Abstract: This disclosure relates to streaming real-time messages over time to client applications according to query subscriptions that match content from a large stream of messages exchanged on a messaging platform in a manner that increases the speed of message delivery, effectively controls the management of computer resources to handle the fluctuation of the number of active query subscriptions, and/or increases the security of matching the query subscriptions against messages generated from the perspective of the authors while delivering those messages in real-time from the perspective of the users that initiated the query subscriptions.

Abstract: Embodiments are provided for reducing unwanted messages or spam within a real-time social networking service. According to certain aspects, a synchronous analysis module may operate in coordination with an asynchronous analysis module. Each of the synchronous analysis module and the asynchronous analysis module analyzes an incoming message from a user account to determine whether the incoming message has characteristics of spam, whereby the synchronous analysis is at a lower latency than the asynchronous analysis. The asynchronous analysis is afforded the ability to identify certain spam characteristics that the synchronous analysis may identify during its lower latency analysis.

Abstract: An example system includes a memory store of aggregate definitions. Each aggregate definition specifies a key value, an output store, a feature, a half-life value, and an aggregate operation metric to apply to a cross of the feature and the half-life value to generate aggregate metrics. The system also includes an aggregation engine that generates aggregate feature records from the input source based on the aggregate definitions and stores the aggregate feature records in the output store. An aggregate feature record includes an aggregate of the metric for the feature decayed over time using the half-life. The system also includes a query service that identifies, using the aggregate definitions, responsive aggregate feature records that satisfy parameters of a received request, applies the half-life to the responsive feature records, and provides the responsive feature records to a requester, the requester using the responsive feature records as input for a neural network.

Abstract: According to an aspect, a method includes receiving, by a client application, a video stream of a live broadcast from a messaging platform, displaying, by the client application, the video stream of the live broadcast on a user interface of the client application, receiving, via a timestamp selector on the user interface, a selection of a time location in a time window of a timeline of the video stream of the live broadcast, generating, by the client application, a timestamp based on the time location received via the timestamp selector, and sending, by the client application, a message that includes the timestamp to the messaging platform to share the video stream of the live broadcast on the messaging platform such that playback of the shared video stream of the live broadcast is configured to start at the time location indicated by the timestamp.

Abstract: A real-time messaging platform allows advertiser accounts to pay to insert candidate messages into the message streams requested by account holders. To accommodate multiple advertisers, the messaging platform controls an auction process that determines which candidate messages are selected for inclusion in a requested account holder's message stream. Selection is based on a bid for the candidate message, the message stream that is requested, and a variety of other factors that vary depending upon the implementation. The process for selection of candidate messages generally includes the following steps, though any given step may be omitted or combined into another step in a different implementation: targeting, filtering, prediction, ranking, and selection.

Abstract: A method includes generating a quadratic penalty based on a first version of a parameter, a first version of the anchor point and a set of Hessian values, training a task using the quadratic penalty, determining a second version of the parameter based on the trained task, determining a second version of the anchor point for the task based a trained task, generating Hessian values for the task based on the trained task, calculating a loss value for a portion of the plurality of tasks based on the second version of the parameter, calculating a loss value for each of the remainder of the plurality of tasks, determining if the loss value satisfies a condition, and in response to determining the loss value satisfies the condition, replace the first version of the parameter with the second version of the parameter in a parameter datastore and in the version control datastore.

Abstract: A system and method for feature switching in software applications. A feature switching action (FSA) is received and at least one user device is identified based on the received FSA. At least one feature switching instruction (FSI) is generated based on the received FSA and the FSI is sent to at least one of the identified user devices. A feature switching instruction response (FSIR) is received from each user device that received a FSI and a feature switching action response (FSAR) is generated based on the received FSIRs.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on computer storage media, for audio messaging interface for messaging platform. One of the methods includes receiving, by a first client on a first user device, a request to record an audio message, wherein the first client is configured to provide a user interface for the platform for a user using the first user device who is logged in to a user account on the platform; recording audio through a microphone of the first user device; generating a platform message by (i) generating a video file that includes the recorded audio as an audio portion of the video file and programmatically generated minimal video content as a video portion of the video file, and (ii) including the video file in the platform message; and posting, by the first client, the platform message to the platform, in response to a post request.

