Abstract: Indexing and retrieving real time content in a social networking system is disclosed. A user-term index includes user-term partitions, each user-term partition comprising temporal databases. As a post is received from a user, a user identifier, a post identifier, and a post is extracted. An object store communicatively coupled to a temporal database for recently received content is queried to determine whether terms in the post has already been stored. A term identifier is stored in the user-term index with the user and post identifiers. A forward index stores the post by post identifier. Responsive to a search query, the user-term index is searched by the user's connections and the terms. A real time search engine compiles the results of the user-term index query and retrieves the stored posts from the forward index. The search results may then be ranked and cached before presentation to the searching user.

Abstract: A social networking system may recommend a set of users to a viewing user for establishing new connections on the social networking system. Through a user interface, the viewing user may select filters based on characteristics and dimensions of user profile information. The recommended set of users may be ranked according to the selected filters by the number of mutual connections. Pre-populated filters may be selected and suggested based on information about the viewing user. Multiple filters may be selected by the viewing user, and filters may be based on any identifiable object in the social networking system, in one embodiment. The candidate recommended users may also be ranked based on predictions that the viewing user will initiate a request to connect with the candidate recommended users.

Abstract: Effects of content communications propagated to users of a social networking system may be tracked and measured by the social networking system. Identifiers of content presented to a user within a time period prior to an action performed by the user are recorded in a first label object associated with the action. The action performed by the user generates new content to be presented to other users. The identifiers of the new content and the first label object are recorded in new label objects associated with actions performed by the other users subsequent to viewing the new content. Various metrics may be determined by analyzing the label objects associated with actions performed by users of the social networking system, including virality, reach, and identifying users that share a particular content item.

Abstract: Effects of content communications propagated to users of a social networking system may be tracked and measured by the social networking system. Identifiers of content presented to a user within a time period prior to an action performed by the user are recorded in a first label object associated with the action. The action performed by the user generates new content to be presented to other users. The identifiers of the new content and the first label object are recorded in new label objects associated with actions performed by the other users subsequent to viewing the new content. Various metrics may be determined by analyzing the label objects associated with actions performed by users of the social networking system, including virality, reach, and identifying users that share a particular content item.