising
one or more inputs, which allow a user to direct a question to a particular
panel member or to
all panel members, enter the question, and/or provide more details about the
question.
Furthermore, the user interface may comprise one or more inputs, or a
hyperlink to a user
interface comprising one or more inputs, which allow a user to comment on
questions,
answers, and/or other comments.
[233] In an embodiment, a panel-members user interface is provided for
viewing a list
of previously and/or currently empaneled members, and/or for viewing members
on a
selected panel. The user interface may allow a user to search for experts
(e.g., based on
name), select a name of a member of a previous and/or current panel (e.g.,
from a drop-down
menu), and search by topic. The list of members and/or search results may
comprise a record
for each member comprising, for example, the member's name, title,
expertise(s), company,
location, role on the panel (e.g., the expertise being contributed by the
member to the panel),
etc. The user interface may allow a user to search for additional information
about the panel
members, e.g., by expert or topic. If a user searches by expert or selects an
expert, the search
results may comprise all answers to tax questions and/or other posts (e.g.,
comments, blog
entries, etc.) that the selected expert has submitted. If the user searches by
topic, the search
results may comprise all answers to tax questions and/or other posts that the
members of the
panel have submitted on the topic.
[234] In an embodiment, a user interface for applying to join a panel is
provided. The
user interface, which may only be accessible to professional members, may
comprise one or
more inputs which allow a professional member to select one or more topics in
which he or
she wants to be recognized as an expert, enter dates that he or she is
available, enter a brief
summary of his or her experience and/or technical strengths, and/or accept
terms of use
and/or guidelines applicable to panelists.
[235] FIG. 11B illustrates a panel dashboard available to panelists on a
panel. The
dashboard can comprise one or more frames, which allow a panelist member to
manage his or
her role in the panel. For example, a first frame may comprise a list of
questions that have
been submitted (e.g., and not answered by the panelist or panel). Each row in
the list may
comprise the question, name or identifier of the user who submitted the
question, date
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submitted, and inputs for answering, saving, or removing the question from the
list. A
second frame may comprise a list of questions that the panelist member has
saved, e.g., by
selecting the save input from the list of questions in the first frame. A
third frame may
comprise a list of questions that the panelist member has answered, e.g., by
selecting the
answer input from the list of questions in the first frame and entering one or
more inputs into
a resulting user interface for answering a question. In addition, a fourth
frame or set of inputs
(e.g., hyperlinks) may allow the panelist member to view analytics regarding
the panel, such
as how many users visited a question, which questions get the most visits,
which responses
get the most comments, how many questions were submitted, how many questions
were
answered, how much traffic has been generated to the panelist member's profile
page, etc.
[236] In an embodiment, a member can select one or more criteria for panel
alerts. If a
panel is empaneled that meets the one or more criteria, the messaging module
can notify the
member via one or more messages. For example, the member may select one or
more topics.
Whenever a panel is established for the selected topic(s), an alert can be
sent to the member
notifying the member about the panel, providing a link to a user interface
comprising panel
information (information about panelists, questions to the panelists, answers
or comments
from the panelists, etc.), etc.
[237] Additional Features
[238] In embodiments, additional features may be implemented by one or more
additional or previously described modules.
[239] In an embodiment, syndicated content (e.g., TwitterTm feeds related
to, for
example, tax information, a blog, etc.) may be aggregated and displayed by the
web
application. For example, a professional may specify a URL for his or her
syndicated content
(e.g., TwitterTm feed or blog), as well as other information (e.g., blog
title, description, topic
or type, world region, etc.), and the syndicated content may be retrieved and
displayed by the
web application. In addition, links to different related blogs (e.g., tax
blogs) may be
provided. These features may be in addition or as an alternative to other
functions of the blog
module described elsewhere herein.
[240] In an embodiment, the registration module may be configured to
provide members
with a free trial subscription. With a free trial subscription, a professional
member may be
allowed to utilize member-only features of the web application for free for a
predetermined
time period (e.g., thirty days). The member may be required to provide payment
information
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(e.g., credit card information), which will be utilized to automatically bill
the member if the
member fails to cancel his or her subscription following the predetermined
time period.
[241] In an embodiment, platform 110 may also host a salary survey module.