Abstract: A method for developing visual data using source data, target data, and a hierarchical algorithm. According to a first aspect, there is provided a method for developing visual data from source data, target data and using a hierarchical algorithm, the method comprising the steps of: determining an alignment between the target data and the source data; and producing the visual data by transferring one or more features of the source data onto one or more features of the target data; wherein, the visual data is produced after the step of determining the alignment between the target data and the source data; and wherein the visual data is produced using the hierarchical algorithm.

Abstract: A real-time messaging platform allows advertiser accounts to pay to insert candidate messages into the message streams requested by account holders. To accommodate multiple advertisers, the messaging platform controls an auction process that determines which candidate messages are selected for inclusion in a requested account holder's message stream. Selection is based on a bid for the candidate message, the message stream that is requested, and a variety of other factors that vary depending upon the implementation. The process for selection of candidate messages generally includes the following steps, though any given step may be omitted or combined into another step in a different implementation: targeting, filtering, prediction, ranking, and selection.

Abstract: A messaging system automatically populates a stream of messages using only a seed selected by the requesting account holder. In one embodiment, the seed includes the streams of one or more of the “top” accounts of the messaging system. Here, “top” is according to any one of a number of different metrics stored in the messaging system. With knowledge of the seed, the messaging system automatically populates a stream for the requesting account holder, without requiring any other input. As a result, an account holder is provided with a fully functioning stream with very little effort or knowledge required on their part.

Abstract: Systems and methods for providing a message to a messaging platform include capturing, by a client device installed as a fixture at a location of a live event, media of a participant of the live event. Input is obtained from the participant by the client device. A message is created based on the input comprising the media and authored by a messaging platform account associated with the live event. The message is provided to a messaging platform for broadcasting to accounts associated with the account associated with the event.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on computer storage media, for visibility filtering. One of the methods includes receiving a request for particular data on a social messaging platform; passing the request to one or more services, wherein each service is configured to call to data sources or to additional services to collect the particular data according to a request path defined for a type of request; performing visibility filtering at each service upon obtaining responses to calls made by that service, wherein performing visibility filtering at a service comprises calling a local visibility library that evaluates one or more rules with respect to the obtained response data, and wherein the results of the visibility filtering are passed upstream along the request path until a last service obtains all filtered response data; and assembling a final response to the request based on the filtered response data.

Abstract: A computing system can present a miniprofile comprising an avatar associated with a first account, a handle associated with the first account, a description associated with the first account, and a swipe icon; receive, at the swipe icon, an upward swipe; in response to receiving the upward swipe, present a occupying a larger portion of the display than the miniprofile, the full profile comprising an image associated with the first account, the avatar, the handle, the description, and at least a first post associated with the first account; receive, at the swipe icon, a downward swipe; determine that the downward swipe was a fast downward swipe; and based on determining that the downward swipe was the fast downward swipe, close the full profile and present a feed, the feed comprising at least a second post associated with a second account and a third post associated with a third account.

Abstract: A computing device is configured to execute an interactive streaming application, and the interactive streaming application configured to join a live broadcast of an event that is shared by an interactive video broadcasting service executing on a server computer, receive a first video stream having video captured from a camera device configured as a first video source and display the video on a display screen, receive a second video stream having panoramic video captured from a panoramic video capturing device configured as a second video source and display a portion of the panoramic video according to a first viewing angle on the display screen, receive a change to the first viewing angle of the panoramic video, and display another portion of the panoramic video according to a second viewing angle.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on computer storage media, for processing data in a multi-tenant system. One of the methods includes receiving a data processing job associated with a user account of a user; determining to launch the data processing job on one or more cloud clusters of a cloud services provider; identifying a mirror account corresponding to the user, wherein the mirror account defines which cloud resources of the cloud services provider the user is permitted to access; obtaining a key for the mirror account; sending a request to launch the data processing job on the one or more cloud clusters, comprising sending data characterizing the data processing job, the mirror account of the user, and the obtained key to the one or more cloud clusters; and receiving output data associated with the data processing job from the one or more cloud clusters.

