Abstract: A system, computer-readable storage medium, and computer-implemented method for assigning a task based on content presented in a data feed are presented. A data feed that includes a set of content items is presented. Each of the content items included in the data feed may include a graphical user interface element capable of invoking task assignment functionality with respect to each content item. A task based on a content item presented in the data feed may be created and assigned to a selected user in response to receiving a selection of the graphical user interface element. The method may further include generating an individual status report for the user that includes every task assigned to the user.

Abstract: A system, apparatus, and method are provided for facilitating simultaneous formation of associations or connections among multiple users of a professional network service, a social network service or other application or service in which users form relationships with each other. One user submits a request or suggestion to the system and identifies the multiple users (e.g., by username, by electronic mail address, by telephone number). The system dispatches invitations to some or all of the users to allow them to endorse connections with all of the other users, with none of the users, or with some specific subset. The system receives the responses and forms the approved associations.

Abstract: A communication server, computer-readable storage medium, and computer-implemented method for executing commands embedded in messages are provided. The method may include accessing a message that is being routed through a communication server. The message may include a command operator that is operative to execute an action performed by a network-based service executing on an application server. The method may further include identifying the command operator included in the message, and transmitting a request to the application server to perform the action corresponding thereto.

Abstract: Techniques for providing a member of a social, professional or business networking service with a product purchase recommendation based on products previously purchased by similar members in the social networking service are described. With some embodiments, a general recommendation engine is used to determine a first member is attempting to make a product purchase decision. The recommendation engine identifies members similar to the first member and identifies their product browsing patterns, which resulted in a product purchase, that are similar to the first member's current product browsing pattern. The recommendation engine determines a product recommendation based on the products purchased by the similar members. As the first member's current product browsing pattern changes, the recommendation engine dynamically changes the product recommendation and displays the product recommendation to the first member.

Abstract: A multi-tenancy storage node is provided. The storage node hosts partitions of multiple databases accessed by multiple applications. Each database is governed by a corresponding service-level agreement (SLA) or policy that specifies a maximum load or level of operation of the database in terms of one or more metrics (e.g., number or frequency of reads/writes, maximum size of reads/writes). To determine whether another database can be hosted by the node, a snapshot of the node's database operations is replayed on a test node, along with operations that exercise the other database. If maximum thresholds of the node for the metrics are not exceeded, the other database can be added to the storage node. An SLA is generated for it automatically, based on the metrics it exhibited during the operations on the test node. The storage node may enforce the SLA by rate-limiting activity of one or more applications.

Abstract: A system, apparatus, and methods are provided for searching a distributed graph sharded by node. A controller receives a query that illustratively requires a breadth-first search commencing at an origination node. The controller issues a search request to a first data server that maintains the origination node, with an identifier of other criteria (e.g., a destination node) and with any applicable execution parameters, which may cause the search to terminate early or may cause some results to be pruned. If the first data server cannot resolve the request, it propagates the search to one or more other data servers storing other nodes (i.e., nodes that are directly connected to the origination node), and forwards the execution parameters and any partial results (e.g., partial paths) that it may have generated. Those data servers will process the search request, return responsive results to the controller, and/or further propagate the request.

Abstract: The disclosed embodiments relate to a system that uses a predictive-optimization technique to facilitate distributed computation in a multi-tenant system. During operation, the system receives a job to be executed, wherein the job performs a MapReduce computation. Next, the system uses the predictive-optimization technique to determine resource-allocation parameters for the job based on associated input parameters to optimize an execution performance of the job, wherein the predictive-optimization technique uses a model that was trained running previous MapReduce jobs on the multi-tenant system. Then, the system uses the resource-allocation parameters to allocate resources for the job from the multi-tenant system. Finally, the system executes the job using the allocated resources.

Abstract: A system, method, and apparatus are provided for distributing a content item toward target recipients solely via first degree connections (e.g., in a professional network, in a social network). For a selected content item and identified target recipients of the item, when a user initiates a message to forward or otherwise convey the content item, one or more schemes are applied to select and automatically populate the message with suitable addressees. In one scheme, values are computed for each neighbor of the sender, to indicate the value of delivering the item to that neighbor; the message is automatically addressed to the highest-value neighbors. In another scheme, user communities that encompass the target recipients are identified and the message is automatically addressed to neighbors that are best able to disseminate the item throughout a community. In another scheme a minimal set of neighbors having connections to all target recipients is identified.

Abstract: During a user-interface technique, a user interface that includes information associated with a set of presentations is displayed on an electronic device. In this user interface, the presentations are arranged in different categories along a vertical direction of the user interface in an order that is determined based on presentation preferences of a user of the electronic device and/or presentation activities of a group of individuals associated with the user. Furthermore, thumbnails or tiles associated with pages of individual presentations in the set of presentations are arranged along a horizontal direction of the user interface. Subsequently, in response to the user input, the displayed user interface is modified. For example, if the user input specifies a vertical displacement, the set of presentations is displaced along the vertical direction. Alternatively, if the user input specifies a horizontal displacement, the thumbnails for a given presentation are displaced along the horizontal direction.