Professional members may choose to participate in the annual survey, for
example, by
providing one or more inputs before, during, and/or subsequent to the
registration process.
The professional member may also identify one or more individuals (e.g., by
entering email
addresses associated with contacts or colleagues) to invite to participate in
the salary survey,
and the salary survey module may send out invitations (e.g., via email) to the
identified
individuals. The salary survey module may provide a user interface through
which a user can
submit compensation information for one or more years. The compensation
information may
include the year of compensation, base compensation, bonus amount(s), stock
options or
grants, etc. This compensation information may be collected across a plurality
of users (e.g.,
professional members) and used in combination with the users' profile as an
informational or
analytical tool. For example, the compensation information and profiles may be
analyzed to
determine average compensation across a profession, area of expertise, level
of experience,
for a particular geographic region, etc.
[242] In an embodiment, a registering user may be prompted to identify a
member who
referred the registering user to the web application of platform 110. For
example, an input
may be provided for entering an email address, name, or other identifier of
the referring
member. According to a further embodiment, the referring member may receive an
incentive
(e.g., cash incentive, reduction in subscription fee, reward points, increase
in reputation, a
higher weighting coefficient or tier for better search placement, etc.) for
each registered user
that he or she has been identified as referring to the web application.
[243] In an embodiment, server(s) 110 may also host a job description
module. The job
description module may provide a filterable and/or sortable library or
dictionary of job
descriptions. For example, the library may be filterable or sortable by
keyword, organization
type, country, etc. In an embodiment, inputs may be provided which enable a
user to submit
new job descriptions to the library. The library may be presented as a user
interface with a
list of job titles. This list may be segregated into a plurality of frames
representing a plurality
of different organization types (e.g., corporate tax titles, public accounting
titles, law firm
titles, government titles). For example, a list of corporate tax titles may
comprise Vice
President Tax, Tax Director, Senior Tax Manager, Tax Manager, Tax Supervisor,
Tax Senior,
Tax Analyst, Property Tax Manager, State and Local Tax Manager, Sales and Use
Tax
Manager, etc. As another example, a list of law firm titles may comprise
Managing Tax
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Partner, Tax Partner, Of Counsel, Senior Associate, Associate, etc. Each title
in the list may
be selectable. For instance, if a user selects a title, the user may be
provided with a typical
job description for the title. Employer users can use such a library, for
example, to help
construct a job opportunity for posting, e.g., by selecting an appropriate
title or job
description.
[244] In an embodiment, the web application may provide a set of premium
services
and/or analytics to paying members. For example, the application may allow
premium users
to select keywords to search for specific technical skills and experience that
the user is
searching for in a tax professional, search for professionals that the user
would like to
approach about a professional opportunity, send a direct message to qualified
professionals
with experience related to a professional opportunity, maintain one or more
lists of
professionals with specialized skills and expertise, access a library of
written job descriptions
and/or other resources, manage and track all job postings, access annually
conducted salary
surveys, and/or connect with parties interested in selling or purchasing a
professional practice
(e.g., tax practice).
[245] Example Processing Device
[246] FIG. 12 is a block diagram illustrating an example wired or wireless
system 550
that may be used in connection with various embodiments described herein. For
example the
system 550 may be used as or in conjunction with one or more of the mechanisms
or
processes described above, and may represent components of server(s) 110, user
system(s)
130, and/or other devices described herein. The system 550 can be a server or
any
conventional personal computer, or any other processor-enabled device that is
capable of
wired or wireless data communication. Other computer systems and/or
architectures may be
also used, as will be clear to those skilled in the art.
[247] The system 550 preferably includes one or more processors, such as
processor
560. Additional processors may be provided, such as an auxiliary processor to
manage
input/output, an auxiliary processor to perform floating point mathematical
operations, a
special-purpose microprocessor having an architecture suitable for fast
execution of signal
processing algorithms (e.g., digital signal processor), a slave processor
subordinate to the
main processing system (e.g., back-end processor), an additional
microprocessor or controller
for dual or multiple processor systems, or a coprocessor. Such auxiliary
processors may be
discrete processors or may be integrated with the processor 560. Examples of
processors
which may be used with system 550 include, without limitation, the Pentium
processor,
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Core i70 processor, and Xeon0 processor, all of which are available from Intel
Corporation
of Santa Clara, California.
