Abstract: A social networking system contains information describing information about users of the social networking system and about various connections among the users. When a user of the social networking system accesses an external website, the external website may send the user a web page containing markup language with instructions to retrieve information associated with a user from a social networking system. The client device processes the annotations and sends a request for social information related to the user to a social networking system, subject perhaps to privacy settings in the social networking system. The user's browser uses the information obtained from the social networking system in response to the request to render the markup language document for display on the user's computer system. This process allows the external website to use information from the social networking system to enhance the user's experience on the external website.

Abstract: A social networking system contains information describing information about users of the social networking system and about various connections among the users. When a user of the social networking system accesses an external website, the external website may send the user a web page containing markup language with instructions to retrieve information associated with a user from a social networking system. The client device processes the annotations and sends a request for social information related to the user to a social networking system, subject perhaps to privacy settings in the social networking system. The user's browser uses the information obtained from the social networking system in response to the request to render the markup language document for display on the user's computer system. This process allows the external website to use information from the social networking system to enhance the user's experience on the external website.

Abstract: A method includes receiving, by an operating system of the first computing device and from a client application executing on the first computing device, a first request for accessing a set of data associated with a user of the first computing device. The set of data is managed by a second computing device. The method further includes sending, by the operating system and to the second computing device, a second request for accessing the set of data. The method still further includes receiving, by the operating system and from the second computing device, a response to the second request. The method additionally includes, if the response to the second request grants the client application access to the set of data, then forwarding, by the operating system and to the client application, an access token to be used by the client application for accessing the set of data with the second computing device.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a social networking system the social networking system filters content objects based upon the compatibility between the application and the detected device platform. In particular embodiments, content objects are only displayed on a particular platform if there exists an optimized version of the application generating the content object for the particular platform.

Abstract: Collecting contact information for a plurality of contact entities from various sources and ranking the contact information based at least on the sources. The ranking of the contact information is determined based on the reliability of the sources. The ranked contact information is shared with users subject to privacy settings. The privacy setting allows the users or the contact entity to share certain contact information with others while keeping certain contact information privately or sharing the contact information with a limited number of users. After a change in the contact information from a reliable source is detected, the change may be propagated to other sources or client devices of the users.

Abstract: In one embodiments, one or more first computing devices receive updated values for user data associated with a plurality of users; and for each of the user data for which an updated value has been received, determine one or more second systems that each have subscribed to be notified when the value of the user datum is updated and each have a pre-established relationship with the user associated with the user datum; and push notifications to the second systems indicating that the value of the user datum has been updated without providing the updated value for the user datum to the second systems.

Abstract: In one embodiments, one or more first computing devices receive updated values for user data associated with a plurality of users; and for each of the user data for which an updated value has been received, determine one or more second systems that each have subscribed to be notified when the value of the user datum is updated and each have a pre-established relationship with the user associated with the user datum; and push notifications to the second systems indicating that the value of the user datum has been updated without providing the updated value for the user datum to the second systems.

Abstract: In one embodiment, receiving, by an operating system of the first computing device and from a client application executing on the first computing device, a first request for accessing a set of data associated with a user of the first computing device, wherein the set of data is managed by a second computing device; sending, by the operating system and to the second computing device, a second request for accessing the set of data; receiving, by the operating system and from the second computing device, a response to the second request; and if the response to the second request grants the client application access to the set of data, then forwarding, by the operating system and to the client application, an access token to be used by the client application for accessing the set of data with the second computing device.

Abstract: In one embodiment, receiving, by an operating system of the first computing device and from a client application executing on the first computing device, a first request for accessing a set of data associated with a user of the first computing device, wherein the set of data is managed by a second computing device; sending, by the operating system and to the second computing device, a second request for accessing the set of data; receiving, by the operating system and from the second computing device, a response to the second request; and if the response to the second request grants the client application access to the set of data, then forwarding, by the operating system and to the client application, an access token to be used by the client application for accessing the set of data with the second computing device.

Abstract: In one embodiments, one or more first computing devices receive updated values for user data associated with a plurality of users; and for each of the user data for which an updated value has been received, determine one or more second systems that each have subscribed to be notified when the value of the user datum is updated and each have a pre-established relationship with the user associated with the user datum; and push notifications to the second systems indicating that the value of the user datum has been updated without providing the updated value for the user datum to the second systems.

