Abstract: Methods, systems, and computer programs are presented for managing interaction between users in a social network. One method includes receiving one or more first user interactions made by a user account in a social network system with content presented in a user interface on a display device. The content is associated with a first entity account in the social network system. The first user interactions include one or more endorsements of the content or the first entity account. The method further includes calculating, by at least one processor, a level of endorsement of the first entity account by the user account based on the endorsements. The method further includes providing a limited level of access to the first entity account to add one or more posts to a stream of the user account in a stream user interface of the social network system based on the level of endorsement.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and computer programs are presented for managing interaction between users in a social network. One method includes providing a user account having information that identifies a person associated with the user account. The method further includes receiving interactivity of the person on the user account. The received interactivity identifying endorsements made by the person utilizing the user account, and the endorsements made by the person are associated to a soft following metric. The method also includes identifying entities selected for following by the person of the user account. The selection for following triggered by direct action by the person on the user account to add an entity to one or more groups created at the user account. The selection for following being associated with a hard following metric that allows the entity having an entity account to post data to the user account of the user.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, for information retrieval. In one aspect, a method includes receiving a search input including one or more search terms; determining whether the search input includes a particular token; in response to determining that the search input includes the particular token, determining whether the one or more search terms are associated with a particular social page; in response to determining that the one or more search terms are associated with the particular social page, providing the particular social page without providing search results.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, for information retrieval. In one aspect, a method includes receiving a search input including one or more search terms; determining whether the search input includes a particular token; in response to determining that the search input includes the particular token, determining whether the one or more search terms are associated with a particular social page; in response to determining that the one or more search terms are associated with the particular social page, providing the particular social page without providing search results.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for operating a local server computer of a client-server network includes a technique to receive a request from a client computer of the client-server network. A determination is made whether the request requires dynamically generated information from a servlet object of the client-server network. If so, a specified servlet object corresponding to the request may be uploaded from a remote server computer of the client-server network. The specified servlet object is then executed to obtain dynamically generated information corresponding to the request.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for operating a local server computer of a client-server network includes a technique to receive a request from a client computer of the client-server network. A determination is made whether the request requires dynamically generated information from a servlet object of the client-server network. If so, a specified servlet object corresponding to the request may be uploaded from a remote server computer of the client-server network. The specified servlet object is then executed to obtain dynamically generated information corresponding to the request.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for operating a local server computer of a client-server network includes a technique to receive a request from a client computer of the client-server network. A determination is made whether the request requires dynamically generated information from a servlet object of the client-server network. If so, a specified servlet object corresponding to the request may be uploaded from a remote server computer of the client-server network. The specified servlet object is then executed to obtain dynamically generated information corresponding to the request.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for managing connections between objects in a distributed object system includes a method and apparatus for terminating connections between objects. In one aspect, the method for terminating a connection, a connection end message is sent from a server to a client indicating to the client that the server will no longer accept requests before the connection is terminated. Preferably a connection end code is included with the connection end message. In another aspect, the invention includes a method for making connections between objects are formed by intelligently closing existing connections that meet the criteria of being established and across which no unfulfilled requests or unforwarded replies are pending. If several connections meet these criteria, the oldest unused connection is terminated.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for operating a local server computer of a client-server network includes a technique to receive a request from a client computer of the client-server network. A determination is made whether the request requires dynamically generated information from a servlet object of the client-server network. If so, a specified servlet object corresponding to the request may be uploaded from a remote server computer of the client-server network. The specified servlet object is then executed to obtain dynamically generated information corresponding to the request.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for operating a local server computer of a client-server network includes a technique to receive a request from a client computer of the client-server network. A determination is made whether the request requires dynamically generated information from a servlet object of the client-server network. If so, a specified servlet object corresponding to the request may be uploaded from a remote server computer of the client-server network. The specified servlet object is then executed to obtain dynamically generated information corresponding to the request.

Abstract: A communication appliance with a desktop unit and a secondary unit. The desktop unit includes an outer casing, bottom feet, openings in the outer casing for control elements, a plurality of heat-producing electronic components and at least one speaker. The bottom feet extend from a bottom of the outer casing and support the outer casing on a surface such that the bottom of the outer casing is spaced from the surface. The control elements are used for operating the communication appliance. The outer casing includes a plurality of cooling slots for cooling electronic components found in the interior of the communication appliance so that a fan or other external device is not needed.

Abstract: A variety of methods, apparatus, and data structures for managing transient and persistent distributed objects are disclosed. Objects for use as object references are described, both for transient and persistent objects. In one aspect of the invention, a data structure that is intended for use as an object reference for a transient object is disclosed having a set of endpoint addresses, an incarnation number, and an object key. These elements serve to uniquely identify and locate the transient object. In another aspect of the invention, an object that is intended for use as an object reference for a persistent object is disclosed having a host computer name, a locator identification, an object key, and a subobject identifier. The first three elements serve as an indirection to the persistent object and the third element is for use by the persistent object. These data structures enable a distributed object operating environment which integrates both transient and persistent objects.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for operating a local server computer of a client-server network includes a technique to receive a request from a client computer of the client-server network. A determination is made whether the request requires dynamically generated information from a servlet object of the client-server network. If so, a specified servlet object corresponding to the request may be uploaded from a remote server computer of the client-server network. The specified servlet object is then executed to obtain dynamically generated information corresponding to the request.