[248] The processor 560 is preferably connected to a communication bus 555.
The
communication bus 555 may include a data channel for facilitating information
transfer
between storage and other peripheral components of the system 550. The
communication bus
555 further may provide a set of signals used for communication with the
processor 560,
including a data bus, address bus, and control bus (not shown). The
communication bus 555
may comprise any standard or non-standard bus architecture such as, for
example, bus
architectures compliant with industry standard architecture (ISA), extended
industry standard
architecture (EISA), Micro Channel Architecture (MCA), peripheral component
interconnect
(PCI) local bus, or standards promulgated by the Institute of Electrical and
Electronics
Engineers (IEEE) including IEEE 488 general-purpose interface bus (GPIB), IEEE
696/S-
100, and the like.
[249] System 550 preferably includes a main memory 565 and may also include
a
secondary memory 570. The main memory 565 provides storage of instructions and
data for
programs executing on the processor 560, such as one or more of the functions
and/or
modules discussed above. It should be understood that programs stored in the
memory and
executed by processor 560 may be written and/or compiled according to any
suitable
language, including without limitation C/C++, Java, JavaScript, Perl, Visual
Basic, .NET, and
the like. The main memory 565 is typically semiconductor-based memory such as
dynamic
random access memory (DRAM) and/or static random access memory (SRAM). Other
semiconductor-based memory types include, for example, synchronous dynamic
random
access memory (SDRAM), Rambus dynamic random access memory (RDRAM),
ferroelectric random access memory (FRAM), and the like, including read only
memory
(ROM).
[250] The secondary memory 570 may optionally include an internal memory
575
and/or a removable medium 580, for example a floppy disk drive, a magnetic
tape drive, a
compact disc (CD) drive, a digital versatile disc (DVD) drive, other optical
drive, a flash
memory drive, etc. The removable medium 580 is read from and/or written to in
a well-
known manner. Removable storage medium 580 may be, for example, a floppy disk,
magnetic tape, CD, DVD, SD card, etc.
[251] The removable storage medium 580 is a non-transitory computer-
readable
medium having stored thereon computer executable code (i.e., software) and/or
data. The
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computer software or data stored on the removable storage medium 580 is read
into the
system 550 for execution by the processor 560.
[252] In alternative embodiments, secondary memory 570 may include other
similar
means for allowing computer programs or other data or instructions to be
loaded into the
system 550. Such means may include, for example, an external storage medium
595 and an
interface 590. Examples of external storage medium 595 may include an external
hard disk
drive or an external optical drive, or and external magneto-optical drive.
[253] Other examples of secondary memory 570 may include semiconductor-
based
memory such as programmable read-only memory (PROM), erasable programmable
read-
only memory (EPROM), electrically erasable read-only memory (EEPROM), or flash
memory (block oriented memory similar to EEPROM). Also included are any other
removable storage media 580 and communication interface 590, which allow
software and
data to be transferred from an external medium 595 to the system 550.
[254] System 550 may include a communication interface 590. The
communication
interface 590 allows software and data to be transferred between system 550
and external
devices (e.g. printers), networks, or information sources. For example,
computer software or
executable code may be transferred to system 550 from a network server via
communication
interface 590. Examples of communication interface 590 include a built-in
network adapter,
network interface card (NIC), Personal Computer Memory Card International
Association
(PCMCIA) network card, card bus network adapter, wireless network adapter,
Universal
Serial Bus (USB) network adapter, modem, a network interface card (NIC), a
wireless data
card, a communications port, an infrared interface, an IEEE 1394 fire-wire, or
any other
device capable of interfacing system 550 with a network or another computing
device.
[255] Communication interface 590 preferably implements industry
promulgated
protocol standards, such as Ethernet IEEE 802 standards, Fiber Channel,
digital subscriber
line (DSL), asynchronous digital subscriber line (ADSL), frame relay,
asynchronous transfer
mode (ATM), integrated digital services network (ISDN), personal
communications services
(PCS), transmission control protocol/Internet protocol (TCP/IP), serial line
Internet
protocol/point to point protocol (SLIP/PPP), and so on, but may also implement
customized
or non-standard interface protocols as well.
