Abstract: A social networking service encourages users to post content to a communication channel with varying levels of accessibility to other users. Users may select how content will be published and control the accessibility of uploaded content using a privacy setting for each content item that the user posts. The privacy setting defines, or identifies, the set of connections who may view the posted content item. The posted content item is placed in a particular communication channel in the social networking service, such as a newsfeed or stream, where the content item can be viewed by those who are permitted to view it according to its associated privacy setting. Varying granularities of privacy settings provide flexibility for content accessibility on a social networking service.

Abstract: A method for tracking referrals using a third party applicant tracking system (ATS). The method include receiving a request to display a web page at a URL from a client used by a job candidate, where the URL is associated with a job at a company and the job candidate. The method further includes providing to the client a web page associated with the URL that includes a description of the job and a link to an ATS, receiving a request for a web page corresponding to the job, where the request is initiated by selection of the link. The method further includes making a determination that the ATS is a third party ATS and, in response, generating a third party referral URL, a unique identifier associated with the job, and an identifier associated with a source type, and providing the third party referral URL to the client.

Abstract: A method, apparatus, and system are directed towards seeding a user's contacts for their online social network. The invention is arranged to automatically recommend to the user a set of seed contacts that the user may employ to invite to join their social network. The set of seed contacts may be harvested from the user's existing portal activities, as well as other sources. In one embodiment, the invention analyzes portal activity, such as email exchanges with the user, and the like, to determine a frequency of contact with the user. Other sources may include but not be limited to emails, names within an address book of the user, names within an address book of another person, a buddy list, an instant messaging list, an activity, a mailing list, an online discussion group, a membership in a category, chat group, and the like.

Abstract: Techniques for automatically suggesting one or more employment positions are provided. A method may include receiving, by a computing device, candidate data relating to an employment position candidate. The computing device may then match the employment position candidate with one or more employment positions based on the received candidate data. Once the employment position candidate is matched with the one or more employment positions, the computing device may generate one or more suggested employment positions for the employment position candidate, wherein the one or more suggested employment positions are automatically generated based on the matching of the employment position candidate with the one or more employment positions.

Abstract: A method, apparatus, and system are directed towards seeding a user's contacts for their online social network. The invention is arranged to automatically recommend to the user a set of seed contacts that the user may employ to invite to join their social network. The set of seed contacts may be harvested from the user's existing portal activities, as well as other sources. In one embodiment, the invention analyzes portal activity, such as email exchanges with the user, and the like, to determine a frequency of contact with the user. Other sources may include but not be limited to emails, names within an address book of the user, names within an address book of another person, a buddy list, an instant messaging list, an activity, a mailing list, an online discussion group, a membership in a category, chat group, and the like.

Abstract: Methods and systems obtain profile information from individuals using automation to select and provide the questions that are given to the individual. The answers the individuals provide to the questions can then be used to generate the profile information. Subsequent questions are selected and presented according to analysis of the previous answers. The exchange of the questions and answers occurs over a communications network and may take the form of emails, web page interfaces, wireless data messages, or verbal communication over a voiced call. The answers are analyzed to determine certain characteristics, such as the personality type, mood, and gender of the individual. The subsequent questions are selected based on the characteristics that are found from the answers to facilitate the information exchange between the automated system and the individual.

Abstract: Social network information may be shared across online service providers. Thus, one online service provider M that maintains a membership separate from a second online service provider N may nevertheless use the social network maintained by the second online service provider N to tailor content and/or services based on such social network information.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and computer program products for providing recommendations for an activity to a user are provided. In one method, the method tracks status information of a plurality of users, and detects a trigger for providing recommendations for an activity. In response the trigger, the method identifies a cluster of users based on the status information of the users. The method further retrieves profiles and behavioral characteristics of the users in the identified cluster, and provides one or more recommendations for the activity to the user based, at least in part, upon the behavioral characteristics and the profiles.

Abstract: A networking database containing a plurality of records for different identities in which identities are connected to one another by defined or interpreted Inter-Personal and Intra-Personal relationships. Individuals using the system may define, group and categorize specific identities and relationships; the system may also define, categorize and group both identities and relationships belonging to individuals registered with the system and unregistered users through computational analysis. Identities and relationships may be discovered by the system via an opt-in user-provided mechanism, via a third-party providing information, or through the system's own discovery. Identity and Relationship data can then be used to customize content.

Abstract: A social networking service encourages users to post content to a communication channel with varying levels of accessibility to other users. Users may select how content will be published and control the accessibility of uploaded content using a privacy setting for each content item that the user posts. The privacy setting defines, or identifies, the set of connections who may view the posted content item. The posted content item is placed in a particular communication channel in the social networking service, such as a newsfeed or stream, where the content item can be viewed by those who are permitted to view it according to its associated privacy setting. Varying granularities of privacy settings provide flexibility for content accessibility on a social networking service.