Abstract: An online social networking system receives a message from a member of an online social networking service indicating an interest in applying for an employment position. The online social networking system compares a profile of the member against requirements for the employment position, other members of the online social networking service currently employed in the employment position, and profiles of other members who have indicated an interest in the employment position. The online social networking system computes a rank of the member based on the comparison of the profile of the member to the requirements for the employment position, the comparison of the profile of the member to the one or more members currently employed in the employment position, or the comparison of the profile of the member to the profiles of other members. The online social networking system transmits a message to the member regarding the rank of the member.

Abstract: A system to generate a targeted churn reduction campaign in an on-line social networking system may be implemented as a churn reduction campaign generator. In one embodiment, a churn reduction campaign generator utilizes a subscriber retention model and a churn probability model. When there is an indication, within an on-line social networking system, that a member, who is a subscriber to a paid service in the on-line social networking system, is likely to fail to renew their subscription (or “churn”), the churn reduction campaign generator executes the subscriber retention model to trigger a targeted subscriber retention campaign.

Abstract: A system, method and computer program product are provided for managing a distributed computing system that features multiple hosts executing a distributed application. On each host a collector process collects application-level and/or system-level metrics and reports them to a data repository. A controller executes actor processes that compare the metrics, and/or trends in the metrics, to predetermined thresholds. If a threshold is met or passed, the corresponding actor or the controller initiates one or more remedy processes that take action intended to alleviate the condition detected by the actor. When a remedy is triggered, the controller takes a snapshot of the system to identify the current state, and saves information indicating how well the executed remedies corrected the situation. When a new snapshot matches an existing snapshot, the controller uses the saved information to determine which remedies to apply to the present occurrence of the mutual state.

Abstract: A system and methods are provided for forecasting the volume of future events that match specified attributes regarding type of event (e.g., serving of an advertisement impression, a page view, fraudulent activity), attributes of entities involved in the events (e.g., users, content items, system components), and/or other factors. A forecast query is received with one or more terms identifying target criteria of a campaign (e.g., an ad campaign, some other content-serving campaign). The query is decomposed into a first set of terms corresponding to attributes for which one or more predefined models exist, and a second set of terms for which no models exist. The predefined model for the first set of terms (or for a third term that is a superset of the first set of terms) is then used to estimate a number of future events that match the query terms.

Abstract: A computer system maintains a member characteristic of a member of an online social networking service, and maintains a job characteristic of a job profile of a job posted to a job posting service. The system further receives an input from the member to modify the member characteristic, compares the modified member characteristic with the job characteristic, and transmits a message to the member based on the comparison of the modified member characteristic with the job characteristic.

Abstract: Techniques for managing software dependencies are described. For example, a dependency specification that pertains to a first product is accessed. The product may be a collection of artifacts and may provide a software functionality. A determination may be made, based on the dependency specification, that the first product has a dependency on a second product. Metadata pertaining to the second product may be accessed. A valid version of the second product may be identified based on the metadata. The valid version may be usable at build time of the first product.

Abstract: The disclosed embodiments relate to a system for identifying member profiles containing disallowed content in an online social network. During operation, the system scans member profiles looking up words from one or more fields in “bad-word” and/or “good-word” dictionaries. These dictionaries were previously generated by examining member profiles that were judged by a human reviewer to be “good” profiles or “bad” profiles, and determining whether a word belongs in a specific dictionary based on frequencies of occurrence of the word in the good profiles and the bad profiles. Next, the system computes a score for each member profile based at least partially on occurrences of words from the dictionaries in the member profile. Finally, the system identifies a member profile as containing disallowed content based on the score.

Abstract: A tool for assisting a job recruiter or other person in reviewing candidates for a job position receives data relating to a job candidate. The data relating to the job candidate is displayed on a computer display device having a touch sensitive screen. Input is received from the job recruiter via the touch sensitive screen. The input relates to a decision on the job candidate for the employment position. The decision and data relating to the job candidate are stored, discarded, or forwarded to another memory device based on the input from the user.

Abstract: Techniques for predicting a user response to the e-mail content are described. According to various embodiments, member email interaction data associated with a particular member and email content data describing a particular email content item is accessed. The data is then encoded into one or more feature vectors and assembled to thereby generate an assembled feature vector. Thereafter, a prediction modeling process is performed, based on the assembled feature vector and a trained prediction model, to predict a likelihood of the particular member performing a particular user action on the particular email content item.

Abstract: Generating an advertisement unit is disclosed. A selection of one or more content items is received. Each of the content items has an associated quality score. A representation of at least one of the content items is included in a generated advertisement. The advertisement also includes, for each included content item, an associated link configured to, when activated by a viewer of the advertisement, direct the viewer to an instance of the respective included content item.

Abstract: The disclosed embodiments relate to a system for tracking and analyzing user interactions with a mobile user interface (UI). During operation, the system collects data while a user interacts with the mobile UI through a touchscreen, wherein the data includes tap-attempt data that specifies coordinates for touchscreen locations that the user has tapped while interacting with the mobile UI. Next, the system compares the tap-attempt data with locations of tappable elements in the mobile UI, wherein each tappable element has an associated tap target size. For each tappable element, the system uses results of the comparison to determine a percentage of tap attempts that have succeeded or failed for the associated tap target size. Finally, the system makes the percentage information available to a UI designer to enable the UI designer to adjust tap target sizes for the mobile UI.