Abstract: A question-and-answer application that displays topic-specific biographical information about users when presenting certain content elements is described. The topic-specific biographical information for a user may be displayed in various contexts, such as with an answer to a question on a question page for the question, or with information identifying a user who is following a question or a topic. With some embodiments, a user's topic-specific biographical information may be provided by the user, provided or suggested by another user, or obtained from an external data source.

Abstract: A question-and-answer application that displays topic-specific biographical information about users when presenting certain content elements is described. The topic-specific biographical information for a user may be displayed in various contexts, such as with an answer to a question on a question page for the question, or with information identifying a user who is following a question or a topic. With some embodiments, a user's topic-specific biographical information may be provided by the user, provided or suggested by another user, or obtained from an external data source.

Abstract: A question-and-answer application with an “ask-to-answer” feature is described. The ask-to-answer feature enables any user to solicit an answer to a question from another user. Upon soliciting another user for an answer to a particular question, a message with a call to action is directed to the solicited user. The message may include a copy of the text of the question and may provide a mechanism (e.g., a selectable user interface element) enabling the solicited user to pass on answering the question. Subsequent to the solicitation, the question page for the question will include a notification with information about the solicitation, including in some instances information identifying the user who has been asked to answer the question and the number of times the user has been asked to provide an answer to the question.

Abstract: A question-and-answer application with an “ask-to-answer” feature is described. The ask-to-answer feature enables any user to solicit an answer to a question from one or more users. Upon soliciting one or more users for an answer to a particular question, a message may be directed to the one or more users. The message may include a copy of the text of the question and may provide a mechanism enabling the one or more users to pass on answering the question. Subsequent to the solicitation, the question page may include a notification with information about the solicitation, including information identifying the group of users who have been asked to answer the question and the number of times the one or more users has been asked to provide an answer.

Abstract: A question-and-answer application with an “ask-to-answer” feature is described. The ask-to-answer feature enables any user to solicit an answer to a question from one or more users. Upon soliciting one or more users for an answer to a particular question, a message may be directed to the one or more users. The message may include a copy of the text of the question and may provide a mechanism enabling the one or more users to pass on answering the question. Subsequent to the solicitation, the question page may include a notification with information about the solicitation, including information identifying the group of users who have been asked to answer the question and the number of times the one or more users has been asked to provide an answer.

Abstract: A question-and-answer application that displays topic-specific biographical information about users when presenting certain content elements is described. The topic-specific biographical information for a user may be displayed in various contexts, such as with an answer to a question on a question page for the question, or with information identifying a user who is following a question or a topic. With some embodiments, a user's topic-specific biographical information may be provided by the user, provided or suggested by another user, or obtained from an external data source.

Abstract: A question-and-answer application with an “ask-to-answer” feature is described. The ask-to-answer feature enables any user to solicit an answer to a question from another user. Upon soliciting another user for an answer to a particular question, a message with a call to action is directed to the solicited user. The message may include a copy of the text of the question and may provide a mechanism (e.g., a selectable user interface element) enabling the solicited user to pass on answering the question. Subsequent to the solicitation, the question page for the question will include a notification with information about the solicitation, including in some instances information identifying the user who has been asked to answer the question and the number of times the user has been asked to provide an answer to the question.

Abstract: A question-and-answer application that displays topic-specific biographical information about users when presenting certain content elements is described. The topic-specific biographical information for a user may be displayed in various contexts, such as with an answer to a question on a question page for the question, or with information identifying a user who is following a question or a topic. With some embodiments, a user's topic-specific biographical information may be provided by the user, provided or suggested by another user, or obtained from an external data source.

Abstract: A question-and-answer application with an “ask-to-answer” feature is described. The ask-to-answer feature enables any user to solicit an answer to a question from one or more users. Upon soliciting one or more users for an answer to a particular question, a message may be directed to the one or more users. The message may include a copy of the text of the question and may provide a mechanism enabling the one or more users to pass on answering the question. Subsequent to the solicitation, the question page may include a notification with information about the solicitation, including information identifying the group of users who have been asked to answer the question and the number of times the one or more users has been asked to provide an answer.

Abstract: A question-and-answer application with an “ask-to-answer” feature is described. The ask-to-answer feature enables any user to solicit an answer to a question from another user. Upon soliciting another user for an answer to a particular question, a message with a call to action is directed to the solicited user. The message may include a copy of the text of the question and may provide a mechanism (e.g., a selectable user interface element) enabling the solicited user to pass on answering the question. Subsequent to the solicitation, the question page for the question will include a notification with information about the solicitation, including in some instances information identifying the user who has been asked to answer the question and the number of times the user has been asked to provide an answer to the question.

