Computer implemented methods and apparatus for providing access to an online social network

An apparatus for providing access to an online social network, the apparatus comprising:

• one or more processors;
• a non-transitory computer readable medium storing a plurality of instructions, which
• when executed, cause the one or more processors to:
• receive a request message from a requesting user to access social network data communicated in a group of internal users of the online social network, the online social network being specific to an organization having the internal users as members of the organization, and the social network data including exposed data and private data, the exposed data relating to a project in which internal users collaborate with authorized external users;
• access one or more database tables stored on one or more storage mediums in communication with the computing device to:
• identify the requesting user as an external user who is not a member of the organization,
• determine that the requesting user has an authorized status by verifying that the requesting user is on a stored list of authorized external users,
• identify one or more security parameters stored on the database that are associated with the authorized requesting user, the security parameters defining one or more restrictions to access of the social network data, wherein different authorized external users are associated with different security parameters;
• provide access to only a portion of the social network data to the authorized requesting user in accordance with the one or more security parameters identified by accessing the one or more database tables, wherein the portion of the social network data includes the exposed data and excludes the private data;
• receive a message from the authorized external user;
• provide the message as an information update for inclusion in an information feed, the information update capable of being stored on one or more storage mediums;
• and
• change the status of the requesting user from authorized to unauthorized after expiration of a time period, wherein an unauthorized requesting user is denied access to the portion of the social network data.

A computer program device comprising computer-readable program code to be executed by one or more processors when retrieved from a non-transitory computer-readable medium, the program code including instructions to:

• receive a request message from a requesting user to access social network data communicated in a group of internal users of the online social network, the online social network being specific to an organization having the internal users as members of the organization, and the social network data including exposed data and private data, the exposed data relating to a project in which internal users collaborate with authorized external users;
• access one or more database tables stored on one or more storage mediums in communication with the computing device to:
• identify the requesting user as an external user who is not a member of the organization,
• determine that the requesting user has an authorized status by verifying that the requesting user is on a stored list of authorized external users,
• identify one or more security parameters stored on the database that are associated with the authorized requesting user, the security parameters defining one or more restrictions to access of the social network data, wherein different authorized external users are associated with different security parameters;
• provide access to only a portion of the social network data to the authorized requesting user in accordance with the one or more security parameters identified by accessing the one or more database tables, wherein the portion of the social network data includes the exposed data and excludes the private data;
• receive a message from the authorized external user;
• provide the message as an information update for inclusion in an information feed, the information update capable of being stored on one or more storage mediums;
• and
• change the status of the requesting user from authorized to unauthorized after expiration of a time period, wherein an unauthorized requesting user is denied access to the portion of the social network data.