Abstract: A method of managing a display of applications on a computing device can include identifying a plurality of contexts in which the computing device is used, each context being associated with (i) one or more signals and (ii) a plurality of applications. The method can also include detecting at least a subset of the signals during usage of the computing device and determining, based on the detected signals, that the computing devices is being used within a first context. The method can further include ranking, based on usage of the computing device, the applications associated with the first context. The method can still further include displaying, based on the ranking, representations of a first subset of the applications associated with the first context on a display of the computing device.

Abstract: A system and message for message selection and presentation, including: receiving a request for content, wherein the request is associated with a context account of a messaging platform; identifying a set of unviewed messages associated with the context account; identifying grouping criteria for grouping content based on messages; applying, by a computer processor, the grouping criteria to the unviewed messages to generate a content group, wherein the content group is associated with a subset of the unviewed messages; and providing at least a portion of the content group in response to the request.

Abstract: According to an aspect, a method for event detection on social data streams includes receiving a stream of messages exchanged on a messaging platform, and detecting an event from the stream of messages, which may include detecting a first cluster group of trending entities over a first period of time, detecting a second group of trending entities over a second period of time, and generating a cluster chain by linking the second cluster group with the first cluster group, where the cluster chain represents the detected event over the first and second periods of time. The method includes storing the event as the cluster chain in a memory device on the messaging platform.

Abstract: Systems and methods provide an experimentation system, or testing engine, for a real-time search infrastructure. An example method includes generating a snapshot of a production search environment and performing testing of a signal or index change in the snapshot. The change can be specified as parameters passed to the system. The method may include estimating an impact of the change based on the testing and determining, based on the estimate, whether the impact is positive. Responsive to determining the impact is positive the method may include generating a holdback environment of the production search environment, the holdback environment being a portion of the production search environment selected not to receive the change, pushing the change to the production search environment, and monitoring the change by running partial production traffic through the holdback environment.

Abstract: Systems and methods select and provide video snippets in a matrix interface. Example methods include obtaining a portion of a live video stream, assigning the portion to a class, determining that the portion is preview-eligible, and generating a snippet of the live video stream using the portion. Other example methods include determining, using a trained video classifier, a set of live broadcasts that have at least one portion that is classified as preview-eligible, calculating, for each of the live broadcasts in the set, an aggregate score for the live broadcast, selecting live broadcasts with highest aggregate scores, generating a snippet for each of the selected live broadcasts, and providing the snippets in a user interface. Methods may also include selecting portions of live video streams that are responsive to a user-provided parameter and generating a snippet for each live video stream that has a preview-eligible portion.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on computer storage media, for limiting load on host servers that implement a social messaging platform. An example user device sends, to a platform comprising a plurality of host servers, a first request. The request is directed to a first endpoint. The user device receives, in response to the first request, a first error that indicates that the first request was not processed. The user device determines a back off time and places subsequent requests to the platform that are initiated before the back off time elapses and that are directed to the first endpoint in a back off queue in an order in which the subsequent requests are initiated. The user device sends, to the platform, the requests in the back off queue after the back off time has elapsed, until the back off queue is empty.

Abstract: A system, method, and computer-readable medium for identifying music-related data based on message data from a messaging platform. The method includes: obtaining a request from a client; identifying context data associated with the request; identifying message data from the messaging platform based on the context data; selecting, based on the context data and the message data from the messaging platform, music-related data for inclusion in a result set; and providing the result set to the client in response to the request.

Abstract: An example system includes a processor and a memory. The system performs sub-pixel convolution that is free of checkerboard artifacts. In one example implementation, the system may execute a method that includes initializing one or more parameters of a sub-kernel of a kernel and copying the one or more parameters of the sub-kernel to other sub-kernels of the kernel. The method may further include performing convolution of an input image with the sub-kernels of the kernel and generating a plurality of first output images. A second output image is then generated based on the plurality of first output images.

