Method, article of manufacture and apparatus for processing an electronic message on an electronic message board

An apparatus for processing an electronic message on an electronic message board, the apparatus comprising:

• a memory for storing an electronic message board program;
• and
• a processor coupled to the memory, for performing a method upon executing the electronic message board program retrieved from the memory, the method comprising:
• receiving the electronic message from a client computer of a first user via a network, the first user having a user rating specific to the first user and applied to determine the weight given to the first user's message rating of electronic messages;
• upon receiving the electronic message from the client computer:
• (i) posting the electronic message to the electronic message board;
• and
• (ii) establishing a message rating for the electronic message on the basis of the user rating of the first user;
• adjusting the message rating in response to feedback from other users, where the degree of adjustment of the message rating is dependent upon a respective user rating of each of the other users;
• and
• adjusting the user rating of the first user in response to feedback from the other users, where the degree of adjustment of the user rating is dependent upon the respective user rating of each of the other users.

A computer readable medium storing a software program that, when executed by a computer, causes a processor to perform a method comprising:

• upon receiving an electronic message from a first user to be posted on an electronic message board:
• (i) posting the electronic message from the first user on the electronic message board, the first user having a user rating specific to the first user and applied to determine the weight given to the first user's message rating of electronic messages;
• and
• (ii) establishing a message rating for the electronic message based on the user rating of the first user;
• adjusting the message rating in response to feedback from other users, where the degree of adjustment of the message rating is dependent upon a respective user rating of each of the other users;
• and
• adjusting the user rating of the first user in response to feedback from the other users, where the degree of adjustment of the user rating is dependent upon the respective user rating of each of the other users.