Abstract: A system for supplementing items in an activity stream provides an item for display in an activity stream on a client device. The system also generates an interactive element based on a type of the client device, where the interactive element includes context information about the item. The system also arranges a user selectable control within the interactive element based on a type of the item, where the user selectable control is configured to initiate a response to the item. The system also provides the interactive element for display in association with the item in the activity stream on the client device.

Abstract: A system and method for generating a membership profile for a personalized website is disclosed. An online services provider uses the interest engine to generate a questionnaire and polls. A new user provides responses that include answers to the questionnaire and polls. A profile engine generates a membership profile based on the answers. A newsletter engine generates personalized newsletter information including a number of users that provided each answer. In response to an online services provider selecting the recipients for the newsletter, the newsletter engine either generates the newsletter and transmits it to the recipients or the newsletter engine transmits the contact information to the online services provider.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, for transmitting a content data set to a computing device for displaying digital content to an author user, the author user having authored the digital content, receiving user input from the author user, the user input corresponding to the digital content, and, in response to receiving the user input, transmitting first data and second data to the computing device for display to the author user, the first data comprising a number of contacts that are able to access the digital content and the second data indicating one or more relationships between the author user and the contacts.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, for transmitting contact data for displaying graphical representations of contacts for display to a user, the contacts being contacts of the user within a computer-implemented social networking service, generating a first social circle of the user, the first social circle comprising a first subset of contacts of the user within the social networking service and defining a first distribution for digital content, generating a second social circle of the user, the second social circle comprising a second subset of contacts of the user within the social networking service and defining a second distribution for digital content, and, in response to user input, providing the first social circle and the second social circle for selection by the user to define a distribution of digital content, the distribution comprising at least one of the first distribution and the second distribution.

Abstract: A system and machine-implemented method for providing engagement enhancing content to a user with minimal interference with activities performed by the user at a website including receiving an indication of an event at a website, wherein the event represents the user actively interacting with the content at the website, suspending the provision of one or more engagement enhancing content to the user in response to receiving the indication of the event, wherein the engagement enhancing content is configured to encourage user interaction with the website, receiving an indication of a second event at the website, wherein the second event corresponds to the user no longer actively interacting with content at the website and resuming provision of the one or more engagement enhancing content to the user in response to receiving an indication of the second event.

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: Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, for transmitting a content data set to a computing device for displaying content to a non-author user, receiving user input from the non-author user, the user input corresponding to the content, and, in response to receiving the user input, transmitting first data and second data to the computing device for display to the non-author user, the first data comprising a number of contacts associated with an author user, the author user having authored the content, the second data being a sub-set of the first data and comprising a number of contacts associated with the non-author user.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, for receiving first user input, the first user input provided by a user of a computer-implemented social networking service and indicating first digital content that is to be distributed using the social networking service, receiving second user input through a distribution interface that is displayed to the user, the second user input defining a distribution for the first digital content, the distribution comprising at least one of a first sub-distribution that is defined based on a first social circle and a second sub-distribution, the first social circle comprising a first subset of contacts, and distributing the first digital content to contacts of the user based on the distribution.

Abstract: A system including a processor and a memory storing instructions that, when executed, cause the system to: receive a stream of content including a plurality of content items; retrieve a plurality of related content items; identify a topic for at least one of the plurality of the related content items; rank the topics by relevance to the user and one of the plurality of items; associate the topic to the content item in the stream of content where the topic is ranked as being relevant to the content item; generate a marker for the topic; generate an interface including the marker associated with the content item in the stream of content; and provide the interface for display.

Abstract: Configurations for measuring sharing behavior and audience coverage for one or more users are provided. Some configurations can include the following components: an input processor (IP), a data processor (DP) and a visualization processor (VP). The IP extracts data from user logs or processes existing raw data, and prepares the data for the data processor. In one example, the IP transforms each user record into a structured file including time-ordered data corresponding to instances of information sharing activity, target users, and associated date-time(s) for the sharing activity. The DP takes the time-ordered data from the IP and performs statistical evaluations to classify and determine the audience coverage and sharing behavior. The VP receives processed data from the DP and generates different graphical visualizations (e.g., one or more graphs) based on the statistical analysis provided by the DP.

