Abstract: A user of a network system may be provided with geographical area information and may define geographical zones associated with his personal interests. This may allow a network server to provide said user with updated information relating to this particular geographical zone and the specified user interests. Described embodiments facilitate communication and contact among the members of a social network.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to parent-child guidance support for social networks. A method for providing controlled access to an online resource via a child account comprises (a) when said child account is registered for said online resource, providing access to said online resource via said child account, and at least one of the following steps: (b) in response to a user request via said child account, registering said child account for said online resource only when an age specification of the child account is higher than an average age specification of user accounts currently registered for said online resource, and (c) when registering said child account for access to said online resource in response to a user request via said child account, also registering at least one parent account associated with said child account for said online resource.

Abstract: A user of a network system may be provided with customized information relating to geographical zones defined by said user and personal interests associated with these zones. The personal interests may be compared against selected criteria provided by a customized information provider, to allow efficient targeting.

Abstract: A described method comprises: displaying a browser window on a display device, wherein said browser window is adapted to display live content and current activities of said user in relation to said live content; detecting user input in relation to the displayed live content and/or activity, wherein the user input includes dragging the live content and/or current activity from the browser window and dropping it in at least one slot of a sidebar of said browser window; creating a new slot associated with a current activity to be displayed on said sidebar, if the current activity was dropped in a dedicated slot of the sidebar; displaying the new slot on the sidebar; tracking changes inside the activity associated with an existing slot; modifying the existing slot in the sidebar based on changes inside the activity associated with the existing slot; and displaying the modified slot in said sidebar.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a method for generating tags for content items of an online system. A method for generating tags for content items of an online system is provided, comprising the steps of providing, by a user of the online system, a content item in the online system, said content item being linked with one or more other content items of the online system; assigning a first group of tags to the content item; automatically generating a second group of tags based on tags associated with at least one of the one or more other content items; and assigning the second group of tags to the content item. Furthermore, an online system enabling generation of tags for content items and a server hosting the online system are defined.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to representation of users within online systems, such as social networks, online services, and platforms. A method for representing a user within an online system is provided, comprising receiving by the online system a live recording of a first user of the online system, the first user defining permissions to access the live recording; requesting a representation of the first user by a second user of the online system; determining if the second user is authorized to access the live recording based on the permissions; and if the second user is authorized, providing the live recording to the second user as the representation of the first user. Furthermore, an online system and a data structure representing a user of an online system are defined.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a privacy-based representation of a user identity within an online system. A method for representing a user identity within an online system is provided, comprising: requesting a user identity of a user of the online system by a viewer; retrieving a status of the viewer with regard to the user; based on the status of the viewer, determining a representation of the user identity; and providing the representation of the user identity to the viewer. Furthermore, an online system and a data structure representing a user identity of a user of an online system are defined.

Abstract: This description relates to methods for initiating a server-based action using a timing mechanism. Furthermore, the description relates to the implementation of the aspects and embodiments of the method for initiating a server-based action described herein in hardware or software, or a combination thereof. The description suggests a mechanism to trigger the delayed execution of a server-based action based on hovering over interactive elements in a graphical user interface.

Abstract: A network-based system of providing an advertisement stream to at least one user, the system including a computing cloud configured to receive different media data from a plurality of advertisement data sources and generate from said media data at least one advertisement data stream to be provided to at least one remote user; a network entity configured to transmit said at least one advertisement data stream to a user device of the at least one user; the user device configured to display the content of the at least one advertisement data stream within a network-based online presentation.

Abstract: A network-based system of providing a combined single data stream to at least one user device or user group device, the system including a computing cloud receiving different data from a plurality of data sources and generating from said data a single data stream to be provided to at least one remote user or user group; at least one user device or user group device having access to the computing cloud for receiving said combined single data stream to be outputted for the at least one remote user or user group.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method for selectively displaying a content to a user of a social network, including maintaining in a computer system for each user of the social network a profile including data on individual preferences and/or interests of the user and the significance of each preference and/or interest for the user; providing input data including content; receiving a request of the user for displaying content; and selectively displaying filtered content to the user in response to the request, in which the filtered content is displayed in accordance with the profile of the user.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method of displaying contact information in an online social network, including displaying at a graphical user interface of a first user a plurality of visual representations of contact nodes each representing a second user or a group of second users who belong to social contacts of the first user; grouping and regrouping of second users; modifying the positions and/or sizes of at least one of the plurality of visual representations of the respective contact nodes to indicate a quality and/or a quantity of the relationship between the first user and each of the respective contact nodes.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method of creating a user-personalized webpage includes the steps of (a) creating a container for collecting data; (b) defining at least one keyword to be associated with said container; (c) retrieving relevant data from the Internet or a database based on the at least one keyword and collecting the data in said container; and (d) displaying the data of said container on a webpage when the user browses that webpage. Moreover, disclosed herein is a computer-readable medium including computer-executable instructions that, when executed on a computer system, cause the computer system to perform such a method.

Abstract: A system and method for remote participation in live events are described. The system comprises one or more interactive environments, each hosting a live event and including means for continuously recording the interactive environment; a transmitter coupled to the one or more interactive environments, configured to receive from each interactive environment the respective recording and to transfer each recording to at least some of a plurality of remote viewers; a processing unit configured to receive feedback related to one of said live events from two or more of the remote viewers, wherein, based on the feedback, the processing unit is configured to determine an interactive environment hosting the related live event and to directly update the determined interactive environment based on the feedback.

Abstract: A method for processing selectable items on a server is described, comprising the steps of providing a plurality of items, including items within a personalized environment of a first user hosted by the server, each of the plurality of items related to online content; selecting by the first user at least one item of the plurality of items; moving by the first user the at least one selected item into an area associated with a target item of the items within the personalized environment; and processing the at least one selected item on the server, including determining by the server at least one action based on the at least one selected item and the target item, and initiating the determined action, wherein at least one selected item and the target item are related to a second user. Furthermore, a server for processing of the selected items is presented.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method of advertising an ad including data content or metadata associated with a time in the future to a plurality of users connected via computer network to a server includes the steps of: (a) receiving data including the ad content at a user interface of at least one of the plurality of users from the server via the network; (b) placing the ad content on a timeline of the user interface; and (c) displaying the ad content on the timeline in relation to its associated time and the current time. Moreover, disclosed herein is a computer-readable medium including computer-executable instructions that, when executed, cause a computer to perform such a method.