Abstract: A method, computer program product, and computer system for receiving, at a computing device, information associated with an entity from one or more social media sites. One or more attributes for the information associated with the entity is identified. A relevance profile associated with the one or more attributes is generated. A plurality of posts from the one or more social media sites is identified, wherein at least a portion of the plurality of posts includes at least a portion of the one or more attributes for the information associated with the entity. At least the portion of the plurality of posts is ordered on a display based upon, at least in part, the relevance profile associated with the one or more attributes.

Abstract: A method for generating recommendations involves selecting a first platform message, making a first determination that the first platform message is potentially associated with a plurality of topics including a first topic and a second topic, obtaining additional information associated with the first platform message including at least one of information about an account that authored the first platform message and information about third party accounts engaging with the first platform message, making a second determining that the first platform message is associated with the first topic using the plurality of topics and at least a portion of the additional information, wherein the first topic is an initial classification of the first platform message, generating a recommendation for at least one account based on the second determination, and providing the recommendation to at least one account.

Abstract: A computing device can receive at least a first post in association with a first account, a second post in association with the first account, the second post being associated with the first post, a third post in association with a second account, the third post being associated with the first post, a fourth post in association with the second account, the fourth post being associated with the first post, and a fifth post in association with a third account, the fifth post being associated with the first post, determine that the first account and the second account are most relevant to a conversation, and based on determining that the first account and the second account are most relevant to the conversation, present the first post, the second post, the third post, and the fourth post without presenting the fifth post.

Abstract: A system and method including: receiving an authorization request originating from an authorization module of an application executing on a client device, where the authorization request includes an identifier identifying the client device; causing transmission, based on the identifier, of a verification message to the client device, where the verification message includes a verification code; receiving a confirmation of the verification code from the authorization module of the application executing on the client device; authenticating the application based on the receiving the confirmation of the verification code; determining that the client device identified by the identifier corresponds to a user account including secure user data associated with a user; and transmitting a unique token verifying that the application is authorized to sign into the user account, where: the unique token uniquely identifies the user account to the application, and the secure user data is not shared with the application.

Abstract: A system and method for message analysis, including: receiving, by a control service, a first modification request to modify a file system of a computing device, wherein the computing device is operating in a read-only state; identifying, by the control service, a request parameter associated with the first modification request; determining, by the control service, that the request parameter satisfies a permission criteria to perform the first modification request; provisioning, by the control service, the computing device to operate in a read/write state in response to determining that the permission criteria has been satisfied, wherein the first modification request is executed to modify the file system while the computing device is operating in the read/write state; and, upon a determination that the first modification request has successfully completed, provisioning, by the control service, the computing device to operate in the read-only state.

Abstract: A real-time messaging platform allows advertiser accounts to pay to insert candidate messages into the message streams requested by account holders. To accommodate multiple advertisers, the messaging platform controls an auction process that determines which candidate messages are selected for inclusion in a requested account holder's message stream. Selection is based on a bid for the candidate message, the message stream that is requested, and a variety of other factors that vary depending upon the implementation. The process for selection of candidate messages generally includes the following steps, though any given step may be omitted or combined into another step in a different implementation: targeting, filtering, prediction, ranking, and selection.

Abstract: A method for determining a circle of trust (CoT) includes receiving a request for the CoT, generating the CoT for the context account by: identifying a primary graph with nodes based on at least one action within a social network for the context account. The method further includes performing random walks through the nodes of the primary graph, each of the random walks including two steps, ranking each of the nodes based on an amount of the random walks that end on each of the nodes, with the CoT including a number of the highest ranking plurality of nodes, filtering content items using the CoT to identify a subset of relevant items, and providing the subset for display on a client device.

