Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, for assisting participation in a social network. In one aspect, a method is performed by a system of one or more data processing devices. The method includes receiving, at the system, a historical record of message exchange between an individual and members in a member network, the system determining, for each of the members, whether the individual is likely to want to be related to the respective member, each determination considering the number and transactional characteristics of the message exchange between the individual and the respective member in the historical record, and the system outputting the determinations that the individual is likely to want to be related to at least two of the respective members.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs for identifying, using historical interactions associated with a first user, contact groups, where the first user is associated with each contact group, are provided. A score, with respect to a second user, is calculated for each contact group based on an amount of interaction between the second user and the respective contact group, thereby deriving a plurality of scores. A first contact group is determined. The first contact group has a first score in the plurality of scores that satisfies a predetermined threshold. A contact group suggestion is generated, responsive to the determining, that comprises an invitation to add the second user to the first contact group. The first user is notified of the contact group suggestion.

Abstract: In one aspect, the present disclosure can be embodied in a method that includes providing item recommendations for display to a user of a social networking service based on the user's responses (or lack thereof) to recommendations that were previously displayed or viewed by the user. A score is calculated for each item recommendation based on whether the item recommendation was displayed during a predetermined time period but implicitly rejected by the user. The scores assigned to the respective item recommendations are used to select additional item recommendations for display.

Abstract: An automated system for signing up users invited to join a site based on their existing identity includes an invitation generator, an invite processor, a federated authentication module, a user information retrieval module, an account population and creation module, and a user interface module. The automated sign up module is responsive to an invite request. The automated sign up module sends an authorization request, receives the authorization response, verifies the response and retrieves user data. The automated sign up module uses the retrieved data to populate a sign up form and initialize an account. The automated sign up module sends new account information to a user for confirmation. Once confirmation has been received, the automated sign up module creates the new account and allows the user to access the system. The present disclosure includes a method for signing up users invited to join a site based on their existing identity.

Abstract: A description of one or more items identified by a buyer for purchase is received. Each item is represented as an object in a hierarchical data structure. A processing strategy is executed on the hierarchical data structure to generate purchasing information describing a purchase transaction involving the items. A display preprocessing strategy is executed to create display information describing a display of the generated purchasing information. The display information is transmitted to the buyer for generation of the display using the display information.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs for identifying, using historical interactions associated with a first user, contact groups, where the first user is associated with each contact group, are provided. A score, with respect to a second user, is calculated for each contact group based on an amount of interaction between the second user and the respective contact group, thereby deriving a plurality of scores. A first contact group is determined. The first contact group has a first score in the plurality of scores that satisfies a predetermined threshold. A contact group suggestion is generated, responsive to the determining, that comprises an invitation to add the second user to the first contact group. The first user is notified of the contact group suggestion.