Abstract: In one embodiments, one or more first computing devices receive updated values for user data associated with a plurality of users; and for each of the user data for which an updated value has been received, determine one or more second systems that each have subscribed to be notified when the value of the user datum is updated and each have a pre-established relationship with the user associated with the user datum; and push notifications to the second systems indicating that the value of the user datum has been updated without providing the updated value for the user datum to the second systems.

Abstract: In one embodiments, one or more first computing devices receive updated values for user data associated with a plurality of users; and for each of the user data for which an updated value has been received, determine one or more second systems that each have subscribed to be notified when the value of the user datum is updated and each have a pre-established relationship with the user associated with the user datum; and push notifications to the second systems indicating that the value of the user datum has been updated without providing the updated value for the user datum to the second systems.

Abstract: In one embodiments, one or more first computing devices receive updated values for user data associated with a plurality of users; and for each of the user data for which an updated value has been received, determine one or more second systems that each have subscribed to be notified when the value of the user datum is updated and each have a pre-established relationship with the user associated with the user datum; and push notifications to the second systems indicating that the value of the user datum has been updated without providing the updated value for the user datum to the second systems.

Abstract: A social CAPTCHA is presented to authenticate a member of the social network. The social CAPTCHA includes one or more challenge questions based on information available in the social network, such as the user's activities and/or connections in the social network. The social information selected for the social CAPTCHA may be determined based on affinity scores associated with the member's connections, so that the challenge question relates to information that the user is more likely to be familiar with. A degree of difficulty of challenge questions may be determined and used for selecting the CAPTCHA based on a degree of suspicion.

Abstract: In one embodiments, one or more first computing devices receive updated values for user data associated with a plurality of users; and for each of the user data for which an updated value has been received, determine one or more second systems that each have subscribed to be notified when the value of the user datum is updated and each have a pre-established relationship with the user associated with the user datum; and push notifications to the second systems indicating that the value of the user datum has been updated without providing the updated value for the user datum to the second systems.

Abstract: A social networking system enables targeted advertising to its users on mobile devices, either directly in third-party applications or via an ad exchange. An application on the mobile device associated with the social networking system stores user identifying information in a shared memory location on the user's mobile device. To deliver a targeted ad to the user on the mobile device, an application executed by the mobile device retrieves the user identifying information, which is transmitted to an ad server associated with the social networking system or to the social networking system. Based on the user's profile in the social networking system, an advertisement is selected for the user (e.g., using targeting criteria and an auction model) and sent to an ad exchange or to the application on the mobile device for presentation to the user on the mobile device.

Abstract: A social networking system contains information describing information about users of the social networking system and about various connections among the users. When a user of the social networking system accesses an external website, the external website may send the user a web page containing markup language with instructions to retrieve information associated with a user from a social networking system. The client device processes the annotations and sends a request for social information related to the user to a social networking system, subject perhaps to privacy settings in the social networking system. The user's browser uses the information obtained from the social networking system in response to the request to render the markup language document for display on the user's computer system. This process allows the external website to use information from the social networking system to enhance the user's experience on the external website.

Abstract: Collecting contact information for a plurality of contact entities from various sources and ranking the contact information based at least on the sources. The ranking of the contact information is determined based on the reliability of the sources. The ranked contact information is shared with users subject to privacy settings. The privacy setting allows the users or the contact entity to share certain contact information with others while keeping certain contact information privately or sharing the contact information with a limited number of users. After a change in the contact information from a reliable source is detected, the change may be propagated to other sources or client devices of the users.

Abstract: A social networking system contains information describing information about users of the social networking system and about various connections among the users. When a user of the social networking system accesses an external website, the external website may send the user a web page containing markup language with instructions to retrieve information associated with a user from a social networking system. The client device processes the annotations and sends a request for social information related to the user to a social networking system, subject perhaps to privacy settings in the social networking system. The user's browser uses the information obtained from the social networking system in response to the request to render the markup language document for display on the user's computer system. This process allows the external website to use information from the social networking system to enhance the user's experience on the external website.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a social networking system the social networking system filters content objects based upon the compatibility between the application and the detected device platform. In particular embodiments, content objects are only displayed on a particular platform if there exists an optimized version of the application generating the content object for the particular platform.