Abstract: A computer system for publishing content includes a categorization member, a rating module, a user profiling assembly and a suggested-reading engine. The categorization member enables an author-user and reader-users of an authored work to categorize content of the authored work using a fixed taxonomy, keywords, tags and/or keyword combinations. The rating module enables reader-users to rate authored works and makes a determination of quality of each authored work in the system. Rating includes reader-user response activity such as number of times the reader recommends, forwards or otherwise effectively promotes the authored work. The user profiling assembly measures words and word combinations used (written or read) by a user and generates therefrom a profile of the user. The suggested-reading engine is responsive to the rating module and provides a ranked list of suggested reading (authored works) for a user.

Abstract: A global computer network system includes a method and apparatus for writer compensation, a method and apparatus for reader rating and a method and apparatus for enabling readers to tip an author. The system further provides content organization according to user relationship and website community. Another feature effects content browsing by relationship of users in the system. The system provides determination of content scarcity and advertisement (ad inventory) scarcity. The system also includes user-specified comments or reader indications on system contents such as authored works and bookmarks.

Abstract: Based on prior interactions associated with a user, an online system predicts an amount of interaction by the user with an object associated with an advertisement. Using the predicted amount of user interaction, the online system determines an expected value of presenting the advertisement to the user. The advertisement is ranked among other advertisements based on the expected values associated with the advertisements, and one or more advertisements are selected for presentation to the user based on the ranking. An advertisement may also specify a threshold amount of interaction with an associated object as targeting criteria, so the predicted amount of interaction with the object associated with the advertisement may determine if a user is eligible to be presented with the advertisement.

Abstract: Provided is a process, including: obtaining, in memory of a first mobile computing device, a plurality of content items, at least some of the content items pertaining to respective different geographic areas; receiving, with the first mobile computing device, data indicating a user interaction with a given content item among the plurality of the content items; and in response to receiving the data indicative of the user interaction, transmitting a wireless signal from the first mobile computing device directly to a second mobile computing device that is different from the first mobile computing device, the wireless signal being indicative of the given content item and indicating that the given content item pertains to a given geographic area within range of the wireless signal transmission.

Abstract: A media content item is evaluated for its “sentiment states.” That is, segments of the content item are determined to be, for example, “happy,” “exciting,” “sad,” “funny,” and the like. A “sentiment map” is created that delimits segments of the content item and contains the sentiment-state keywords associated with the segments. Some maps include an amplitude for each assigned sentiment keyword and a confidence value for the segment delimitation and for each keyword. As an exemplary use of the sentiment map, an advertisement broker matches the sentiments of his advertisement offerings with segments of a content item in order to place appropriate advertisements at times when they would be most favorably received. In another example, a recommender system recommends to a user a content item whose sentiment map compares favorably to that of a content item already enjoyed by the user.

Abstract: A valid combination of products is constructed from a set of products identified by a retailing backend system. The valid combination satisfies a condition of an offer. A product in the combination of product is a physical product located in a physical store. A social sentiment towards the product in social media data of a shopper is evaluated, and a rating of the product is computed using the evaluation. A location of the product in the store is obtained from the retailing backend system. The location of the product is overlaid on a view of the store, where the view is from a perspective of a location of the shopper, the shopper being physically situated in the store.

Abstract: Techniques for distributing online ads by targeting online ad requests using test data to predict performance. The techniques can target ad requests in automated online advertising systems in which ad requests are generated by an ad exchange server and bids are placed by marketer devices in real time. The techniques aggregate bid units and compare bid unit characteristics to select bid units to target in ways that address data sparsity, variance, and volume issues. Data sparsity issues are addressed by aggregating bid units to avoid using bid units having insufficient data. Data variance issues are addressed by computing stability metrics for bid units that enable discounting the effect of outliers. Data volume and processing efficiency issues are addressed by grouping similar bid units based on similar metrics (e.g., normalized ROI) and/or similar stability scores, and then ranking the bid units and selecting the top ranked bid units to target.

Abstract: In an embodiment, a system server receives, from a plurality of advertiser devices, a plurality of advertisements, at least one corresponding personal information value, and a corresponding price. The system server calculates, for each of a plurality of personal information types, a corresponding price. The system server instructs the message device to display the plurality of personal information types and the corresponding prices. The system server sends, to a first message account, a plurality of messages, in which each message includes a respective advertisement of the subset of advertisements. Then the system server determines an amount to pay the user based on the prices corresponding to the subset of advertisements, and increases an account balance by the amount to pay the user.

Abstract: Techniques are described for automatically identifying and inhibiting suspect electronic communications between users, such as for electronic communications that may reflect fraudulent activities by one or more of the users or that are otherwise inappropriate for one or more reasons. In some situations, the communications may relate to transactions in which the users are involved, such as for users that are buyers and sellers of items interacting via one or more electronic marketplaces. The communications may occur via a communication mechanism provided by an electronic marketplace that acts as an intermediary between the sender of a communication and the one or more intended recipients of the communication. The automatic identification of suspect communications that may be inappropriate includes automatically assessing the communications in one or more ways, and identified suspect communications and any associated inappropriate user activities may be inhibited in various ways.

Abstract: A host computer site of a computer-based social network of users profiles users for targeting advertisements. The system obtains and/or infers demographic information from end-users using on-line means. The system next monitors end user activity and determines keywords therefrom. The system profiles an end user as a function of the determined end-user activity keywords and obtained/inferred end-user demographic information. Profiles of end-users are matched against targeted profiles of advertisements which are defined by respective advertisers. Using observed user behavior and other factors, ads are prioritized for selection and viewing placement. This results in (i) targeting advertisements to end-users based on end user profiles, and (ii) real-time customization of web pages viewed by end-users.

