Email based task management system

An electronic information system comprising:

• an electronic database configured to store information that describes a plurality of individuals and information that describes a plurality of selections available to the plurality of individuals;
• a processor configured to generate a first Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP) email message that includes a mailto link, the mailto link generating, upon activation, a second SMTP email message, the mailto link having at least one field including:
• a security token;
• a destination address that is associated with the electronic information system;
• and
• an actionable parameter, which indicates a type of an action to be performed by the electronic information system, wherein the type of action includes at least updating the electronic database;
• at least one communication interface configured:
• to transmit the first SMTP email message to an email address that is associated with an individual of the plurality of individuals;
• and
• to receive the second SMTP email message that is based on the mailto link of the first SMTP email message, wherein the second SMTP email message includes said security token of the first SMTP email message, wherein the second SMTP email message includes said at least one field, and wherein said second SMTP email message is addressed to the destination address associated with the electronic information system and includes said actionable parameter;
• the processor being further configured to determine whether the security token of the first SMTP email message is valid;
• whereby the processor performs the type of action indicated by the actionable parameter in response to the second SMTP email message only if the security token of the first SMTP email message is valid;
• and
• wherein said at least one field of the second SMTP email message further include an identifier of one of said selection of the plurality of selections;
• and
• wherein the processor is further configured to update the electronic database in response to the one of said selection of the plurality of selections.

A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having processor-executable instructions stored thereon which, when executed by at least one processor in an electronic information system, will cause the at least one processor to perform a method, the method comprising:

• storing information in an information database, wherein the information describes a plurality of individuals and describes a plurality of selections available to one or more individuals of the plurality of individuals;
• generating a first Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP) email message that includes a mailto link, the mailto link generating, upon activation, a second SMTP email within an email system, the email system being governed by SMTP, wherein the mailto link of the first SMTP email message includes has one or more fields including:
• a security token;
• a destination address that indicates an email address that is associated with the electronic information system;
• and
• an actionable parameter, wherein the actionable parameter indicates a type of an action to be performed by the electronic information system, wherein the type of action includes updating the information database;
• transmitting the first SMTP email message to an email address that is associated with a first individual of said plurality of individuals;
• receiving the second SMTP email message that is based on the mailto link of the first SMTP email message, wherein the second SMTP email message:
• is addressed to the email address that is associated with the electronic information system;
• includes said security token of the first email message;
• and
• includes said one or more fields and includes said actionable parameter and an identifier of one of said selection of the plurality of selections;
• in response to the second SMTP email message, performing the type of action indicated by the actionable parameter and said one of said selection of the plurality of selections;
• wherein the actionable parameter indicates an update of the information database, and wherein the performing the type of action indicated by the actionable parameter includes updating the information database to indicate said one of said selection of the plurality of selections.