Abstract: A system and method for virally growing a social network. The social network system receives a member account sign-up message for a first social network from a first member. The social network system then posts a member sign-up notification to the first member's event wall on a second social network; wherein the first member has one or more social contacts through the second social network. For at least a second respective member in the one or more social contacts, the social network system posts a personalized invitation message as a comment to the member sign-up notification on the first member's event wall, wherein the comment is initially hidden from all members other than the second respective member of the one or more member contacts.

Abstract: Techniques for enhancing a mufti-tasking user interface of an operating system are disclosed. An update data item pertaining to an application placed in the background on the device is received. An update image is generated to include information pertaining to the update data item. The update image is incorporated into a multitasking user interface of the operating system such that the update image is presented to a user and the user may view the information pertaining to the update data item before choosing whether to bring the application to the foreground.

Abstract: The disclosed embodiments provide a system for processing data. During operation, the system uses a creation time of a first value of a metric from a nearline data store to obtain a second value of the metric from a source of truth. Next, the system calculates a difference between the first and second values. When the difference exceeds a threshold, the system uses the difference to correct a current value of the metric in the nearline data store.

Abstract: The disclosed embodiments provide a system for detecting and managing inefficiency in local storage. During operation, the system obtains a first snapshot of data in local storage of a computer system, wherein the first snapshot comprises a first set of data elements in the local storage at a first time. Next, the system applies a compression technique to the first snapshot to obtain a first set of inefficiency metrics for the first set of data elements. The system then outputs the first set of inefficiency metrics with additional attributes of the data to improve management of inefficiency in the data.

Abstract: A system, apparatus, and methods are provided that support the passing of oversized messages within a publish-subscribe messaging system. During operation, the system subscribes to a message stream brokered by a message brokering cluster that imposes a maximum message size. Responsive to receiving a given message of the message stream, the system (1) determines an offset to commit to the message brokering cluster, wherein the determined offset is based on whether one or more segments of one or more oversized messages are buffered, and (2) commits the determined offset to the message brokering cluster. Responsive to recovering from a crash, wherein the offset at which to resume the receipt of messages from the message stream is unknown, the system then retrieves the determined offset from the message brokering cluster and resumes the receipt of messages from the message brokering cluster based on the determined offset.

Abstract: The disclosed embodiments provide a system for detecting and managing inefficiency in external services. During operation, the system obtains a snapshot of a data stream transmitted over an external service from a computer system at a first time. Next, the system applies a compression technique to the snapshot to obtain a set of inefficiency metrics for a set of data elements in the snapshot. The system then outputs the set of inefficiency metrics with additional attributes of the data stream to improve identification of inefficiency in the data stream.

Abstract: Techniques for presenting a personalized member profile page to a viewer are described. A highlight module can receive a request to view a profile page of a member in a social network. The highlight module can access viewer data of a viewer associated with the request, and access member data of the member. Additionally, the highlight module can determine a plurality of member attributes relevant to the viewer based on the viewer data, the plurality of member attributes being derived from the member data. Furthermore, the highlight module can calculate an overall score for a member attribute in the plurality of member attributes based on the viewer data and the member data. Subsequently, a profile generation module can cause a presentation, on a display of a device, of the member attribute on the profile page, when the overall score of the member attribute is higher than a predetermined threshold value.

Abstract: The disclosed embodiments provide a system for processing data. During operation, the system obtains a global version of a statistical model and a user-specific version of the statistical model for a user. Next, the system applies the global version to member features of the user and job features of a set of jobs to generate a first ranking of the jobs for the user. The system then applies the user-specific version to the member features and the job features for a highest-ranked subset of jobs in the first ranking to generate a second ranking of the jobs for the user. Finally, the system outputs at least a portion of the second ranking as a set of job recommendations.

Abstract: Techniques for identifying and presenting member profiles similar to a source member profile are described. With some embodiments, a general recommendation engine is used to extract features from member profiles, and then store the extracted features, including any computed, derived or retrieved profile features, in an enhanced member profile. In real-time, the general recommendation engine processes client requests to identify member profiles similar to a source member profile by comparing select profile features stored in the enhanced member profile with corresponding profile features of the source member profile, where the comparison results in several similarity sub-scores that are then combined in accordance with directives set forth in a configuration file. Finally, the member profiles with the highest similarity scores corresponding with the user-selected member profile are selected, and in some instances, presented to a user.

Abstract: To detect potentially malicious behavior or fraud, online environments maintain counts of a variety of data items received via a webpage or an application. A bucket scheme to track and retrieve these counts is described. The bucket system maintains a rolling count over a period of time. The bucket system comprises three different tiers, each containing buckets corresponding to different periods of time. When a new data item is received, one bucket in each tier is updated. The bucket is updated by generating a bucket address and initiating or incrementing a counter counting the number of times the data item was received. To retrieve the count over a specified period of time, the counters in a plurality of the buckets are read and aggregated.