[256] Software and data transferred via communication interface 590 are
generally in
the form of electrical communication signals 605. These signals 605 are
preferably provided
to communication interface 590 via a communication channel 600. In one
embodiment, the
communication channel 600 may be a wired or wireless network, or any variety
of other
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communication links. Communication channel 600 carries signals 605 and can be
implemented using a variety of wired or wireless communication means including
wire or
cable, fiber optics, conventional phone line, cellular phone link, wireless
data communication
link, radio frequency ("RF") link, or infrared link, just to name a few.
[257] Computer executable code (i.e., computer programs or software) is
stored in the
main memory 565 and/or the secondary memory 570. Computer programs can also be
received via communication interface 590 and stored in the main memory 565
and/or the
secondary memory 570. Such computer programs, when executed, enable the system
550 to
perform the various functions of the present invention as previously
described.
[258] In this description, the term "computer readable medium" is used to
refer to any
non-transitory computer readable storage media used to provide computer
executable code
(e.g., software and computer programs) to the system 550. Examples of these
media include
main memory 565, secondary memory 570 (including internal memory 575,
removable
medium 580, and external storage medium 595), and any peripheral device
communicatively
coupled with communication interface 590 (including a network information
server or other
network device). These non-transitory computer readable mediums are means for
providing
executable code, programming instructions, and software to the system 550.
[259] In an embodiment that is implemented using software, the software may
be stored
on a computer readable medium and loaded into the system 550 by way of
removable
medium 580, I/O interface 585, or communication interface 590. In such an
embodiment, the
software is loaded into the system 550 in the form of electrical communication
signals 605.
The software, when executed by the processor 560, preferably causes the
processor 560 to
perform the inventive features and functions previously described herein.
[260] In an embodiment, I/O interface 585 provides an interface between one
or more
components of system 550 and one or more input and/or output devices. Example
input
devices include, without limitation, keyboards, touch screens or other touch-
sensitive devices,
biometric sensing devices, computer mice, trackballs, pen-based pointing
devices, and the
like. Examples of output devices include, without limitation, cathode ray
tubes (CRTs),
plasma displays, light-emitting diode (LED) displays, liquid crystal displays
(LCDs), printers,
vacuum florescent displays (VFDs), surface-conduction electron-emitter
displays (SEDs),
field emission displays (FEDs), and the like.
[261] The system 550 also includes optional wireless communication
components that
facilitate wireless communication over a voice and over a data network. The
wireless
communication components comprise an antenna system 610, a radio system 615
and a
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baseband system 620. In the system 550, radio frequency (RF) signals are
transmitted and
received over the air by the antenna system 610 under the management of the
radio system
615.
[262] In one embodiment, the antenna system 610 may comprise one or more
antennae
and one or more multiplexors (not shown) that perform a switching function to
provide the
antenna system 610 with transmit and receive signal paths. In the receive
path, received RF
signals can be coupled from a multiplexor to a low noise amplifier (not shown)
that amplifies
the received RF signal and sends the amplified signal to the radio system 615.
[263] In alternative embodiments, the radio system 615 may comprise one or
more
radios that are configured to communicate over various frequencies. In one
embodiment, the
radio system 615 may combine a demodulator (not shown) and modulator (not
shown) in one
integrated circuit (IC). The demodulator and modulator can also be separate
components. In
the incoming path, the demodulator strips away the RF carrier signal leaving a
baseband
receive audio signal, which is sent from the radio system 615 to the baseband
system 620.
[264] If the received signal contains audio information, then baseband
system 620
decodes the signal and converts it to an analog signal. Then the signal is
amplified and sent
to a speaker. The baseband system 620 also receives analog audio signals from
a
microphone. These analog audio signals are converted to digital signals and
encoded by the
baseband system 620. The baseband system 620 also codes the digital signals
for
transmission and generates a baseband transmit audio signal that is routed to
the modulator
portion of the radio system 615. The modulator mixes the baseband transmit
audio signal
with an RF carrier signal generating an RF transmit signal that is routed to
the antenna system
and may pass through a power amplifier (not shown). The power amplifier
amplifies the RF
transmit signal and routes it to the antenna system 610 where the signal is
switched to the
antenna port for transmission.
