Systematic process for creating large numbers of relevant, contextual marginal comments based on existing discussions of quotations and links

A method for searching a plurality of digital works for comments, comprising the steps of:

• providing a server;
• providing a database in electronic communication with the server;
• quote searching, on a computer, the plurality of digital works for a quote Q in proximity to a reference to another digital work L;
• identifying, on a computer, content BA in proximity to a quote Q;
• reference searching, on a computer, the another work referenced by L for the corresponding quote Q in order to determine a reference point R in the work;
• storing at least one of Q, L, BA and R in the database;
• quote searching, on a computer, the plurality of digital works for a quote Q′ not in proximity to a reference to another digital work;
• identifying, on a computer, content BA′ in proximity to quote Q′;
• and
• storing at least one of Q′ and BA′ in the database;
• wherein the steps of quote searching comprise searching for some delimiter;
• and
• wherein the steps of quote searching comprise searching the plurality of digital works over a network.

A comment display system, comprising:

• a server;
• a comment database;
• a comment display application having a graphical user interface for displaying comments in relation to a web page;
• first quote search software executing on a computer readable medium for searching a plurality of web pages for a quote Q in proximity to a reference to another digital work L;
• first identification software executing on a computer readable medium for identifying content BA in proximity to a quote Q;
• reference search software executing on a computer readable medium for searching the another work referenced by L for the corresponding quote Q in order to determine a reference point R in the work;
• first storage software executing on a computer readable medium for storing at least one of Q, L, BA and R in the comment database;
• second quote search software executing on a computer readable medium for searching the plurality of web pages for a quote Q′ not in proximity to a reference to another digital work;
• second identification software executing on a computer readable medium for identifying content BA′ in proximity to quote Q′;
• and second storage software executing on a computer readable medium for storing at least one of Q′ and BA′ in the comment database;
• wherein the first and second quote search software search for a quote character;
• wherein the first and second quote search software search the plurality of web pages over the Internet;
• and
• wherein the comment display application displays a stored comment BA in reference to a digital work L.

A system for searching a plurality of digital works for comments, comprising:

• a server;
• a database in electronic communication with the server;
• reference search software executing on a computer readable medium for searching the plurality of digital works for a reference to another digital work L;
• first identification software executing on a computer readable medium for identifying content A in proximity to a reference L;
• content parsing software executing on a computer readable medium for parsing content A for identifiable elements E;
• work parsing software executing on a computer readable medium for parsing referenced work L for identifiable elements E′;
• comparison software executing on a computer readable medium for comparing elements E and E′ in order to determine a reference point R in referenced work L;
• first storage software executing on a computer readable medium for storing at least one of A, L, and R in the database;
• quote search software executing on a computer readable medium for searching the plurality of digital works for a quote Q′ not in proximity to a reference to another digital work;
• second identification software executing on a computer readable medium for identifying content BA′ in proximity to quote Q′;
• and
• second storage software executing on a computer readable medium for storing at least one of Q′ and BA′ in the database;
• wherein the quote search software searches for some delimiter;
• wherein the quote search software searches the plurality of digital works over a network;
• and
• wherein the reference search software searches the plurality of digital works over a network.