AU2004200332A1 - A content publishing system - Google Patents

Description

I

Regulation 3.2

AUSTRALIA

Patents Act 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION FOR A STANDARD PATENT

(ORIGINAL)

Name of Applicant: eknowhow Pty Ltd A.C.N. 095 408 290 of Level 8, 492 St

AUSTRALIA

Kilda Road, Melbourne, Victoria 3004, Actual Inventors: Address for Service: Invention Title: Bradley John Maunsell Desmond James Whyte DAVIES COLLISON CAVE, Patent Attorneys, 1 Nicholson Street, Melbourne 3000, Victoria, Australia "A content publishing system" Details of Associated Provisional Application No.: Provisional Application No. 2003900361, 29 January 2003.

The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to us: PNOPERRABcnowhow m2m spdoc.29I/T14 -1- A CONTENT PUBLISHING SYSTEM FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a content publishing system, and in particular to a system and process for publishing content to a network site, such as a web site on the Internet.

BACKGROUND

It is important for a business to have a presence on the Internet in the form of a web site. In its most basic form, a business web site is essentially a repository of information about the business which may be viewed by a user of the Internet using a web browser. Indeed, some web sites are little more than an electronic version of the firm's printed brochure, and simply provide a way for users of the Internet to view static pages describing the products and/or services provided by the business. More sophisticated web sites provide higher levels of interactivity, and some provide the ability to accept orders and payment for products.

Some web sites for knowledge or service-based industries provide information that is only viewable by registered clients who log in to a restricted area of the site known as an extranet. This allows the business to provide value-added materials to valued clients, and to tailor the web site to meet the needs of these clients. Unfortunately, the considerable effort and cost of developing and maintaining a sophisticated web site is prohibitive for many businesses. Furthermore, the web sites developed for many companies share common attributes, and consequently the development process wastes valuable human and monetary resources. In particular, the maintenance of web sites sharing similar or identical content involves needless duplication of effort on the part of administrators of those web sites. It is desired, therefore, to provide a system and process that alleviate one or more of the above difficulties, or at least provide a useful alternative.

P:\OPER\RABknowhow m2m spcc doc.29I/0104 -2- SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In accordance with the present invention there is provided a process for publishing content in a communications network, including defining one or more network sites as parent sites of one or more child network sites having common content and respective content for each of the child sites, and updating common content of said one or more child network sites with corresponding content of the one or more parent sites.

The present invention also provides a process for publishing content in a communications network, including: receiving a request to update content of a first network site from a second network site; determining that said second network site is authorised to provide update content for said first network site on the basis of configuration information for said first network site; receiving content from said second network site; replacing content of said first network site corresponding to the received content with said received content.

The present invention also provides a process for publishing content in a communications network, including: receiving content at a first network site; determining that said first network site is configured to update content of at least one second network site and said content is to be sent to said second network site; and sending said content to said second network site to update content of said second network site.

PA\OPMR\RA nOwhow m2m spccdo.29AOIA)4 -3- The present invention also provides a process for publishing content to a network site, including: defining, at a first network site, one or more child network sites of said first network site; defining, at each of said one or more child network sites, said first network site as a parent network site; storing content for said first network site and content identification data for said content; storing content for said one or more child sites and content identification data for said content; and updating content of said one or more child sites with content of said first network site on the basis of said content identification data for content of said first network site and said content identification data for content of said one or more child sites.

The present invention also provides a system having components for executing the steps of any one of the above processes.

The present invention also provides program code for executing the steps of any one of the above processes.

The present invention also provides a computer readable storage medium having stored thereon program code for executing the steps of any one of the above processes.

The present invention also provides a network site management system, including a content sharing module for distributing content from one or more first network sites to one or more second network sites.

