Method and apparatus for controlling communications of interest in a specific issue between parties known to each other

A method of controlling communications between parties known to each other, the method comprising:

• comparing first and second levels of interest in respective first and second communications received from respective first and second parties submitting the communications, the first and the second parties being identified to each other;
• and
• (i) reporting representations of the levels of interest to the first and second parties if both the first and second levels of interest are positive, (ii) (a) concealing the second level of interest from the first party if the first level of interest is negative, and (b) concealing the first level of interest from the second party if the second level of interest is negative, or (iii) (a) reporting a representation of the first level of interest to the second party if the first level of interest is negative and the second level of interest is positive, and (b) reporting a representation of the second level of interest to the first party if the second level of interest is negative and the first level of interest is positive.

A system for controlling communications between parties known to each other, the system comprising;

• a comparison module that compares first and second levels of interest in respective first and second communications received from respective first and second parties submitting the communications, the first and the second parties being identified to each other;
• and
• a control module that communicates a first representation of the first level of interest to the second party and a second representation of the second level of interest to the first party as a function of the first and second levels of interest.