Abstract: Technology for managing the flow of messages among accounts of a social network. One method enables a first account (e.g., person or entity account) to elect a second account (e.g., person or entity account) in the social network. The election causes the first account to follow the second account to receive electronic messages of the second account. Further, an election of the first account by the second account is disabled until the first account follows the second account. Additionally, the method includes an operation for detecting the first account has followed the second account and has added the second account to a communication group managed by the first account.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and computer programs are presented for managing the flow of messages among users of a social network. One method enables the election of an entity in the social network by a person in the social network. The election indicates that the person follows the entity to receive entity electronic messages. Further, an election of the person by the entity is disabled until it is detected that the person has elected to follow the entity. Additionally, the method includes an operation for detecting the election of the entity by the person, where the person is enabled to add the entity to communication groups managed by the person after the election. The entity is enabled to follow the person after the person elects to follow the entity, and messages from the person to communication groups including the entity will reach the entity.

Abstract: In one aspect, a method is provided. The method includes providing a social network on one or more servers connected to the internet. The method includes identifying an instance where a user takes action to add the social networking account of the entity to a social networking account of the user, and in response to the identification of the user's action, enabling identification of and access to the user by the entity. The method includes enabling the social networking account of the entity to post information to a stream of the user that took action to add the social networking account of the entity to the social networking account of the user. The method further includes presenting a stream view of one or more postings to the user, the one or more postings being from the groups that the user was associated to by the entity.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and computer programs are presented for managing the flow of messages among users of a social network. One method enables the election of an entity in the social network by a person in the social network. The election indicates that the person follows the entity to receive entity electronic messages. Further, an election of the person by the entity is disabled until it is detected that the person has elected to follow the entity. Additionally, the method includes an operation for detecting the election of the entity by the person, where the person is enabled to add the entity to communication groups managed by the person after the election. The entity is enabled to follow the person after the person elects to follow the entity, and messages from the person to communication groups including the entity will reach the entity.

Abstract: A handheld client framework system provides a server proxy client that services client requests for network accessible information and determines the server that is most appropriate to supply the requested information and sends information request packets to that server across the Internet and/or intranet. Server responses to information requests are received by the server proxy client. The server proxy client separates the response information into the appropriate data components. Data components are sent to the appropriate client. Presentation and logic components are temporarily stored in a one-behind cache on the client. A client will continue to use the presentation and logic components already installed or in the one-behind cache to service the current user request. Any updates sent by the server proxy client and stored in the one-behind cache are retrieved by the client upon subsequent use by the user.

Abstract: A handheld client framework system provides a server proxy client that services client requests for network accessible information and determines the server that is most appropriate to supply the requested information and sends information request packets to that server across the Internet and/or intranet. Server responses to information requests are received by the server proxy client. The server proxy client separates the response information into the appropriate data components. Data components are sent to the appropriate client. Presentation and logic components are temporarily stored in a one-behind cache on the client. A client will continue to use the presentation and logic components already installed or in the one-behind cache to service the current user request. Any updates sent by the server proxy client and stored in the one-behind cache are retrieved by the client upon subsequent use by the user.

Abstract: A system for providing a user interface includes a gadget definition, a style definition, and a scene file. The gadget definition includes one or more XML-based gadget definition tags defining a gadget element and the style definition includes one or more XML-based style definition tags defining one or more style attributes to be applied to the gadget element. The scene file is an XML-based document that includes a gadget element tag that specifies the gadget element. The system further includes a parser to parse the scene file, the style definition, and the gadget definition, and to generate an object that includes a gadget object corresponding to the gadget element. The system also includes a layout engine to determine, based on the object model, a layout of the user interface, and a rendering engine to render, based on the determined layout, the user interface including the gadget element.

Abstract: A code module is loaded in-process or out-of-process depending on metadata. The code module implements a service and the metadata is associated with the service. The metadata also indicates whether the code module is to be loaded in-process or out-of-process. A request for a service object provided by the service is received from a service requestor. The metadata is examined to determine whether the code module is to be loaded in-process or out-of-process and, when the metadata indicates the code module is to be loaded in-process, the code module is loaded into the process of the service requester. When the metadata indicates the code module is to be loaded out-of-process, the code module is loaded into a host process separate from the process of the service requester. The requested service object is instantiated using the loaded code module and the service requestor is enabled to access the instantiated service object.

Abstract: An object is developed using an operating system neutral application programming interface (API). The object is compiled for a designated operating system that includes native objects an supports an API for accessing native objects of the operating system. The compiled object includes logic code, a native object interop for accessing the logic code using the API for accessing native objects of the operating system, and a platform-neutral interop for accessing the logic code using the operating system neutral API.

Abstract: An appropriate version of a service for use by a service requestor is selected based on metadata. A request for a service object provided by a service is received from a service requestor. Multiple, different versions of the service are determined, and metadata associated with the multiple, different versions of the service is examined to select a version of the service that is compatible with the service requestor. The requested service object is instantiated from the version of the service that is compatible with the service requester. The service requestor is enabled to access the instantiated service object.

Abstract: Versions of a service not reachable by a set of service requestors that use the service are removed. Multiple, different versions of a service are stored, along with metadata associated with the multiple, different versions of the service. The metadata is examined to determine one or more of the multiple, different versions of the service that are not reachable by the set of service requestors that use the service. Those versions are deleted.

Abstract: Services having associated metadata meeting particular criteria can be discovered. One or more services are stored. The services provide service objects to service requesters. Service requestors include compiled code and the service objects include compiled code that is linked to the compiled code of a service requester at runtime and that is executable by the compiled code of the service requestor. A metadata file is associated with each one of the services. A query message is received and includes a search query specifying particular criteria. At least some of the metadata files are searched to determine if one or more of the metadata files contain metadata that matches the particular criteria. When at least one of the metadata files contains metadata matching the particular criteria, the service associated with the metadata file is identified.

Abstract: A handheld client framework system provides a server proxy client that services client requests for network accessible information and determines the server that is most appropriate to supply the requested information and sends information request packets to that server across the Internet and/or intranet. Server responses to information requests are received by the server proxy client. The server proxy client separates the response information into the appropriate data components. Data components are sent to the appropriate client. Presentation and logic components are temporarily stored in a one-behind cache on the client. A client will continue to use the presentation and logic components already installed or in the one-behind cache to service the current user request. Any updates sent by the server proxy client and stored in the one-behind cache are retrieved by the client upon subsequent use by the user.