Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on computer storage media, for automating actions based on ranked work events. A sequence of events are tracked which occur in software services accessed by a user, tracking events from each case handled by the user. Focus events are determined which identify which case is being worked on by the user at points in time. The determination is made using information extracted from user interactions with at least one service, where each focus event has a focus event duration. Each focus event is assigned to a particular case. A total period of time spent by the user on the particular case is determined. Work actions of the users are ranked. The ranking includes receiving an indication of reviewer intent for ranking the work actions, generating a set of work actions, and prioritizing the set of work actions.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on computer storage media, for determining true utilization based on productive behaviors of operators in a digital environment. One of the methods includes automatically determining productivity for each of multiple users of an organization. Timing data for a user is received that indicates available work time for the user. Interaction data is received for the user for interactions by the user during the available work time for the user. Productivity rules for an organization of the user are received that define productivity of interactions by users of the organization. Productivity of interactions of the user is determined based on the interaction data and the productivity rules. True utilization for the user is determined based on the productivity of the interactions and the timing data. Action data is generated based on the determined true utilization action is taken based on the action data.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on computer storage media, for retaining user value by leveraging support interaction data. One of the methods includes receiving user support interaction data derived from specified user support interactions and user information not derived from the specified user support interactions. Expected value of the user to an entity is determined assuming the specified user support interactions did not occur and given that the specified user support interactions did occur. Action data is generated. The action data is generated based on the user support interaction data, the user information not derived from the specified user support interaction, the expected value of the user to the entity assuming the specified user support interactions did not occur, and the expected value of the user to the entity given that the specified user support interactions did occur. Action is taken based on the action data.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on computer storage media, for determining focus events. One of the methods includes determining time spent by a user. A sequence of events occurring in multiple software services being accessed by a user is tracked. The sequence of events includes one or more events from each case of a group of cases handled by the user. Using information extracted from one or more interactions of the user with at least one service, focus events are determined that identify which case in the group of cases is being worked on by the user at various points in time, each focus event having a focus event duration. Using the extracted information, each focus event of the focus events is assigned to a particular case. A total period of time spent by the user on the particular case is determined based on a sum of focus events durations for the focus events assigned to the particular case.

Abstract: The invention provides a display interface in a social networking system that enables the presentation of information related to a user in a timeline or map view. The system accesses information about a user of a social networking system, including both data about the user and social network activities related to the user. The system then selects one or more of these pieces of data and/or activities from a certain time period and gathers them into timeline units based on their relatedness and their relevance to users. These timeline units are ranked by relevance to the user, and are used to generate a timeline or map view for the user containing visual representations of the timeline units organized by location or time. The timeline or map view is then provided to other users of the social networking system that wish to view information about the user.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on computer storage media, for a collective address book system. One of the methods includes: receiving, at the system, a request from a user regarding a topic; selecting automatically, at the system, a potential referrer, the potential referrer selection being based on the likelihood that the potential referrer will respond to the user's request; and communicating automatically with the potential referrer regarding the user's request without the system indicating to the user that the potential referrer has been contacted.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on computer storage media, for a collective address book system. One of the methods includes: receiving a request from a user to contact a person of interest; determining that contact information for the person of interest is not available in the user's contact information to which the system has access; determining that the collective address book system has access to contact information for the person of interest; generating proxy contact data for the person of interest; and providing the proxy contact data to the first user.

Abstract: A social networking system obtains specific structured data about a user via a composer interface having textual content with incomplete portions and input fields corresponding to the incomplete portions. The input fields map to data fields in the user's profile and are selected based on the social networking system's need for the information associated with the data fields.

Abstract: A social graph, which records the actions of users in a social networking system platform, may be modeled at least in part as a collection of claims that may be exported to other systems, such as third party publishers, based on permissions granted by users and entities. The social networking system may also act as a publisher, enabling web applications and mobile applications to publish claims to a variety of audiences based on the permissions granted by users and entities, or agents of the social networking system. Permissions may be granted based on agreed-upon terms of service between agents, agents and publishers, agents and the social networking system platform, and publishers and the social networking system.

