1. A method comprising:
- receiving an assessment request associated with a domain;
- accessing a database to find a match for the domain, wherein the database contains at least some hierarchical domains with multiple hierarchical domain levels that are each assigned different reputability scores, and wherein at least some lower child domain levels in the hierarchical domains are assigned higher reputability scores indicating more reputability and parent domain levels of the child domain levels in the same hierarchical domains are assigned lower reputability scores indicating less reputability;
- deriving a reputability score by identifying one of the hierarchical domains in the database that matches the domain associated with the assessment request;
- identifying the reputability score for a lowest one of the hierarchical domain levels for the identified one of the hierarchical domains that matches the domain;
- determining whether a first domain level matches the domain in the assessment request;
- using a first reputability value associated with the first domain level for deriving the reputability score when the first domain level matches the domain;
- determining whether a second sub-domain level of the first domain level matches the domain; and
- using a second reputability value associated with the second sub-domain level associated with a higher reputability than the first reputability value for deriving the reputability score when the second sub-domain level matches the domain in the assessment request; and
- sending the reputability score in reply to the assessment request.
2. The method of claim 1, further comprising
- using a higher reputability value for each subsequently lower sub-domain level that matches the domain.
3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:
- allowing users with emails addresses having domains with reputability scores within a first high range to post messages on a web site without approval from a web site administrator;
- allowing users with emails addresses having domains with reputability scores within in a second middle range to post messages on the web site only with approval from the web site administrator; and
- preventing users with emails addresses having domains with reputability scores within a third low range from posting messages on the web site.
4. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing, in reply to the assessment request, additional information associated with the domain and adjusting the reputability score for the domain according to the additional information.
5. The method of claim 4, further comprising accepting the additional information associated with the domain from a manager.
6. An article of manufacture including a computer readable medium having instructions stored thereon that, in response to execution by a computing device, cause the computing device to perform operations, comprising:
- a processor on the computing device identifying traceability or association information associated with a domain in an assessment request, wherein the traceability or association information indicates an amount of personal information or a qualification level required for obtaining an email address for the domain;
- deriving a reputability score for the domain according to the identified traceability and association information, wherein the reputability score is higher indicating a higher reputability when more personal information or a higher qualification level is required for obtaining the email address for the domain and the reputability score is lower indicating a lower reputability when less personal information or a lower qualification level is required for obtaining the email address for the domain;
- determining whether a first domain level in a hierarchical domain matches the domain in the assessment request;
- using a first reputability value associated with the first domain level for deriving the reputability score when the first domain level matches the domain;
- determining whether a second sub-domain level of the first domain level in the hierarchical domain matches the domain in the assessment request; and
- using a second reputability value associated with the second sub-domain level associated with a higher reputability than the first reputability value for deriving the reputability score when the second sub-domain level matches the domain in the assessment request.
7. The article of manufacture according to claim 6 wherein:
- the reputability score is higher when the domain is used by a company and email addresses for the domain are only assigned to employees of the company; and
- the reputability score is lower when the domain is used as a public email service and email addresses for the domain are assigned to anyone that registers with the public email service.
8. The article of manufacture according to claim 6 wherein the reputability score is higher when the domain requires users to provide credit card information or personal identification information and the reputability score is lower when the domain does not require users to provide credit card information or personal identification information.
9. The article of manufacture according to claim 6 wherein:
- the reputability score derived for the domain is higher when email addresses for the domain are only assigned to members of an organization associated with the domain; and
- the reputability score derived for the domain is lower when email addresses for the domain are assigned to non-members of the organization associated with the domain.
10. A system, comprising:
- a database configured to store domain hierarchies; and
- a hierarchical domain search engine, configured to:
- analyze the domain hierarchies in the database to determine a reputability score for a domain associated with a domain assessment request;
- determine whether a first domain level in at least one of the domain hierarchies matches the domain associated with the domain assessment request;
- use a first reputability value associated with the first domain level for determining the reputability score when the first domain level matches the domain;
- determine whether a second sub-domain level of the first domain level matches the domain associated with the domain assessment request; and
- use a second reputability value associated with the second sub-domain level associated with a higher reputability than the first reputability value for determining the reputability score when the second sub-domain level matches the domain associated with the domain assessment request.
11. The system of claim 10 wherein the hierarchical domain search engine configured to determine the reputability score according to a longest matching domain extension level in the database.
12. The system of claim 10, further comprising a domain filtering engine that uses the reputability score to determine permissions associated with the domain.
13. The system of claim 10, wherein the hierarchical domain search engine is configured to adjust the reputability score according to traceability and association information associated with the domain.
14. The system of claim 13 wherein the traceability and association information identifies domains that require membership in an organization operating the domain.
15. The system of claim 13 wherein the traceability and association information identifies domains that require users to enter or disclose personal address information or credit card information prior to using a domain email address.
16. The system of claim 13, wherein the traceability and association information identifies domains that are used by employees of a company where the company operates the domain.
17. The system of claim 10, wherein the hierarchical domain search engine is configured to provide feedback to an administration system regarding the domain assessment request.
18. An apparatus for assessing reputability of email, comprising:
- a memory configured to store at least some hierarchical domains that include a first domain level and a second sub-domain level of the first domain level, wherein at least some of the first and second domain levels of the same hierarchical domains have different associated reputability values; and
- a processing device configured to access the memory to derive a first lower reputability value for a domain when a reputability value for a sub-domain level of the domain is not found in the memory and to derive a second higher reputability value for the domain when a reputability value for the sub-domain level of the domain is found in the memory, wherein the processing device is configured to:
- determine whether the first domain level in one of the hierarchical domains matches a domain for assessment;
- use a first reputability value associated with the first domain level for deriving a reputability score when the first domain level matches the domain;
- determine whether a second sub-domain level of the first domain level matches the domain; and
- use a second reputability value associated with the second sub-domain level associated with a higher reputability than the first reputability value for deriving the reputability score when the second sub-domain level matches the domain for assessment.
19. The apparatus according to claim 18, further comprising:
- allowing users with email addresses having domains with reputability scores within a first high range to access a web site without approval from a web site administrator;
- allowing users with email addresses having domains with reputability scores within in a second middle range to access the web site only with approval from the web site administrator; and
- preventing users with emails addresses having domains with reputability scores within a third low range from accessing the web site.
20. The apparatus according to claim 18, wherein the processing device is configured, for at least some of the hierarchical domains, to increase the reputability score for each additional sub-domain level for the same hierarchical domains found in the memory.
21. The apparatus according to claim 18, wherein the apparatus is associated with one of the group consisting of:
- a wiki,
- a blog,
- a forum,
- a web page,
- a social network,
- a community web site,
- an email client, or
- an e-commerce site.
22. The apparatus according to claim 18, further comprising, a means for providing feedback regarding the hierarchical domains in the memory.
23. The apparatus according to claim 18, further comprising, a means for providing additional information associated with the domain, when a reputability value for the second sub-domain level is not found in the memory.
