Abstract: Embodiments of the invention relate to assessing characteristics of a message and a message recipient. A trust model is established to take into account a set of trust antecedents, including characteristics of the messages and properties of the recipients, a set of action motivations, and their contribution to the action-based trust measurement. The assessment(s) is utilized to produce a tangible trust measurement that is employed to gauge the recipient's perception of credibility towards the received message.

Abstract: The author ranking technique described herein is a technique to rank authors in social media systems along various dimensions, using a variety of statistical methods for utilizing those dimensions. More particularly, the technique ranks authors in social media systems through a combination of statistical techniques that leverage usage metrics, and social and topical graph characteristics. In various exemplary embodiments, the technique can rank author authority by the following: 1) temporal analysis of link sharing in which authority is computed based on a user's propensity to provide early links to web pages that subsequently become popular; 2) topical authority based on the author's links and content updates in specific topic areas; and 3) popularity and influence based on nodal properties of authors.

Abstract: Brands and users are matched by determining their personalities and pairing them based on user-brand associations. Modeling parameters are estimated based on the personalities of each pair. Additional pairs of users and brands having unknown associations are identified, and each such additional pair's correlation, which may be a score, is determined, based on the modelling parameters. Brands and users having unknown associations are matched based on their correlations scores matching one or more criteria.

Abstract: Embodiments relate to relationship modeling and visualization from social media. One aspect includes determining a relationship type of a network-based relationship, between an individual and a network contact of the individual, from at least one social media data source. The relationship type is determined using a relationship model based on relationship types that include operational, personal, and business. Another aspect includes performing timeline based relationship strength segmentation using Group Lasso. The timeline based relationship strength segmentation specifies a past and current strength of the relationship. A further aspect includes predicting a future strength of the relationship using Extended Kalman Filter, and providing, through a visual interface, interactive visual analytics to view and monitor relationship states including the past, current, and future strengths over time.

Abstract: In a method for determining group attributes and matching tasks to a group, a plurality of individual attributes for members of a first group of a plurality of groups are determined, wherein each individual attribute has a type. Parameters of a first distribution of at least one type of individual attribute across members of the first group are estimated. Group attributes of the first group are determined based, at least in part, on the estimated parameters of the first distribution of at least one type of individual attribute. The determined group attributes of the first group are stored in a repository, wherein the repository includes group attributes associated with each group of the plurality of groups. A task is received, wherein the task is associated with a specific group attribute and the task is matched to one group of the plurality of groups based on the specific group attribute.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method routes a current question to one or more of a plurality of online communities. A computer system can determine, for the current question presented by an asking user a plurality of question-to-question similarity values, a plurality of question-to-user similarity values and a plurality of question-to-community similarity values. The system can select one or more of the plurality of online communities based on the similarity values. The system can route the current question presented by the asking user to the selected one or more of the plurality of online communities.

Abstract: Techniques are provided through which query associations are made between initial queries and corresponding query modifications to the initial queries previously made. Each query modification is made with respect to a searchable source. Based on these query associations, modified queries are generated on a per-source basis. Query associations may be stored on a per user or per community basis, where a community can include many users. Frequently used query modifications may be stored as templates.

Abstract: Generally, a method and apparatus provides for rating user generated content (UGC) with respect to search engine results. The method and apparatus includes recognizing a UGC data field collected from a web document located at a web location. The method and apparatus calculates: a document goodness factor for the web document; an author rank for an author of the UGC data field; and a location rank for web location. The method and apparatus thereby generates a rating factor for the UGC field based on the document goodness factor, the author rank and the location rank. The method and apparatus also outputs a search result that includes the UGC data field positioned in the search results based on the rating factor.

Abstract: The author ranking technique described herein is a technique to rank authors in social media systems along various dimensions, using a variety of statistical methods for utilizing those dimensions. More particularly, the technique ranks authors in social media systems through a combination of statistical techniques that leverage usage metrics, and social and topical graph characteristics. In various exemplary embodiments, the technique can rank author authority by the following: 1) temporal analysis of link sharing in which authority is computed based on a user's propensity to provide early links to web pages that subsequently become popular; 2) topical authority based on the author's links and content updates in specific topic areas; and 3) popularity and influence based on nodal properties of authors.

Abstract: Generally, a method and apparatus provides for rating user generated content (UGC) with respect to search engine results. The method and apparatus includes recognizing a UGC data field collected from a web document located at a web location. The method and apparatus calculates: a document goodness factor for the web document; an author rank for an author of the UGC data field; and a location rank for web location. The method and apparatus thereby generates a rating factor for the UGC field based on the document goodness factor, the author rank and the location rank. The method and apparatus also outputs a search result that includes the UGC data field positioned in the search results based on the rating factor.

Abstract: Generally, a method and apparatus provides for rating user generated content (UGC) with respect to search engine results. The method and apparatus includes recognizing a UGC data field collected from a web document located at a web location. The method and apparatus calculates: a document goodness factor for the web document; an author rank for an author of the UGC data field; and a location rank for web location. The method and apparatus thereby generates a rating factor for the UGC field based on the document goodness factor, the author rank and the location rank. The method and apparatus also outputs a search result that includes the UGC data field positioned in the search results based on the rating factor.

Abstract: Generally, a method and apparatus provides for rating user generated content (UGC) with respect to search engine results. The method and apparatus includes recognizing a UGC data field collected from a web document located at a web location. The method and apparatus calculates: a document goodness factor for the web document; an author rank for an author of the UGC data field; and a location rank for web location. The method and apparatus thereby generates a rating factor for the UGC field based on the document goodness factor, the author rank and the location rank. The method and apparatus also outputs a search result that includes the UGC data field positioned in the search results based on the rating factor.

Abstract: Techniques are provided through which query associations are made between initial queries and corresponding query modifications to the initial queries previously made. Each query modification is made with respect to a searchable source. Based on these query associations, modified queries are generated on a per-source basis. Query associations may be stored on a per user or per community basis, where a community can include many users. Frequently used query modifications may be stored as templates.