PAOPERRABWknaowow Spc doC.29/0104 -4- BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS A preferred embodiment of the present invention is hereinafter described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein: Figure 1 is a block diagram of a preferred embodiment of a network site content publishing system, including several network site management systems interconnected by a communications network; Figure 2 is a block diagram of the components of a network site management system of the network site content publishing system; Figure 3 is a block diagram of management components management system; Figure 4 is a flow diagram of a configuration process of the publishing system; Figure 5 is a flow diagram of a content export process management system; Figure 6 is a flow diagram of a content import process management system; of the network site network site content of the network site of the network site Figures 7 to 22 are screenshot images of web pages displayed to an administrator of the network site content publishing system; and Figures 23 to 25 are screenshot images of web pages displayed to a user of a web site of the network site content publishing system.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT As shown in Figure 1, a network site content publishing system, includes first 100, second 102, third 104, fourth 106, and fifth 108 network site management systems interconnected via a communications network 110, such as the Internet. As shown in Figure 2, each of the management systems 100 to 108 includes a network interface 202, an HTTP (web) server 204, a scripting engine 206, a database server 208, a mail server 212, and content 214, including web server files 215 and databases 217. The web server files 215 include management scripts 216 and network site files 218, and the databases 217 include a management database 210 and one or more network site databases 220. As shown in PKOPERMRA~cnowhow m2m spe.doc.29/01/04 Figure 3, the management scripts 216 include an administrator manager 302, a content manager 304, a services manager 306, a contact us manager 308, a click to join manager 310, a shopping manager 312, a content sharing (m2m) manager 314, an Ask Us or FAQ manager 316, a configuration manager 318, a notes manager 320, a profiled mailer 322, a reporting manager 324, a client manager 328, an approval manager 330, an article manager 332, a profile/interest manager 334, and a what's new manager 336.

Each of the network site management systems 100 to 108 stores network site content, including the network site files 218 and the one or more network site databases 220, providing scripts, page source and data of one or more network site, for respective businesses or firms, provides network server functionality, and allows an administrator of a firm to remotely create and modify the content of a network site over the communications network 110. A network site is a page, pages and/or data of the network site files 218 and one of the network site databases 220, and is accessible via the network 110, at a particular network address and port number, using a client computer system or device (not shown).

Each network site is accessible from the client device using a communications protocol such as transport control protocol/Internet protocol (TCP/IP). For simplicity, each network site is hereinafter described as a web site accessible using hypertext transport protocol (HTTP), and the network site content stored in the network site files 218 and the network site databases 220 is referred to as web site content. Each of the management systems 100 to 108 allows the presentation of web site content to be configured to cater for the interests of registered users viewing the web site or sites hosted by that management system.

The management systems 100 to 108 also provide the ability to send unsolicited email messages to registered users, the messages containing a direct hyperlink to selected information of interest within the corresponding web site. Each of the web sites managed by the management systems 100 to 108 is partitioned into a public area accessible by all users of the Internet, and an extranet portion accessible only by registered users, which includes the selected information, such as articles of interest, frequently asked question P:\OPER\RABcknowhow m2m specdoc.-29/01/04 -6lists (FAQs), etc. In addition to storing passwords and personal information of registered users, each of the management systems 100 to 108 also stores topics/categories representing industries/interests and other factors of relevance to individual users. Articles and other information can be stored using the system for publication on the site, but are also stored with assigned topics/categories. In this specification, the word "article" is used to refer to articles and other items of information for publication on the network 110.

When articles are stored and published on a site, the profiled mailer 322 can be used to send notifications to registered users of that site that were assigned a topic/category that corresponds to a topic/category of the article. Further details of the site features are described in International Patent Application No. PCT/AU02/00311, incorporated herein by reference.

An implementation of the network site content publishing system is herein described where components of each network site management system 100 to 108 are provided by software modules stored and executed on an otherwise known computer system. For example, each of the systems 100 to 108 may be a dual Pentium III based computers running the Microsoft Windows 2000 TM operating system, with MicrosoftTM IIS 4+ server software providing the HTTP server 204, and the database server 208 may be MicrosoftTM SQL Server 2000. The mail server 212 is an SMTP interface server 212 such as ASP Email, available at http://www.aspemail.com/, and the scripting engine 206 may include a MicrosoftTM Visual Basic engine for supporting active server page (ASP) scripts, and ASP Upload, available at http://www.aspupload.com/, for uploading files to the system via the network 110. The management scripts 216 may be implemented as ASP scripts stored on the system, and the web site content stored in the network site files 218 and the network site databases 220 may be implemented as HTML, ASP and CGI scripts. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that a number of the software modules and hardware components of the management systems 100 to 108 may be distributed or combined in a variety of ways and at a number of different locations, and that at least some of the steps implemented by the software modules may be alternatively implemented by dedicated hardware components, such as application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs).

PAOPERRAB~cknowhowu m2m sp" doc-29/01104 -7- Each of the network sites of the network site management systems 100 to 108 can be designated as either a parent site or a child site and associated with one or more other network sites designated as the other type of site. Content such as articles and sponsorship information stored on a parent site can be automatically distributed to one or more network sites designated as child sites of that parent. A child site receiving new or updated content from a parent site can be configured to automatically send notifications to registered users of the child site, informing them of that content. A site can have more than one parent site.

