Abstract: A system, apparatus, and methods are provided for queuing and resending organically generated invitations by members of a user community. During operation, the system sends a first invitation organically generated by a first member of the community to an invitee. For one or more time periods after the invitee receives the first invitation, the system performs the following steps. First, the system queues all invitations organically generated by members of the community and addressed to the invitee within the time period. Next, if the invitee is not a member of the user community when the time period expires, (1) if the queue is not empty, the system de-queues and sends at least one queued invitation to the invitee; and (2) if the queue is empty, the system resends to the invitee at least one of the invitations that was previously received by the invitee.

Abstract: In order to invite individuals to join a social network, telephone contact information of a user of the social network is extracted, with the user's permission, from a phonebook associated with a telephone application on the user's portable electronic device. Then, the extracted telephone contact information is shared across different platforms to the user's desktop computer, and telephone numbers in the extracted telephone contact information are identified. These telephone numbers are associated with other portable electronic devices, and with individuals that are not currently members of the social network. After receiving confirmation of a telephone number from the user (e.g., via the desktop computer), the location of the associated portable electronic device is determined. Based on the telephone number and the location, an invitation to join the social network is conditionally provided to the portable electronic device, via a Short Message Service (SMS) message.