Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a non-transitory computer storage medium, for enhancing asker and answerer interaction within a social search service environment. In one aspect, a system includes a computer-readable medium having instructions stored thereon which, when executed, cause one or more computers to perform operations comprising receiving an answer from a first user in response to a question from a second user in a social search service environment, identifying a set of suggested hyperlinks associated with the received answer, providing the set of suggested hyperlinks to the first user, and receiving a selection of at least one of the set of suggested hyperlinks from the first user. The operations may further comprise providing a combined response to the second user, the combined response including the answer and the at least one selected suggested hyperlink.

Abstract: A system obtains a document that is responsive to a user query. The system determines an interest of the user based on stored data associated with the user, and determines that a portion of the document relates to the interest of the user. The system generates a first snippet for the document based on the portion of the document that relates to the interest of the user, and provides the first snippet for the document as part of a result list.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, for a social search engine. In one aspect, a method includes receiving a question from an asker in which the question is associated with one or more topics; selecting candidate answerers based at least partly on each answerer's respective relationship to the asker; sending the question successively to groups of one or more candidate answerers according to the ranking until an answer is received from a particular one of the candidate answerers; and sending to the asker the received answer and information that identifies the particular answerer.

Abstract: A system obtains a document that is responsive to a user query. The system determines an interest of the user based on stored data associated with the user, and determines that a portion of the document relates to the interest of the user. The system generates a first snippet for the document based on the portion of the document that relates to the interest of the user, and provides the first snippet for the document as part of a result list.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs, for a social search engine. In one aspect, a method includes receiving an answer to a question from an answerer; identifying an entity in the answer, in which the entity refers to a product, a service, a company, or a merchant; obtaining permission from the answerer to provide an interactive link for the entity in the answer to a resource from which the entity can be obtained; receiving a user submitted query and determining that the query is related to the entity; and responsive to determining, providing the answer, including the link to the resource, as part of search results that are responsive to the query.

Abstract: A system obtains a document that is responsive to a user query. The system determines an interest of the user based on stored data associated with the user, and determines that a portion of the document relates to the interest of the user. The system generates a first snippet for the document based on the portion of the document that relates to the interest of the user, and provides the first snippet for the document as part of a result list.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs, for a social search engine. In one aspect, a method includes receiving an answer to a question from an answerer; identifying an entity in the answer, in which the entity refers to a product, a service, a company, or a merchant; obtaining permission from the answerer to provide an interactive link for the entity in the answer to a resource from which the entity can be obtained; receiving a user submitted query and determining that the query is related to the entity; and responsive to determining, providing the answer, including the link to the resource, as part of search results that are responsive to the query.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, for a social search engine. In one aspect, a method includes receiving an answer to a question from an answerer; identifying an entity in the answer, in which the entity refers to a product, a service, a company, or a merchant; obtaining permission from the answerer to provide an interactive link for the entity in the answer to a resource from which the entity can be obtained; receiving a user submitted query and determining that the query is related to the entity; and responsive to determining, providing the answer, including the link to the resource, as part of search results that are responsive to the query.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, for a social search engine. In one aspect, a method includes receiving a question from an asker in which the question is associated with one or more topics; selecting candidate answerers based at least partly on each answerer's respective relationship to the asker; sending the question successively to groups of one or more candidate answerers according to the ranking until an answer is received from a particular one of the candidate answerers; and sending to the asker the received answer and information that identifies the particular answerer.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, for a social search engine. In one aspect, a method includes receiving an answer to a question from an answerer; identifying an entity in the answer, in which the entity refers to a product, a service, a company, or a merchant; obtaining permission from the answerer to provide an interactive link for the entity in the answer to a resource from which the entity can be obtained; receiving a user submitted query and determining that the query is related to the entity; and responsive to determining, providing the answer, including the link to the resource, as part of search results that are responsive to the query.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, for a social search engine. In one aspect, a method includes receiving a question from an asker in which the question is associated with one or more topics; selecting candidate answerers based at least partly on each answerer's respective relationship to the asker; sending the question successively to groups of one or more candidate answerers according to the ranking until an answer is received from a particular one of the candidate answerers; and sending to the asker the received answer and information that identifies the particular answerer.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer program products, in which an selections can be received, the selections including a content item (or items) and a creative item (or items) from a user. The advertisement creation engine can use the content item(s) and the creative item(s) to generate an advertisement. The advertisement can be distributed to a community (e.g., other users).