The network site content publishing system constitutes a flexible and effective system for publishing content to a large number of network sites without need for intervention or action on the part of administrators of sites designated as child sites. A child site can be entirely managed from a parent site, or can be managed both by a parent site and by an administrator of the child site if desired.

Before the network site content publishing system can be used, it is configured using a configuration process, as shown in Figure 4. In the description below, a network site of the first network site management system 100 is designated as a parent of a network site of the third network site management system 104. For convenience, the configuration process is described below in relation to the parent site generated by the first network management site 100, hereinafter referred to as the parent site, and the child site generated by the third network management system 104, hereinafter referred to as the child site. However, it should be understood that each of the network site management systems 100 to 108 can be used to create and manage more than one web site stored on that system, and that the parent and child sites can alternatively be generated and managed on the same network site management system. Moreover, a network site can be simultaneously a parent of one or more other network sites and a child of one or more other network sites. This form of content sharing is referred to as "many to many" or "m2m" content sharing, irrespective of the number of participating parent or child sites.

P:\OPERMRABknowhow m2m spc.do-29A)IiD4 -8- The configuration process begins at step 402 by creating the child site from a predefined template stored on the third network management system 104. At step 404, content for the child site is added using the network site management modules 216 of the third network management system 104. This content can be a complete web site, or can be in the form of a 'bare bones', or 'skeleton' web site, defining only a broad, high level structure for the site without any articles, for example. In any case, the child site consists of a set of scripts, web pages and data of the network site content of the third network management system 104. Basic processes for creating a web site and content are described in further detail in PCT/AU02/00311.

At step 406, the parent site is similarly created from a predefined template stored on the first network site management system 100. As shown in Figure 7, this is achieved by accessing a management console screen 700 of the first network site management system 100, and selecting a toolbox button 704 from management console buttons 702. As shown in Figure 8, a toolbox window 802 is then displayed, and selection of a New site button 804 results in the display of a create new site window 806. An administrator creating the site enters site information into text boxes in the window 806, providing the name of the company for which the new network site is being created, and a unique client code assigned to that company. A template selection pull down menu 808 is also provided to allow the administrator to select a template upon which the new site will be based. For example, a medical network site template can be selected to generate a web site for a medical practice, providing an initial network site pre-populated with headings, articles and links relevant to medical practices. Once this information has been provided, an OK button 810 is selected to complete the creation of the new network site. The new site consists of a set of scripts, web pages and data of the network site content of the first network management system At step 408, the administrator creates content, including articles and sponsorship information, for the parent site using the management modules 216. As described below, several types of sponsorship information can be individually defined for a network site, P:%0PERRABXckno~vow m2m spcc.doc29/01/04 -9including sponsorship information for the site itself (hosting sponsorship), (ii) one or more selected topics/categories, and (iii) one or more selected articles, and also for inclusion in email messages sent to registered users and associated with (iv) one or more selected topics/categories, or one or more selected articles.

As shown in Figure 9, the site can be viewed in a preview window 902 during development. Each site can include a site sponsorship graphic 904 at the top of the site display, and selection of the sponsorship graphic 904 by a user of the site invokes a hyperlink to a sponsor site, as defined in a sponsor site link text box 906 in the tool box window 802. Domain names associated with the network site are provided in a web address text box 908 in the toolbox window 802.

At step 410, the parent site is enabled to function as a parent site for other network sites by selecting a parent site enable check box 1002, as shown in Figure 10. One or more existing web sites can then be selected as child sites of the parent site by selecting an add child site button 1004, which causes a select client sites window 1006 to be displayed. The administrator selects from the list of existing client sites using selection check boxes 1008, after which selection of an OK button 1010 results in addition of the selected sites to a child site list box 1012. For example, selection of the child network site defined on the third network site management system 104 defines that site as a child site of the parent site.