Abstract: Systems, methods, and computer storage mediums for directing a user to an image of an advertiser's geolocation are provided. An exemplary method includes retrieving a first image associated with a geolocation, where the geolocation is based on a user action. At least one advertising unit is also selected based on at least the geolocation associated with the first image. Each advertising unit includes at least one geolocation associated with an advertiser. At least one advertising unit is then placed on the first image. Finally, a second image is retrieved when a placed advertising unit is selected by the user. The second image is retrieved based on the geolocation associated with the placed advertising unit.

Abstract: A mediator system, which serves as a conduit between a customer and merchants, includes customer profile data. The mediator system analyzes the customer profile data, and assigns an indication to a customer represented by the customer profile data. The mediator system then provides the indication to the merchants, and then receives bids from the merchants. The bids are for establishing a connection between the merchants and the customer. The mediator system provides to a portion of the merchants, based on the bids, a connection to the customer.

Abstract: Concepts and technologies are disclosed herein for providing, storing, redeeming, and managing promotions. A promotion service can be called to save, manage, or redeem promotions. The promotion service can be called to generate or provide promotions based upon contextual information. The promotion service also can be accessed to save promotions as well as to view or redeem saved promotions. In some implementations, the promotions can be stored in a promotion locker or other data storage device that is accessible to the promotion service. Promotions can be redeemed at a point of sale such as a web site or a physical retailer. In one contemplated embodiment, a user accesses the promotion service via a smart phone, and a bar code or other information associated with the promotion is displayed on the smart phone in response to a user request.

Abstract: Aspects of the disclosure relate to placing labels on photographic images so as not to obstruct a particular object. An image associated with a geolocation is identified, where the geolocation is based on a user action. The image is analyzed to identify at least first and second objects within the image. Object types for each object are determined. A determination is made that the first object is to be annotated with a label according to the first object type, and that the first and second object types differ. The image is also analyzed to determine a position on the second object to place the label so that the label does not obstruct the first object. Based on this analysis, the label is placed on the second object without obstructing the first object.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer-readable storage medium, for providing content. A method includes receiving a request for an advertisement to be displayed in a slot associated with a third-party content site; identifying a relevant advertisement to be provided in the slot; determining information to be included in an annotation associated with the advertisement, the annotation including customized information to be presented along with the advertisement; providing the advertisement responsive to the request including providing the annotation along with a control for re-publishing the advertisement along with the relevant advertisement; receiving user input selecting the control and designating the advertisement for re-publishing to a group, the group being designated by the user; and targeting additional content to the group based on the received user input.

Abstract: A rewards management system is configured to facilitate the redemption of loyalty benefits at a financial institution and apply credits, payments, debits, and/or the like associated with the loyalty benefit to transactions that are characterized by a set of predetermined rules (e.g. an item purchased during a particular transaction, the merchant from whom the transaction originated, the vendor who manufactured the item). The system provides real-time management of the loyalty account so that the loyalty benefit can be used to offset the liability associated with a particular eligible transaction. The system may also be configured to allow a user to satisfy various obligations to the financial institution (e.g. a minimum payment associated with a statement from a transactions account). As such, the system allows the loyalty account provider or the financial institution to provide a customizable rewards program that allows loyalty benefits to be used for any type of transaction.

Abstract: A method for assessing a finder's fee for directing merchant traffic includes: transmitting, by a transmitting device, offer data related to an offer for the purchase of goods or services to a mobile communication device, wherein the related offer is associated with a merchant; receiving, by a receiving device, an indication that a user of the mobile communication device viewed the transmitted offer data; receiving, by the receiving device, an indication that the mobile communication device was located at a geographic location associated with the merchant within a predetermined period of time of the viewing of the transmitted offer data by the user of the mobile communication device; generating, by a processing device, an authorization request for a payment transaction for a finder's fee to be paid by the merchant; and transmitting, by the transmitting device, the authorization request.

Abstract: A rewards management system is configured to facilitate the redemption of loyalty benefits at a financial institution and apply credits, payments, debits, and/or the like associated with the loyalty benefit to transactions that are characterized by a set of predetermined rules (e.g. an item purchased during a particular transaction, the merchant from whom the transaction originated, the vendor who manufactured the item). The system provides real-time management of the loyalty account so that the loyalty benefit can be used to offset the liability associated with a particular eligible transaction. The system may also be configured to allow a user to satisfy various obligations to the financial institution (e.g. a minimum payment associated with a statement from a transactions account). As such, the system allows the loyalty account provider or the financial institution to provide a customizable rewards program that allows loyalty benefits to be used for any type of transaction.

Abstract: In an embodiment, a system server receives, from a plurality of advertiser devices, a plurality of advertisements, at least one corresponding personal information value, and a corresponding price. The system server calculates, for each of a plurality of personal information types, a corresponding price. The system server instructs the email device to display the plurality of personal information types and the corresponding prices. The system server sends, to a first email account, a plurality of email messages, in which each email message includes a respective advertisement of the subset of advertisements. Then the system server determines an amount to pay the user based on the prices corresponding to the subset of advertisements, and increases an account balance by the amount to pay the user.

Abstract: Systems, methods, and computer storage mediums for directing a user to an image of an advertiser's geolocation are provided. An exemplary method includes retrieving a first image associated with a geolocation, where the geolocation is based on a user action. At least one advertising unit is also selected based on at least the geolocation associated with the first image. Each advertising unit includes at least one geolocation associated with an advertiser. At least one advertising unit is then placed on the first image. Finally, a second image is retrieved when a placed advertising unit is selected by the user. The second image is retrieved based on the geolocation associated with the placed advertising unit.