Abstract: According to various embodiments, a viewing event may be detected, the viewing event corresponding to a user viewing a content item. A view reason associated with the viewing event may be determined, the view reason indicating how the user was notified of the content item or how the user accessed the content item. A privacy value associated with the viewing event may be determined, the privacy value indicating an inferred sensitivity of the user to publication of the viewing event. Further, metadata describing the viewing event may be generated. Moreover, the metadata may be associated with the content item.

Abstract: A question-and-answer application having questions with which topics are associated is described. In some embodiments, user-generated topics are assigned to questions to indicate the subject matter covered by the questions. The application logic includes topic merge logic for quickly and efficiently merging two topics, while enabling the topic merge operation to be easily undone if necessary.

Abstract: According to various embodiments, a viewing event may be detected, the viewing event corresponding to a user viewing a content item. A view reason associated with the viewing event may be determined, the view reason indicating how the user was notified of the content item or how the user accessed the content item. A privacy value associated with the viewing event may be determined, the privacy value indicating an inferred sensitivity of the user to publication of the viewing event. Further, metadata describing the viewing event may be generated. Moreover, the metadata may be associated with the content item.

Abstract: A question-and-answer application having questions with which topics are associated is described. In some embodiments, user-generated topics are assigned to questions to indicate the subject matter covered by the questions. The application logic includes topic merge logic for quickly and efficiently merging two topics, while enabling the topic merge operation to be easily undone if necessary.

Abstract: A method to perform component-based rendering of a webpage includes identifying a component hierarchy from which to render the webpage. A set of components are selected from the component hierarchy as an evaluation component set. The evaluation component set is evaluated by determining that a particular component of the evaluation component set does not include a data request for data item to be used in the rendering of the webpage. Responsive to the determination, least one child component of the particular component is identified within the component hierarchy. The child component is added to the evaluation component set. The newly added component may be evaluated to determine whether the component requires data to be rendered. A batch module may identify data items that are subject to the data request in the evaluation component set, and may proceed to retrieve the data items as a batch from relevant data sources.

Abstract: A credit mechanism or system for use with a network-based application is described. The credit mechanism operates in conjunction with the network-based application to require that users pay a number of credits to interact with other users. The number of credits required to interact with a particular user may be determined using an algorithm that takes as input a number of signals that are inferred from observed data and which generally represent a measure of the particular user's willingness to provide time and attention (e.g., supply of attention), and a measure of the desire of other users to obtain the particular user's attention (e.g., demand for attention).

Abstract: A question-and-answer application with an “ask-to-answer” feature is described. The ask-to-answer feature enables any user to solicit an answer to a question from another user. Upon soliciting another user for an answer to a particular question, a message with a call to action is directed to the solicited user. The message may include a copy of the text of the question and may provide a mechanism (e.g., a selectable user interface element) enabling the solicited user to pass on answering the question. Subsequent to the solicitation, the question page for the question will include a notification with information about the solicitation, including in some instances information identifying the user who has been asked to answer the question and the number of times the user has been asked to provide an answer to the question.

Abstract: A question-and-answer application with an “ask-to-answer” feature is described. The ask-to-answer feature enables any user to solicit an answer to a question from another user. Upon soliciting another user for an answer to a particular question, a message with a call to action is directed to the solicited user. The message may include a copy of the text of the question and may provide a mechanism (e.g., a selectable user interface element) enabling the solicited user to pass on answering the question. Subsequent to the solicitation, the question page for the question will include a notification with information about the solicitation, including in some instances information identifying the user who has been asked to answer the question and the number of times the user has been asked to provide an answer to the question.

Abstract: A question-and-answer application having questions with which topics are associated is described. In some embodiments, user-generated topics are assigned to questions to indicate the subject matter covered by the questions. The application logic includes topic merge logic for quickly and efficiently merging two topics, while enabling the topic merge operation to be easily undone if necessary.

Abstract: A method includes maintaining a list of component dependencies for components of a plurality of webpages served from a web server. A change relating to a data item in a database is detected. A first set of components that are impacted by the change relating to the data item in the database are identified. Using the list of component dependencies, a second set of components that are dependent on the first set of components are identified. A set of webpages, served from the web server to at least one browser application, that include components from the first and second sets of components are identified. From an update server, an update operation is initiated with respect to the set of webpages.