Abstract: The subject matter of this specification can be implemented in, among other things, a method that includes receiving a new message and providing instructions to a client device for collapsing at least one of one or more previously received messages when the number of messages reaches a number at which it is desirable to collapse the message thread. The method also includes providing instructions for appending a new message to the message thread. The method may also include instructions for providing one or more collapse or expand controls for managing message threads.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, for transmitting contact data for displaying representations of contacts for display to a user, the contacts being contacts of the user within a computer-implemented social networking service, generating a first social circle of the user, the first social circle comprising a first subset of contacts of the user within the social networking service and defining a first distribution for digital content, generating a second social circle of the user, the second social circle comprising a second subset of contacts of the user within the social networking service and defining a second distribution for digital content, and, in response to user input, providing the first social circle and the second social circle for selection by the user to define a distribution of digital content, the distribution comprising at least one of the first distribution and the second distribution.

Abstract: Disclosed are systems and methods associated with a social network application. A plurality of posts associated with a client system user is displayed. First and second posts in the plurality of posts are respectively associated with first and second recipient groups. While the posts are displayed, a post input area independent of the plurality of posts is also displayed. When the user selects the post input area, it is expanded by displacing the plurality of posts. Concurrently, a content item area is displayed within the expanded post input area. An input, comprising a content item, is received from the user in the content item area. An affordance is presented that enables the user to designate access control information corresponding distribution entities. The content item and the access control information are transmitted to a system whereupon access to the content item is restricted in accordance with the access control information.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, for identifying a plurality of items to be displayed to a user, each item including digital content and being associated with a respective timestamp, receiving a plurality of scores, each score being associated with an item of the plurality of items, determining a subset of items to be displayed to the user based on the plurality of scores, the subset of items including items of the plurality of items, grouping items in the subset of items based on respective timestamps to provide a plurality of item groups, for each item group, determining an order of items based on respective scores, and transmitting instructions to display items to the user based on the plurality of item groups and in the order within each item group.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, for transmitting contact data for displaying graphical representations of contacts for display to a user, the contacts being contacts of the user within a computer-implemented social networking service, generating a first social circle of the user, the first social circle comprising a first subset of contacts of the user within the social networking service and defining a first distribution for digital content, generating a second social circle of the user, the second social circle comprising a second subset of contacts of the user within the social networking service and defining a second distribution for digital content, and, in response to user input, providing the first social circle and the second social circle for selection by the user to define a distribution of digital content, the distribution comprising at least one of the first distribution and the second distribution.

Abstract: Disclosed are systems and methods associated with a social network application. A plurality of posts associated with a client system user is displayed. First and second posts in the plurality of posts are respectively associated with first and second recipient groups. While the posts are displayed, a post input area independent of the plurality of posts is also displayed. When the user selects the post input area, it is expanded by displacing the plurality of posts. Concurrently, a content item area is displayed within the expanded post input area. An input, comprising a content item, is received from the user in the content item area. An affordance is presented that enables the user to designate access control information corresponding distribution entities. The content item and the access control information are transmitted to a system whereupon access to the content item is restricted in accordance with the access control information.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, for receiving, from a author user, a post data set associated with a post in a social networking service, the post data set including distribution data, the distribution data indicating one or more recipient users to which the first post is to be distributed, determining that at least one recipient user of the one or more recipient users is a non-direct intended recipient, the non-direct intended recipient not being a contact of the author user within the social networking service, receiving a social affinity score, the social affinity score indicating a strength of a relationship between the author user and the non-direct intended recipient, determining that the post is to be distributed to the non-direct intended recipient at least partially based on the social affinity score, and distributing the post to the non-direct intended recipient.

Abstract: In one aspect, a system for presenting a share box with content information in response to an endorsement includes an endorsement sharing module that is responsive to user input and creates a sharing box having content derived from the user context and input request. The endorsement sharing module receives a user request to share information. In response, this endorsement sharing module determines the context of the user, retrieves content based on the context, filters the content based on publisher information, personalizes the share box content, and adds the content to a share box. The endorsement sharing module also adds one or more actions to the share box after which the share box is provided for display to the user.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer-readable storage medium, and including a method for displaying content. The method comprises receiving content items that are publishable to an activity stream in a social networking application for a user in a social network. The method further comprises evaluating the received content items using social criteria, including determining a social quality score for each content item. The method further comprises filtering the received content items to remove content items having social quality scores below a predetermined threshold. The method further comprises ranking remaining content items according to their associated social quality scores. The method further comprises publishing the remaining content items in the activity stream for the user in an order based at least in part on the ranking.

Abstract: In one aspect, a method for providing context regarding an addition to a social graph is provided. The method initiates with processing a request from a first user to add a second user to a social graph of the first user. A context that identified the second user to the first user is identified, the context defined by an activity of the second user preceding the request to add the second user to the social graph of the first user. A message is generated for the second user describing the processed request and containing information based on the context that identified the second user to the first user.