After the parent and child sites have been configured, content added to a parent site can be automatically distributed to one or more child sites of the parent. This is achieved by executing a content export process, as shown in Figure 5. The process begins by creating new content or editing existing content on the parent site at step 502. For example, a new article can be created on the parent site using the article manager 332, accessed by selecting an article manager control 1102, as shown in Figure 11. The title of an article is specified by typing it into a title text box 1104. Article access radio buttons 1106 allow an administrator to specify whether the article is to be accessible by all users, or only by registered users of the site, or only by one or more selected registered users. An P:\0PER\RAB\cknowhow m2m sp.doc-29/01/04 administrator access check box 1108 allows the administrator to specify whether administration access to the article is restricted to specified administrators or is available to all administrators. The article can be shared with one or more child sites by selecting a content sharing check box 1110. Sites that have been selected as child sites of the parent site are listed in a child site list box 1112, and individual child sites can be selected using child site selection check boxes 1114 at step 504. The article content is entered into a rich text editor 1116. In addition to sponsorship of an entire site, individual topics/categories can be separately sponsored. If a topic/category has its own sponsorship, then this is specified by selecting a topic sponsorship check box 1118. When this check box 1118 is selected, a second rich text editor (not shown) is displayed, allowing the administrator to enter sponsorship text and graphics, as described below. Separate sponsorship information can also be provided for inclusion in profiled mails sent out to registered users of network sites providing access to an article in a topic/category of interest, as described below. A profiled mail sponsorship check box 1120 allows the administrator to specify whether this form of sponsorship is enabled for the article being created. If the profiled mail sponsorship check box 1120 is not selected, then the sponsorship (if any) defined for the topic and/or article will be included in the email messages.

At step 506, the parent site sends an export request to the selected child sites to update these sites with the new or modified content. Each network site content management system 100 to 108 that has one or more child sites configured executes a content import process, as shown in Figure 6. The process begins at step 602, by waiting for an export request. When an export request is received, a test is performed to determine whether the requesting site is a valid parent of the child site, as described above. If not, then at step 606 the export request is rejected, and the process returns to wait for another export request at step 602. Otherwise, the new or modified content is imported from the parent site at step 608. Content items such as articles are stored in the network site database 220 for the corresponding web site. Each content item is stored with a unique content identifier in the network site database 220. The network site database 220 of the parent web site also includes a content identifier table providing, for each content identifier for the parent site, P:\OPERRABknowhow m2m spcc.doc-29/01 -lIthe content identifiers (if any) for the corresponding content items of any child sites. When a content item is to be updated on a particular child site, the content identifier table is used to determine the corresponding identifier for the child site. If an identifier is found, the content of the child site is updated with the content from the parent site. If no identifier is found, then the content is new content, and it is added to the child site. A content identifier is generated for the new content, and this is returned to the parent site for storing in the content identifier table.

The above processes are also executed when the parent and child sites are both hosted by the same network site management system, e.g.,the first network site management system 100. In such a case, the sending and receiving of content corresponds to the sending of data from the parent site database of the network site databases 220 to the child site database of the network site databases 220. It will be apparent that unless the network site databases 220 are stored on a file server remote from the first network site management system 100, the sending and receiving of data does not take place across the network 110 in this case.

An administrator can log into the parent or child site to further configure the parent or child site. Content sharing configuration functions for a parent site are provided by the content sharing (m2m) manager 314, which is accessed by selecting an m2m manager control 1202, as shown in Figure 12. This results in the display of an m2m manager panel 1204, including parent manager buttons 1206 to 1210. A child site can be entirely managed by any of its parent sites, or the management of a child site can be shared between the child site and one or more parent sites. For example, it may be desirable to allow a child site to modify sponsorship information sent io the child site from a parent site. This can be configured at step 412 by selecting a set child sponsorship button 1208 on the parent site, resulting in the display of a child sponsorship panel 1302, as shown in Figure 13. The child sponsorship panel 1302 allows the administrator to specify which child sites of the parent site can modify their sponsorship information by selecting child site selection check boxes 1304 adjacent to the respective names of the child sites. If the P:\OPER ABknowhow m2m spcc.doc-29IOIO4 -12child site selection check box associated with a particular child site is checked, then an administrator of that child site cannot modify the sponsorship information associated with content distributed from the parent site. Alternatively, if the child site selection check box associated with a particular child site is not checked, then an administrator of the child site can modify the sponsorship information.