Abstract: A method of sharing recruiting data between business units of an organization is disclosed. It is determined that a first business unit has a contract to use a first set of resources of a social-networking system to manage a first set of profiles. It is determined that a second business unit has a contract to use a second set of resources to manage a second set of profiles. It is determined that the first entity used the first set of resources to create a private data item and to associate the private data item with a profile of the first set of profiles. It is determined that the profile of the first set of profiles and a profile of the second set of profiles correspond to the same person. The second entity is provided with access to the private data item, but not control of the first set of resources.

Abstract: The disclosed embodiments provide a system for evaluating a performance of a mobile application. During operation, the system obtains a first set of data associated with adopters of a new version of a mobile application in a partial rollout of the new version and a second set of data associated with non-adopters of the new version in the partial rollout. Next, the system applies a statistical model to the first and second sets of data to select a subset of the non-adopters as potential adopters of the new version. The system then reduces a bias in a quasi-experimental design associated with the mobile application by using the first set of data and a third set of data associated with the potential adopters to estimate an average treatment effect (ATE) between the new version and an older version of the mobile application.

Abstract: The disclosed embodiments provide a system for evaluating a performance of a mobile application. During operation, the system obtains, for a statistical model used in a quasi-experimental design, a first predicted outcome produced from a first set of data that is collected from two substantially identical versions of a mobile application. Next, the system uses the first predicted outcome to assess a bias of the statistical model. The system then improves an accuracy of the statistical model by using the assessed bias to normalize a second predicted outcome of the statistical model.

Abstract: A system is provided that ensures read-after-write consistency. During operation, the system receives, from a user, a write to a record having a primary key in a master key-value store, wherein the write specifies a secondary key for the record. The system then caches the secondary key and the primary key in a cache entry in a cache, wherein the cache entry is associated with the user. Next, the system applies the write to the master key-value store. Prior to propagation of the write from the master key-value store to a derived key-value store that maps secondary keys to primary keys, the system receives from a given user a query for the record, the query comprising the secondary key and not the primary key. Next the system translates the secondary key to the primary key by querying the cache when the given user is the user.

Abstract: A method for a computer system includes receiving a first user communication, determining a first group of users, determining a target number of users, determining whether the first group of users includes the target number of users, and if not, providing the communication to the first group of users, determining a hierarchal mapping of groups of users in response to user memberships, determining a second group of users from the hierarchal mapping, determining a plurality of social network relationship factors for the second group of users with respect to the first user, and providing the communication to at least a subset of users in the second group of users in response to the first plurality of social network relationship factors.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to methods and systems for clustering individual items of web content, and then utilizing activity and profile data to both select clusters of content items for presentation to a user, and determining how the selected clusters of content items are presented to the user of an online social network service. With some embodiments, the activity data are derived by monitoring and detection interactions with the individual items of web content by an individual user, or other users with whom the individual user is related, as established via, and defined by, the social network service.

Abstract: Systems and methods providing users with a rich web experience are disclosed. In one embodiment, a client and at least one server are in communication using a dual communication link. In another embodiment, a markup language based instant messaging application is disclosed. The instant messaging application may include group instant messaging. The instant messaging application may also provide group member persistence and message persistence at the server. In another embodiment, a card based web application is disclosed, where the card information and character may be shared with other users or within a group. The cards may also be configurable by users.

Abstract: A system, apparatus, and method are provided for implementing secondary profiles for members of an online application or service. Each member has a corresponding primary profile populated by the member, and a secondary profile populated with information from data sources other than the member. Each fact or entry in the secondary (or inferred) profile is accompanied by a confidence score reflecting confidence in the source of the fact, confidence that the fact is correctly associated with this member, and/or other factors. A given fact may be obtained or extracted from multiple sources, with each copy or version assigned a separate confidence score. In response to a request to identify members having a particular attribute, in addition to identifying members that have the attribute in their primary profiles, members having the attribute in their secondary profiles may be identified if the corresponding confidence scores are greater than a threshold.

Abstract: A system, apparatus, and method are provided for implementing secondary profiles for members of an online application or service. Each member has a corresponding primary profile populated by the member, and a secondary profile populated with information from data sources other than the member. Each fact or entry in the secondary (or inferred) profile is accompanied by a confidence score reflecting confidence in the source of the fact, confidence that the fact is correctly associated with this member, and/or other factors. A given fact may be obtained or extracted from multiple sources, with each copy or version assigned a separate confidence score. In response to a request to identify members having a particular attribute, in addition to identifying members that have the attribute in their primary profiles, members having the attribute in their secondary profiles may be identified if the corresponding confidence scores are greater than a threshold.

Abstract: A system, method, and apparatus are provided for indexing and sequentially storing variable-length data in a manner that facilitates reverse reading. Each entry stored in a log file, database, or other repository includes a data record having a fixed number of keys, a key offset corresponding to each key, and size metadata identifying a size of the data record (and possibly the key offsets). Each key offset is an offset to another entry (e.g., the matching key offset of the entry) whose data record features the same value for the corresponding key. An index identifies, for each given value of each key, an index offset to a first entry (e.g., the most recently stored entry) that has the given value for that key. Retrieving records matching a particular key value therefore simply involves following the corresponding index offset and then some number of key offsets.