Abstract: In some examples, a method includes receiving, from one or more client devices, a stream of messages composed by one or more users of the one or more client devices, wherein each of the messages includes a particular hashtag, determining, using a set of metrics that are based at least in part on the messages, a trending score that represents a magnitude of a trend for the particular hashtag, in response to determining that the trending score satisfies a threshold, sending, to a content provider system, a set of demographic data that describes one or more of the users who associated with the particular hashtag, and, in response to receiving, from the content provider system, targeted content that is based at least in part on the particular hashtag and the set of demographic data, sending, for display at the one or more of the one or more client devices, the targeted content.

Abstract: A system and method including: a request to display a message stream for a context account of a social media platform may be received by a client device; a preview video including a set of video snippets of a source video may be identified by the client device; automatic playback of the preview video in a playback area displayed inline with the message stream may be initiated; a user input indicating a request to play the source video may be received by the client device; and playback of the source video may be initiated in response to the request for the source video.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on computer storage media, for delivering event content. One of the methods includes initiating, for one or more client devices, a subscription to a topic; receiving an event relevant to a topic; determining a number of channel servers that correspond to the topic, wherein each channel server is associated with one or more client devices; determining that the number of channel servers that correspond to the topic is greater than a threshold number of channel servers; writing the received event from the event processor to an event fan-out queue, in response to the determination that the number of channel servers that correspond to the topic is greater than the threshold number of channel servers; reading the received event from the event fan-out queue; and sending the received event to the one or more client devices associated with each respective channel server.

Abstract: According to an implementation, a method for digital information retrieval in a social media platform includes transmitting, over a network, information to render a timeline of social content for a user of a client application. The timeline of social content includes messages posted on the messaging platform by user accounts that are connected to a user account of the user in a connection graph. The method includes computing, using a machine-learning algorithm inputted with relevance signals, a relevance level between the user account of the user and a user account not linked to the user account of the user in the connection graph, and transmitting information about a profile of the user to a computing device associated with the user account not linked to the user account of the user in response to the relevance level being greater than a threshold level.

Abstract: In some examples, a computing device includes at least one processor and at least one module, operable by the at least one processor to receive, from a client device of a user, a request for one or more advertisements to display at the client device with a set of messages. The set of messages is associated with the user in a social network messaging service. The at least one module may be further operable to determine a probability that the user will select a candidate advertisement using a machine learning model based on point-wise learning and pair-wise learning. The at least one module may be further operable to determine, based on the probability that the user will select the candidate advertisement, a candidate score for the candidate advertisement, determine that the candidate score satisfies a threshold, and send, for display at the client device, the candidate advertisement.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on computer storage media, for providing related content on social networking platforms. One of the methods includes displaying multiple messages of a social networking platform, wherein each of the multiple messages of the social networking platform has an associated user-selectable user interface element; receiving, from a user, a first request for content related to a user-selected message, wherein the first request is submitted by selecting the associated user-selectable user interface element; in response to receiving the first request, processing the user's social network profile to obtain multiple user-related signals; processing the user-selected message to obtain multiple message-related signals; and obtaining, based on the multiple user-related and message-related signals, multiple terms and multiple relevant messages; and displaying, in a second client user interface, the multiple terms and the multiple relevant messages.

Abstract: Embodiments are provided for enabling a dynamic management of a multi-tenant distributed database. According to certain aspects, a management module supports an interface that enables a customer to configure one or more consistency models for a service to be supported by the distributed database. The management module may determine computing resources within the distributed database that are needed to support the service according to the configured consistency model(s), and may instantiate the computing resources for testing and development of the service by the customer.

Abstract: Techniques of the disclosure are directed to a computing device creating and outputting, for display at client devices accessing a social media platform, targeted content. The computing device may receive candidate messages composed by users of a group of client devices, where the candidate messages each include a reference to the requisite product, brand, or market. If a candidate message has a determined interest score that satisfies a threshold interest score, the computing device includes the candidate message into a group of brand messages. The computing device may then send the targeted message to be output for display at another group of client devices, where the targeted message includes both an original portion and a carousel portion. The carousel portion includes a group of transitional windows, where each transitional window includes one of the brand messages from the group of brand messages.