Abstract: In a method of controlling sharing of an object between entities in a distributed system, a processor will identify an object and generate an access control list (ACL) for the object so that the ACL includes a list of clauses. Each clause will include a blessing pattern that will match one or more blessings, and at least one of the clauses also may include a reference to one or more groups. Each group represents a set of strings that represent blessing patterns or fragments of blessing patterns. The processor may generate each clause of the ACL as either a permit clause or a deny clause to indicate whether an entity or entities that have a blessing matched by the blessing pattern are permitted to access the object. The processor will save the ACL to a data store for use in responding to a request to access the object.

Abstract: In a method of controlling sharing of an object between entities in a distributed system, a processor will identify an object and generate an access control list (ACL) for the object so that the ACL includes a list of clauses. Each clause will include a blessing pattern that will match one or more blessings, and at least one of the clauses also may include a reference to one or more groups. Each group represents a set of strings that represent blessing patterns or fragments of blessing patterns. The processor may generate each clause of the ACL as either a permit clause or a deny clause to indicate whether an entity or entities that have a blessing matched by the blessing pattern are permitted to access the object. The processor will save the ACL to a data store for use in responding to a request to access the object.

Abstract: A system and a method for notifying users of the installation of applications using social networks. An application broadcaster automatically publishes a user's application installation events on one platform to the user's activity streams on external social platforms. This way, a message regarding the application appears in the user's activity streams within social networks, resulting in the application becoming popular among the user's friends. In one embodiment, the application broadcaster determines whether user activity associated with the installed application meets a criterion before broadcasting information about the application. The application broadcaster also suggests applications that the user might find interesting.

Abstract: The present invention relates to generating a parser for and to parsing a web page to generate a list of one-to-one relationships, such as parsing a publically available Twitter page to generate a list of followers and a list of photographs or a publically available list of what is “happening now at the Nation” on the music web site ReverbNation. More generally, it relates to a parser that takes parsing instructions from a declaratory template. The declaratory template used to generate lists can be as simple as specifying pattern matches for a subject, predicate and object. In alternative implementations, specification of a predicate could be omitted, if only one type of list were being generated. In other alternative implementations, a string user text can be specified. Another option is to specify annotations to relations, which can be literally annotated or extracted using a pattern match specification. Cardinality of the subject and object can be specified.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on computer storage media, for evaluating resource selection processes. One method includes, updating a query to resource mapping that associates each query of a group of queries with resources that match one or more of the queries for each of a plurality of predetermined periodic time intervals. For query in the group, the method includes identifying fresh resources that match the query, wherein each fresh resource is associated with a respective discovery time in the respective time interval, obtaining a respective query-specific score for each fresh resource that matches the query, identifying one or more fresh resources according to the query specific scores; and updating the query to resource mapping to include data that maps the query to the identified one or more fresh resources.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on computer storage media, for evaluating resource selection processes. One method includes receiving test queries and generating a first group of resources corresponding to a first automated resource selection process and generating a second group of resources corresponding to a second automated resource selection process for each query. Another method includes generating a query results table for use in generating the groups of resources. The query results table maps queries to resources matched to the queries, and maps each resource to a respective score for the resource and the query, and one or more index selection signals for the resource.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method for providing a definition or a translation is disclosed according to an aspect of the subject technology. The method comprises receiving an input indicating a word selected by a user, sending a definition request for the word to a definition server, receiving a response to the definition request from the definition server, sending a translation request for the word to a translation server, and receiving a response to the translation request from the translation server. The method also comprises determining whether to provide the user with a definition or a translation of the word based on the responses from the definition server and the translation server, and providing the user with the definition or the translation of the word based on the determination.