Methods, Systems, And Computer Readable Media For Managing User Access To An Electronic Media Sharing Environment

A system for managing user access to an electronic media sharing environment, the system comprising:

• means for maintaining, for a user of an electronic client, an account balance representing a data volume authorized for download via the electronic client;
• means for increasing or decreasing the account balance by a predetermined amount responsive to determining the electronic client has uploaded or downloaded, respectively, electronic data to or from a common datastore sharing accessibility of the electronic data among a plurality of users, wherein the predetermined amount is based on at least one of a data quantity and data quality of the electronic data being uploaded or downloaded;
• means for determining, responsive to a user request to download electronic data via the electronic client, whether the account balance is less than a predetermined amount associated with the download;
• and
• means for responsive to a determination that the account balance is less than a predetermined amount of data volume associated with the download, providing for the electronic client to download an alternate version of the electronic data having at least one of a lesser data quantity and a lesser data quality than the electronic data requested to be downloaded in the user request.

A computer-readable medium embodying a computer program executable by a machine, for managing user access to an electronic media sharing environment, the computer program comprising executable instructions for:

• maintaining, for a user of an electronic client, an account balance representing a data volume authorized for download via the electronic client;
• increasing or decreasing the account balance by a predetermined amount responsive to determining the electronic client has uploaded or downloaded, respectively, electronic data to or from a common datastore sharing accessibility of the electronic data among a plurality of users, wherein the predetermined amount is based on at least one of a data quantity and data quality of the electronic data being uploaded or downloaded;
• determining, responsive to a user request to download electronic data via the electronic client, whether the account balance is less than a predetermined amount associated with the download;
• and
• responsive to a determination that the account balance is less than a predetermined amount of data volume associated with the download, providing for the electronic client to download an alternate version of the electronic data having at least one of a lesser data quantity and a lesser data quality than the electronic data requested to be downloaded in the user request.