US Patent 8234310 Social networking on a website with topic-based data sharing

A method and system for constructing a social network using advanced content-based indexing, data and index sharing, and a peer-to-peer network in conjunction with a web site interface. The system uses indexing techniques to identify and share common interests among users of the network, and integrated peer-to-peer software facilitates data sharing based on these interests. Users who wish to join the social network download client software from the network's web site. When installed, the software indexes data on the user's local storage devices by considering possible high- and low-order links between data elements. The indexing software generates an index of user data that is partitioned into separate topic indexes. This index represents a cross-section of the user's interests. The user is then able to join various “friend” groups on the network, and to select by topic which portions of the index are shared with which friend groups.