Method and system for sharing documents among members of an online community

A system comprising:

• a central server configured to host an online community;
• the central server configured to receive an electronic document associated with an optically machine-readable symbol, the electronic document uploaded by a first member of the online community to the central server, and the optically machine-readable symbol associated with a human-readable identifier indicating the optically machine-readable symbol is associated with the online community;
• the central server further configured to send information associated with the electronic document to a second member of the online community, the sending by way of a service provided by the online community, and the sending responsive to the second member scanning the optically machine-readable symbol on a copy of the electronic document found outside the online community;
• and
• the central server further configured to send information associated with the electronic document to a third member of the online community, the sending by way of a service provided by the online community, and the sending responsive to the third member scanning the optically machine-readable symbol on a copy of the electronic document found outside the online community.

A method comprising:

• scanning, by a first member of an online community using a first mobile device, an optically machine-readable symbol associated with a document, the optically machine-readable symbol comprising data regarding the document;
• extracting the data regarding the document comprised in the optically machine-readable symbol, the extracting by the first mobile device;
• delivering information related to the document to the first member by at least one selected from the group consisting of:
• delivering the information related to the document to an electronic mail in-box of the first member;
• and making a copy of information related to the document from a first location of a second member at which the information is stored, and placing the copy of the information related to the document at a second location dedicated to the first member, the second location distinct from the first location;
• scanning, by a third member of the online community using a second mobile device, the optically machine-readable symbol associated with the document, the optically machine-readable symbol comprising data regarding the document;
• extracting the data regarding the document comprised in the optically machine-readable symbol, the extracting by the second mobile;
• and
• delivering information related to the document to the third member by at least one selected from the group consisting of:
• delivering the information related to the document to an electronic mail in-box of the third member;
• and making a copy of information related to the document from the first location at which the information is stored, and placing the copy of the information related to the document at a third location dedicated to the third member, the third location distinct from the first location and distinct from the second location.

A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing a program that, when executed by a processor, causes the processor to:

• associate an optically machine-readable symbol with an electronic document, the optically machine-readable symbol comprises a unique document identification associated with the electronic document;
• associate a human-readable identifier with the optically machine-readable symbol, the human readable symbol indicates that optically machine-readable symbol is associated with an online community;
• upload the electronic document to a storage area of a first member of the online community associated with the member identification;
• send information associated with the electronic document to a second member of the online community, the sending by way of a service provided by the online community, and the sending responsive to the second member scanning the optically machine-readable symbol on a copy of the electronic document found outside the online community;
• send information associated with the electronic document to a third member of the online community, the sending by way of a service provided by the online community, and the sending responsive to the third member scanning the optically machine-readable symbol on a copy of the electronic document found outside the online community.

A non-transitory computer-readable medium a program that, when executed by a processor, causes the processor to:

• receive from a mobile device a unique document identification extracted from an optically machine-readable symbol associated with a document, the mobile device associated with a member of an online community;
• retrieve information related to the document based on the unique document identification;
• and
• deliver information associated with the electronic document to a first member of an online community, the delivering by way of a service provided by the online community, and the delivering responsive to the first member scanning with the mobile device the optically machine-readable symbol on a copy of the electronic document found outside the online community;
• and
• deliver information associated with the electronic document to a second member of an online community, the delivering by way of a service provided by the online community, and the delivering responsive to the second member scanning with the mobile device the optically machine-readable symbol on a copy of the electronic document found outside the online community.