Abstract: Documents or document sets may be scored to reflect a value of an action, such as a selection for example, when an ad is served with the document (or a document belonging to a document set). A cost associated with the action with respect to an ad that was served with a document may then be adjusted using the score. For example, ad scores may be accepted or determined, and a document may be scored using the ad scores when served with the document and ad scores across a collection of documents to generate a document score. Each of the ad scores may indicate a value of an action with respect to an ad, such as a conversion rate, or a return on investment for an ad selection for example. Document scores used in this way may help advertisers get a more consistent cost per conversion, or return on investment, without requiring them to enter and manage various offers for various documents and/or various ad serving systems having various conversion rates or returns on investment.

Abstract: In accordance with some implementations, a method for storing levels of trust between users for use in online e-commerce is disclosed. The method is performed on a server system having one or more processors and memory storing one or more programs for execution by the one or more processors. The server system stores trust information for a plurality of users, wherein each user has an associated level of trust with one or more other users in the plurality of users. The server system receives, from a first user, a trust indication for a second user in the plurality of users. The server system then updates the trust information of the first user based on the trust indication.

Abstract: In accordance with some implementations, a method for responding to requests submitted through a conversational interface is disclosed. The method is performed on a server system having one or more processors and memory storing one or more programs for execution by the one or more processors. The server system receives a request from a user through a conversational interface. The server system determines, based on the request, whether the system is able to fulfill the request automatically. In accordance with a determination that the system is able to fulfill the request automatically, the server system fulfills the user request with no human interaction. In accordance with a determination that the system is not able to fulfill the request without human intervention, the server system sends the request to a human operator for fulfillment.

Abstract: In accordance with some implementations, a method for rewarding users in a social referral system in accordance with some implementations is disclosed. The method is performed on a server system having one or more processors. The server system stores genealogy data for a plurality of users of the computer system. The server system then detects a user interaction with the computer system. The server system then determines whether the detected user interaction is associated with a reward. The server system then, in accordance with a determination that the detected user interaction is associated with a reward, determines, based on the stored genealogy data associated with the detected user interaction, a list of one or more users to receive at least a portion of the reward associated with the detected user interaction. The server system then allocates the associated reward to at least one of the one or more listed users.

Abstract: In accordance with some implementations, a method for using recommendations to fulfill pre-established purchasing intent is disclosed. The method is performed on a server system having one or more processors and memory storing one or more programs for execution by the one or more processors. The server system receives a recommendation for a product or service from a first user and determines whether a second user has pre-indicated intent to purchase a product or service in a category of product or service that includes the recommended product or service. The server system then purchases the recommended product on behalf of the user without further input from the user.

Abstract: In accordance with some implementations, a method for enabling clickless purchasing is disclosed. The method is performed on a server system having one or more processors and memory storing one or more programs for execution by the one or more processors. The server system detects commercial intent from a user of the computer system. In response to detecting commercial intent, the server system determines a product relevant to the detected commercial intent of a user. The server system sends a recommendation message to the user, wherein the recommendation message includes an option to purchase the product. The server system then receives a response message from the user, the message including authorization from the user to purchase the recommended product. The server system then purchases the recommended product on behalf of the user and delivers the purchased product to the user.

Abstract: In accordance with some implementations, a method for enabling communication with a user is disclosed. The method is performed on a server system having one or more processors and memory storing one or more programs for execution by the one or more processors. The server system sends communication data to a user using a first communication channel. The server system determines that the user has ceased using the first communication channel for receiving communications. The server system identifies a second communication channel. The server system sends further communication data to the user using the identified second communication channel.

Abstract: In accordance with some implementations, a method for selecting a vendor in accordance with some implementations is disclosed. The method is performed on a server system having one or more processors and memory storing one or more programs for execution by the one or more processors. The server system detects stores one or more vendor profiles, wherein each vendor profile is associated with a particular vendor and includes one or more vendor category scores. The server system then receives a purchase request from a user of the server system, wherein the purchase request includes a product or service to be purchased. The server system then determines a vendor to supply the requested product based on the stored vendor profiles. The server system purchases the requested product from the determined vendor. The server system then arranges for delivery of the purchased product or service.

Abstract: In accordance with some implementations, a method for requesting user data is disclosed. The method is performed on a server system having one or more processors and memory storing one or more programs for execution by the one or more processors. The server system establishes a user profile for a user. The user profile includes one or more information items associated with the user. The server system receives a request from the user to access additional services. In response to receiving the user request, the server system requests additional information from the user.

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: Documents or document sets may be scored to reflect a value of an action, such as a selection for example, when an ad is served with the document (or a document belonging to a document set). A cost associated with the action with respect to an ad that was served with a document may then be adjusted using the score. For example, ad scores may be accepted or determined, and a document may be scored using the ad scores when served with the document and ad scores across a collection of documents to generate a document score. Each of the ad scores may indicate a value of an action with respect to an ad, such as a conversion rate, or a return on investment for an ad selection for example. Document scores used in this way may help advertisers get a more consistent cost per conversion, or return on investment, without requiring them to enter and manage various offers for various documents and/or various ad serving systems having various conversion rates or returns on investment.

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, computer program products and systems are described for online-content management. Online content from multiple contributors is received at one or more first computers for public online display. An authentication score is determined for a contributor of the multiple contributors. The contributor's name and a representation of the contributor's authentication score is published online for display on one or more second computers in association with the online content received from the contributor.

Abstract: Methods, computer program products and systems are described for online-content management. Online content from multiple contributors is received at one or more first computers for public online display. An authentication score is determined for a contributor of the multiple contributors. The contributor's name and a representation of the contributor's authentication score is published online for display on one or more second computers in association with the online content received from the contributor.

Abstract: Methods, computer program products and systems are described for online-content management. Multiple online content items authored by multiple authors are received at one or more first computers for online publication. For each online content item, a reputation score is determined for the author of the online content item. The reputation score is based at least in part on one or more reviews of the online content item provided by one or more reviewers other than the author. In response to a query for online content received from a second computer, a set of search results is generated that includes an online content item from the multiple online content items. A ranking of the online content item in the set is determined based at least in part on the reputation score of the author.

Abstract: Any content provider, such as a Website that generates pageviews, with available ad spots can sell such ad spots with fine granularity such as on a per pageview basis, or even on a per ad spot basis. One or more ad spots can be sold for the highest compensation for that pageview. These sales, such as via arbitrated offers, may be dynamic, because many pageviews are not determined until a user request is received, and because the winning ad provider(s) for a pageview might not selected until the page request is known. This may be done by (a) accepting ad spot availability information from a first party, (b) multicasting ad spot requests for offers using the accepted ad spot availability information to at least two second parties, (c) receiving offers, (d) determining at least one winning ad using the offers, and (e) providing information concerning at least one of the at least one winning ad to the first party.

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, computer program products and systems are described for online-content management. Online content from multiple contributors is received at one or more first computers for public online display. An authentication score is determined for a contributor of the multiple contributors. The contributor's name and a representation of the contributor's authentication score is published online for display on one or more second computers in association with the online content received from the contributor.

Abstract: Methods, computer program products and systems are described for online-content management. Multiple online content items authored by multiple authors are received at one or more first computers for online publication. For each online content item, a reputation score is determined for the author of the online content item. The reputation score is based at least in part on one or more reviews of the online content item provided by one or more reviewers other than the author. In response to a query for online content received from a second computer, a set of search results is generated that includes an online content item from the multiple online content items. A ranking of the online content item in the set is determined based at least in part on the reputation score of the author.