Automated maintenance of an electronic database via a point system implementation

A database maintenance facility of a data processing system for providing automatic maintenance of updated and useful data within a database, said facility comprising:

• means for providing a value parameter associated with each individual data component within said database;
• means for tracking a use history of each of said individual data components via said value parameter;
• means for assigning a set number of points to a data component each time said component is retrieved by a user-entered request for data, wherein said set number of points is utilized to update a total within said value parameter;
• wherein at least one of said data component is a recipe that includes processes for completion of a user-defined goal and objective, said facility further comprising:
• means for triggering a reward-issuing feature that results in a user receiving a reward for generating a new recipe that is accepted for publication within said database;
• means for assigning a point to a recipe each time said recipe is utilized by a user;
• means, responsive to a recipe being utilized more than a maximum threshold number of times, for providing an additional reward to the user who generated said recipe;
• and
• means, responsive to a recipe being utilized less than a minimum threshold number over a pre-determined period of time. for scheduling said recipe for deletion from said database.

A computer program product comprising:

• a tangible computer readable medium;
• and
• program code on said computer readable medium for real-time automated maintenance of an electronic database, said program code including code for:
• providing a value parameter associated with each individual data component within said database;
• tracking use histoiy of each of said individual data components via said value parameter;
• assigning a set number of points to a data component each time said component is retrieved by a user-entered request for data, wherein said set number of points is utilized to update a total within said value parameter;
• wherein when said data component is a recipe that includes processes for completion of a user-defined goal and objective, said program code further comprising code for:
• triggering a reward-issuing feature that results in a user receiving a reward for generating a new recipe that is accepted for publication within said database;
• assigning a point to a recipe each time said recipe is utilized by a user;
• responsive to a recipe being utilized more than a maximum threshold number of times, providing an additional reward to the user who generated said recipe;
• and
• responsive to a recipe being utilized less than a minimum threshold number over a pre-determined period of time, scheduling said recipe for deletion from said database.