[265] The baseband system 620 is also communicatively coupled with the
processor
560. The central processing unit 560 has access to data storage areas 565 and
570. The
central processing unit 560 is preferably configured to execute instructions
(i.e., computer
programs or software) that can be stored in the memory 565 or the secondary
memory 570.
Computer programs can also be received from the baseband processor 610 and
stored in the
data storage area 565 or in secondary memory 570, or executed upon receipt.
Such computer
programs, when executed, enable the system 550 to perform the various
functions of the
present invention as previously described. For example, data storage areas 565
may include
various software modules (not shown).
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[266] Various embodiments may also be implemented primarily in hardware
using, for
example, components such as application specific integrated circuits (ASICs),
or field
programmable gate arrays (FPGAs). Implementation of a hardware state machine
capable of
performing the functions described herein will also be apparent to those
skilled in the relevant
art. Various embodiments may also be implemented using a combination of both
hardware
and software.
[267] Furthermore, those of skill in the art will appreciate that the
various illustrative
logical blocks, modules, circuits, and method steps described in connection
with the above
described figures and the embodiments disclosed herein can often be
implemented as
electronic hardware, computer software, or combinations of both. To clearly
illustrate this
interchangeability of hardware and software, various illustrative components,
blocks,
modules, circuits, and steps have been described above generally in terms of
their
functionality. Whether such functionality is implemented as hardware or
software depends
upon the particular application and design constraints imposed on the overall
system. Skilled
persons can implement the described functionality in varying ways for each
particular
application, but such implementation decisions should not be interpreted as
causing a
departure from the scope of the invention. In addition, the grouping of
functions within a
module, block, circuit or step is for ease of description. Specific functions
or steps can be
moved from one module, block or circuit to another without departing from the
invention.
[268] Moreover, the various illustrative logical blocks, modules,
functions, and methods
described in connection with the embodiments disclosed herein can be
implemented or
performed with a general purpose processor, a digital signal processor (DSP),
an ASIC,
FPGA, or other programmable logic device, discrete gate or transistor logic,
discrete
hardware components, or any combination thereof designed to perform the
functions
described herein. A general-purpose processor can be a microprocessor, but in
the
alternative, the processor can be any processor, controller, microcontroller,
or state machine.
A processor can also be implemented as a combination of computing devices, for
example, a
combination of a DSP and a microprocessor, a plurality of microprocessors, one
or more
microprocessors in conjunction with a DSP core, or any other such
configuration.
[269] Additionally, the steps of a method or algorithm described in
connection with the
embodiments disclosed herein can be embodied directly in hardware, in a
software module
executed by a processor, or in a combination of the two. A software module can
reside in
RAM memory, flash memory, ROM memory, EPROM memory, EEPROM memory,
registers, hard disk, a removable disk, a CD-ROM, or any other form of storage
medium
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PCT/US2014/067778
including a network storage medium. An exemplary storage medium can be coupled
to the
processor such that the processor can read information from, and write
information to, the
storage medium. In the alternative, the storage medium can be integral to the
processor. The
processor and the storage medium can also reside in an ASIC.
[270] Any of the software components described herein may take a variety of
forms.
For example, a component may be a stand-alone software package, or it may be a
software
package incorporated as a "tool" in a larger software product. It may be
downloadable from
a network, for example, a website, as a stand-alone product or as an add-in
package for
installation in an existing software application. It may also be available as
a client-server
software application, as a web-enabled software application, and/or as a
mobile application.
[271] The above description of the disclosed embodiments is provided to
enable any
person skilled in the art to make or use the invention. Various modifications
to these
embodiments will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and the
general principles
described herein can be applied to other embodiments without departing from
the spirit or
scope of the invention. Thus, it is to be understood that the description and
drawings
presented herein represent a presently preferred embodiment of the invention
and are
therefore representative of the subject matter which is broadly contemplated
by the present
invention. It is further understood that the scope of the present invention
fully encompasses
other embodiments that may become obvious to those skilled in the art and that
the scope of
the present invention is accordingly not limited.
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