Abstract: Methods, and systems for processing a request sent to a virtual assistant management system and for allocating resources, e.g., computing resources, in response to such requests. One of the methods includes: receiving a request; determining a category of the request; determining actions associated with completing the request; using a machine learning model to estimate an amount of time to complete the request based on the category and the actions associated with completing the request, wherein the machine learning model was trained using features characterizing a previous request that was completed by an agent and the time it took the agent to complete the previous request; and rating an agent's performance based in part on a comparison of an amount of time it takes an agent to complete the request and the estimated amount of time to complete the request generated by the machine learning model.

Abstract: Methods and systems for managing agents and threads that form part of a virtual personal assistant system. One of the methods includes receiving a user request; associating a first agent with a triage state and a second agent with a queue state; providing a first thread associated with the user request to the first agent; receiving from the first agent at least one task to be performed to respond to the user request, the task forming part of the first thread; providing the first thread to the second agent, and removing the first thread from the second agent if the second agent does not act on the first thread according to a specified criteria, wherein an agent can only be in one of the triage state or the queue state at one time and an agent can work on a second thread only after stopping work on the first thread.

Abstract: An online system, such as a social networking system, may determine user trends and identify actions to be taken by users that may help optimize revenue for an advertiser. A social networking system may generate offers for an advertiser based on the user trends, user characteristics, and claims about users where the offers include actions determined by the social networking system that users may take to help optimize revenue for advertiser. Venues may also sell ad space, ad inventory, and real-time customer data to advertisers through a social networking system.

Abstract: A social graph may be modeled as a collection of claims. Each claim is associated with an author, an audience, and an assertion about a fact. Probabilistic information may be collected from various sources for a claim, enabling a social networking system to evaluate a truthfulness of the assertion made in the claim. User-declared profile information may be evaluated as claims. A user, entity, or application may make claims about any assertions made in the social networking system. Reputation scores may be determined for users based on evaluations of their historical assertions. Claims may be evaluated for truthfulness using a probabilistic prediction model using heuristics analysis, regression analysis, and machine learning methods. A claims-based profile of users may be provided to viewers based on the contexts in which the claims were made. Viewers may view claims made about users, such as the users' biographical information, contact information, expertise, and interests.

Abstract: The invention provides a display interface in a social networking system that enables the presentation of information related to a user in a timeline or map view. The system accesses information about a user of a social networking system, including both data about the user and social network activities related to the user. The system then selects one or more of these pieces of data and/or activities from a certain time period and gathers them into timeline units based on their relatedness and their relevance to users. These timeline units are ranked by relevance to the user, and are used to generate a timeline or map view for the user containing visual representations of the timeline units organized by location or time. The timeline or map view is then provided to other users of the social networking system that wish to view information about the user.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on computer storage media, for a collective address book system. One of the methods includes: receiving a request from a user to contact a person of interest; determining that contact information for the person of interest is not available in the user's contact information to which the system has access; determining that the collective address book system has access to contact information for the person of interest; generating proxy contact data for the person of interest; and providing the proxy contact data to the first user.

Abstract: A composer interface provided by a social networking system allows a user to provide input, such as text data, to the social networking system. The composer interface allows the user to identify an action and/or an object related to the input. An action is structured data describing a relationship between objects defined by the social networking system. Based on the action identified as related to the input, the social networking system stores an association between the received input and the identified action.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on computer storage media, for a collective address book system. One of the methods includes: receiving a request from a user to contact a person of interest; determining that contact information for the person of interest is not available in the user's contact information to which the system has access; determining that the collective address book system has access to contact information for the person of interest; generating proxy contact data for the person of interest; and providing the proxy contact data to the first user.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on computer storage media, for resolving inconsistencies in information graphs.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on computer storage media, for identifying user-specific values for entity attributes. One of the methods includes maintaining data representing a particular cluster of a plurality of claims about a particular entity, wherein each claim is an assertion by a respective claimant about an attribute value of the particular entity; receiving a request for a value of a particular attribute of the particular entity that has been submitted by a requesting user; determining, from attribute values for the particular attribute identified by the claims in the particular cluster, a user-specific attribute value for the particular attribute value; and providing the user-specific attribute value in response to the request.