Abstract: Some embodiments provide a system that generates different customized decks of cards with each deck being customized for a different user with a condensed and filtered set of business data that is relevant to that user. The customizations are based in part on monitored user behavior and user interactions with the cards. Cards identifying businesses that the user has viewed for the most amount of time, recommended to others, approved, or positively reviewed or rated are assigned high values. Cards identifying businesses that the user has viewed for the least amount of time, rejected, or negatively reviewed or rated are assigned low values. The system then continually updates the deck to remove cards identifying business with the lowest values while adding cards identifying businesses that resemble other businesses with assigned high values.

Abstract: A method, apparatus, and system are directed towards seeding a user's contacts for their online social network. The invention is arranged to automatically recommend to the user a set of seed contacts that the user may employ to invite to join their social network. The set of seed contacts may be harvested from the user's existing portal activities, as well as other sources. In one embodiment, the invention analyzes portal activity, such as email exchanges with the user, and the like, to determine a frequency of contact with the user. Other sources may include but not be limited to emails, names within an address book of the user, names within an address book of another person, a buddy list, an instant messaging list, an activity, a mailing list, an online discussion group, a membership in a category, chat group, and the like.

Abstract: A method, apparatus, and system are directed towards seeding a user's contacts for their online social network. The invention is arranged to automatically recommend to the user a set of seed contacts that the user may employ to invite to join their social network. The set of seed contacts may be harvested from the user's existing portal activities, as well as other sources. In one embodiment, the invention analyzes portal activity, such as email exchanges with the user, and the like, to determine a frequency of contact with the user. Other sources may include but not be limited to emails, names within an address book of the user, names within an address book of another person, a buddy list, an instant messaging list, an activity, a mailing list, an online discussion group, a membership in a category, chat group, and the like.

Abstract: Techniques to promote messages in a social networking services to increase communication opportunities while throttling unsolicited messages are described. In one embodiment, an apparatus may have a message generation component and a message delivery component. The message generation component may be operative to receive a request from a first member of a social networking service (SNS) to send a message for a second member of the SNS. The message delivery component may be operative to deliver the message to one of multiple mailboxes for the second member based on a tiered payment schedule. The tiered payment schedule may include a first parameter to represent a relationship type between the first and second members, a second parameter to represent a subscriber tier for the second member, and a third parameter to represent a promotional cost associated with the subscriber tier. Other embodiments are described and claimed.

Abstract: A method, apparatus, and system are directed towards seeding a user's contacts for their online social network. The invention is arranged to automatically recommend to the user a set of seed contacts that the user may employ to invite to join their social network. The set of seed contacts may be harvested from the user's existing portal activities, as well as other sources. In one embodiment, the invention analyzes portal activity, such as email exchanges with the user, and the like, to determine a frequency of contact with the user. Other sources may include but not be limited to emails, names within an address book of the user, names within an address book of another person, a buddy list, an instant messaging list, an activity, a mailing list, an online discussion group, a membership in a category, chat group, and the like.

Abstract: A method is disclosed for supplementing information that is to be presented to a user of a social-networking system with respect to a job posting. A request for a job posting stored in a database of a job hosting service is received from a client-computing device. The job posting is for a job opening of an employer and the request is associated with a first member of a social networking service. A snippet of a member profile of a second member of the social networking service is selected for presentation with the job posting. The snippet is extracted from the member profile based on an identification of a correspondence between information specified in the member profile and information specified in the job posting. Responsive to the request, the snippet is communicated to the client-computing device for presentation to the first member in conjunction with the job description.

Abstract: The disclosure describes systems and methods delivering communications associated with delivery conditions in which the occurrence of the delivery condition is determined by monitoring information received from a plurality of sources via multiple communication channels. The message delivery systems allow messages to be delivered to any “Who, What, When, Where” from any “Who, What, When, Where” upon the detection of an occurrence of one or more “Who, What, When, Where” delivery conditions. A message (which may be any data object including text-based messages, audio-based message such as voicemail or other audio such as music or video-based prerecorded messages) is delivered in accordance with delivery conditions based on any available data, including topical, spatial, temporal, and/or social data.

Abstract: Employers or recruiters populate an online database with job postings. The concepts that job applicants need to have learned to be successful applicants for a job are stated or inferred from the job posting and optionally resumes of others who have held that job. A student's own learning activities are logged by an online education platform. From a comparison between the student's completed learning units and a job posting's required learning units, a personalized learning unit gap can be identified for a student. The online education platform can then recommend how the student can fill the gap by undertaking the study of learning units on the education platform.

Abstract: A fact checking system utilizes social networking information and analyzes and determines the factual accuracy of information and/or characterizes the information by comparing the information with source information. The social networking fact checking system automatically monitors information, processes the information, fact checks the information and/or provides a status of the information, including automatically modifying a web page to include the fact check results.

Abstract: In embodiments of the present invention improved capabilities are described for a human resource management platform that includes applications targeted to solve a variety of human resource and benefits administration management problems. Applications of the human resource management platform include business applications such as benefits administration that may provide a single solution for facilitating employee benefits management and organizational efficiencies through automation of benefit management functions, measurement of benefit provider effectiveness, and the like.