To facilitate the definition of sponsorship information for various types of sponsorship, a number of sponsorship groups can be predefined by an administrator, and one or more individual sponsors assigned to each group. At step 414, selected sponsorship groups can be assigned to selected child sites as follows. Returning to Figure 12, child sites can be assigned to particular sponsorship groups by selecting an assign sites to groups button 1210. This results in the display of an assign sites panel 1402, as shown in Figure 14. A group selection pull down menu 1404 allows the administrator to select from a list of sponsorship groups or categories defined by the administrator, such as a hosting sponsor that sponsors the hosting of the site. Once the sponsorship group has been selected, a particular sponsorship item, again defined by the administrator and typically identified by the name of a particular sponsor, can be selected from a sponsorship item selection pull down menu 1406. Once the sponsorship group and sponsorship item have been selected, a list of available network sites known to the system is displayed in a client network site list box 1502, as shown in Figure 15. The administrator can select individual child network sites from this list using check boxes 1504 adjacent to the respective names of the child network sites, and selection of an update button 156 then assigns the selected sponsorship to the selected child network sites.

Subsequently, profiled mails generated by the network site management systems 100 to 108 can include different sponsorship information associated with a topic/category, determined by various criteria, including sponsorship groups, as described above.

Returning to Figure 12, such extended profiled mail sponsorship is configured at step 416 by selecting an extended profiled mail sponsorship button 1206. This results in the display of a sponsored topic pull down menu 1602, as shown in Figure 16. The pull down menu PAOPERNRABlnowhow m2m spm.doc29/014 -13- 1602 lists all of the article categories/topics defined for the site and upon selecting one of the categories/topics from the menu 1602, a sponsorship group selection menu 1702 is displayed, as shown in Figure 17. This allows the administrator to select one of the predefined sponsorship groups and associate it with the selected topic. Upon selecting a sponsorship group, a rich text editor window 1802 is displayed, as shown in Figure 18, allowing the administrator to define the sponsorship information that will be provided with profiled emails sent to registered users of the network site whose interest profile includes the selected article's category/topic. An enable group sponsorship check box 1804 is provided to allow the category/topic sponsorship thus defined to be enabled and disabled at step 418 without deleting the sponsorship information. A sponsorship text box 1806 is provided for entering plain text that would be sent to users whose mail user agent software is not capable of displaying rich text mail messages. Selection of an update button 1808 completes the extended profile mail sponsorship configuration.

Subsequently, when articles for the selected category/topic are added or edited, the child network sites that were selected will receive the sponsorship information defined for that category/topic during the extended profile mail sponsorship configuration, rather than the default sponsorship information.

Although a child site can be entirely administered from a parent site if desired, an administrator of a child site can alternatively limit, at step 420, the content accepted from a parent site, using the configuration manager 318, accessed by selecting a configuration manager control 1902, as shown in Figure 19. The configuration manager 1902 allows an administrator of a child site to configure various aspects of the child site. In particular, the child site administrator can disable content imports or feeds from selected parent sites using feed disable check boxes 1904, and can also disable automated profiled emails of articles received from selected parent sites using profiled mail master site check boxes 1906. If desired, an administrator can disable access to the m2m manager 314 of a network site at step 422 using the toolbox controls accessed from the management console 700.

PAOPERAB~eknowhov alm spcc doc29/I0)4 -14- The administrator manager 302 provides the ability to customise an individual administrator's interaction with a network site. For example, as shown in Figure 20, an administrator tool list 2002 provides the ability to grant or deny an individual administrator's access to each of the management scripts 216, and an administrator topic list 2004 allows the selected administrator to be designated as an administrator for one or more topics selected from the list 2204 of predefined topics. This completes the configuration process.

An administrator of a child site can configure the child site to function as a parent site for another network site. Thus any network site managed by the network site can be a parent for one or more child sites, while simultaneously being a child of one or more other parent sites. Content on a parent site includes content that is shared with one or more child sites, and content that is not shared and is therefore specific to that site. Similarly, content on a child site includes content that has been received from one or more parent sites, and content specific to the child site. This provides considerable flexibility in the publication of network content across a large number of network sites.

The what's new manager 336 allows an administrator to provide additional textual and graphic content at predetermined regions of a network site's web pages. Three distinct regions of content can be defined by selecting a region name from a region selection pull down menu 2102, as shown in Figure 21. The three available regions correspond to a vertical region positioned near the top right hand corner of the site's web pages, and similar regions positioned to the left and underneath the first region. The first of these regions is referred to as the "What's New" region because it is typically used to draw the attention of users of the site to new information of interest placed in a vertical column entitled "What's New". Once the desired region has been selected, a home page check box 2202, as shown in Figure 22 allows the administrator to specify whether the selected region of information appears only on the site's home page the site's main or front page, or the top page in the site hierarchy), or on every page of the site. The content for the region is developed using a rich text editor 2204. Once developed, the display of content in the selected region PAPERRAB~teknowh~ m2m sp.dox.29M/O 4 can be enabled and disabled using a region disable check box 2206. This allows the region content to be disabled without deleting it, allowing it to be subsequently re-enabled or copied elsewhere without having to recreate the content.

