Abstract: A social network built around objects viewed over the Internet. A user interacts with a web page presenting a recognizable object (for example, a book, a restaurant or a stock quote). A plug-in in the user's browser extracts information from the web page, creates an identifier for the object, and records the interaction at a network node for the object and a network node for the user. The plug-in further creates a toolbar that is displayed with the web page, which identifies other viewers who recently viewed the object on the Internet and, in particular, other viewers who have been selected by the user as friends. The user may view a profile for any of the other viewers that provides links to the web page where the selected viewer viewed the object, to other objects viewed by that viewer and to other viewers linked to the viewer.

Abstract: A multiple-link shortcut pane associated with an object on a web page provides multiple Internet links dynamically selected based in part on an object type of the object. The shortcut pane is invoked by launching a shortcut launcher icon on the web page, which causes an object key to be transmitted to a shortcut server. The shortcut server retrieves identifying information for the object from a database based on the object key, and an object type-specific template based on the object type. The object type is determined from the identifying information. The shortcut server then prepares and transfers information for building the multiple-link shortcut pane to the browser application that displays the web page. The shortcut pane may be further configured to capture and provide additional information about viewers who have accessed the pane, and actions they have taken.