A typical web site generated by the network site publishing system is shown in Figure 23.

Each page of the site includes a top banner 2302 with a site logo or graphic 2304 identifying the site and positioned at the left hand side of the banner 2302, and a site hosting sponsor graphic 2306 identifying the site sponsor and positioned to the right of the banner 2302. A list of topics and categories is displayed in a topic column 2308 on the left hand side of the page, while a list or articles associated with a selected topic and article content are displayed in an article content panel 2310 to the right of the topic/article column 2308. A topic/category sponsor graphic 2312 appears at the top of the article content panel 2310, and additional content can be displayed in a region 2314 on every article content page 2310, or alternatively, only on the home page of the site, as described above.

As described above, profiled email messages automatically sent from a site, alerting registered users of the site to new or updated content on the site, can also include sponsorship information. For example, Figure 24 shows an email message sent to a registered user of a medical site who has registered their interest in articles related to children's health. The article is personally addressed to the recipient, as indicated by the salutation 2402, and the sender identification 2404 and signature 2404 make the message appear to have been sent by a contact from the company represented by the web site, although in fact the message has been automatically generated and sent by a child site upon receiving the corresponding article from a parent site. The email message includes a hyperlink 2406 that provides direct access to the corresponding article without requiring the message recipient to log into the extranet area of the site. Hosting sponsor information 2408 is included in the email, and in this example a promotional banner 2410 is also included, having been defined as topic/category sponsorship for the topic/category associated with the article, as described above. As shown in Figure 25, a hyperlinked PAOPERIRABcknoho. spcc.doc-2910i1/W -16promotional banner 2502 can also be included at the bottom of every article associated with a specified topic/category if desired. When selected, the link 2502 directs the user's web browser to a promotional web page.

Many modifications will be apparent to those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the present invention as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Claims (13)

1. A process for publishing content in a communications network, including defining one or more network sites as parent sites of one or more child network sites having common content and respective content for each of the child sites, and updating common content of said one or more child network sites with corresponding content of the one or more parent sites.

2. A process for publishing content in a communications network, including: receiving a request to update content of a first network site from a second network site; determining that said second network site is authorised to provide update content for said first network site on the basis of configuration information for said first network site; receiving content from said second network site; replacing content of said first network site corresponding to the received content with said received content.

3. A process for publishing content in a communications network, including: receiving content at a first network site; determining that said first network site is configured to update content of at least one second network site and said content is to be sent to said second network site; and sending said content to said second network site to update content of said second network site.

4. A process as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 3, including defining sponsorship information for at least one of a site sponsor, a category sponsor, and an article sponsor.

P:\OPER\RA8eknowhow m2m spcc.doc.29/01104 -18- A process as claimed in claim 4, wherein said sponsorship information includes sponsorship information for inclusion in said site and sponsorship information for inclusion in notifications sent to registered users of said site.

6. A process as claimed in any one of claims 2 to 5, including selecting registered users of said first network site on the basis of categorisation information for said registered users and categorisation information for said content; and sending a notification to the selected registered users to provide access to said content in a restricted access section of said first network site.

7. A process as claimed in claim 6, wherein said content includes sponsorship information.

8. A process as claimed in claim 7, wherein said sponsorship information includes information for at least one of a site sponsor, a category sponsor, and an article sponsor.

9. A process for publishing content to a network site, including: defining, at a first network site, one or more child network sites of said first network site; defining, at each of said one or more child network sites, said first network site as a parent network site; storing content for said first network site and content identification data for said content; storing content for said one or more child sites and content identification data for said content; and updating content of said one or more child sites with content of said first network site on the basis of said content identification data for content of said first network site and said content identification data for content of said one or more child sites.

10. A system having components for executing the steps of any one of claims 1 to 9. P:\OPER\RAB\cknowhow n2m spcc doc-29/01/04 -19-

11. Program code for executing the steps of any one of claims 1 to 9.

12. A computer readable storage medium having stored thereon program code for executing the steps of any one of claims 1 to 9.

13. A network site management system, including a content sharing module for distributing content from one or more first network sites to one or more second network sites. DATED this 29th day of January, 2004 EKNOWHOW PTY LTD By its Patent Attorneys DAVIES COLLISON CAVE