Abstract: Embodiments improve the ability of users of a social networking system to search for information that is likely to be relevant to them by learning and/or applying a search context associated with selector components used to search for objects of the social networking system. The search context is specific to the use of an individual selector and thus need not be as general as the context of an entire page or set of pages in which selectors can be embedded. The social networking system may learn the context of a selector by monitoring user selections from prior search results performed using the selector.

Abstract: Embodiments improve the ability of users of a social networking system to search for information that is likely to be relevant to them by learning and/or applying a search context associated with selector components used to search for objects of the social networking system. The search context is specific to the use of an individual selector and thus need not be as general as the context of an entire page or set of pages in which selectors can be embedded. The social networking system may learn the context of a selector by monitoring user selections from prior search results performed using the selector.

Abstract: A social networking system leverages user's social information to evaluate content submitted for inclusion in objects. If the evaluated submission is accepted, the submission is added to the content of an object. Accepted submissions are also used to predict associations between metadata and objects. Metadata is used to predict which objects will match user searches for information. The social networking system also provides a user interface configured to prompt users to submit information to objects. When a user completes a submission to an object, the user is provided with other options for groups of objects to contribute to. The objects offered are chosen to increase the likelihood that the user will choose to provide submissions to one of the provided objects.

Abstract: A social networking system leverages user's social information to evaluate content submitted for inclusion in objects. If the evaluated submission is accepted, the submission is added to the content of an object. Accepted submissions are also used to predict associations between metadata and objects. Metadata is used to predict which objects will match user searches for information. The social networking system also provides a user interface configured to prompt users to submit information to objects. When a user completes a submission to an object, the user is provided with other options for groups of objects to contribute to. The objects offered are chosen to increase the likelihood that the user will choose to provide submissions to one of the provided objects.

Abstract: Equivalent concepts expressed across multiple domains are matched and associated with a metapage generated by a social networking system. User preferences expressed on multiple domains, represented as pages in a social networking system, may be organized by concept and shared with advertisers, third-party developers, and other users of the social networking system using the metapages generated for the concepts. Aggregated social information may be presented to users of the social networking system viewing a page associated with a metapage. Information presented on external websites may be used to link pages across multiple domains with a metapage generated on the social networking system. In one embodiment, the information on other external websites associated with the metapage may be presented as links on the pages associated with the metapage. Feedback from users may be used to include or exclude pages from being associated with a generated metapage.

Abstract: Equivalent concepts expressed across multiple domains are matched and associated with a metapage generated by a social networking system. User preferences expressed on multiple domains, represented as pages in a social networking system, may be organized by concept and shared with advertisers, third-party developers, and other users of the social networking system using the metapages generated for the concepts. Aggregated social information may be presented to users of the social networking system viewing a page associated with a metapage. Information presented on external websites may be used to link pages across multiple domains with a metapage generated on the social networking system, presenting the information on other external websites associated with the metapage as links on the pages associated with the metapage. Feedback from users may be used to include or exclude pages from being associated with a generated metapage.

Abstract: A social networking system prices advertisements presented to a user of a social networking system via a client device in a state that provides the user with limited functionality by applying discount factors to bid amounts associated with advertisements selected for presentation. A discount factor is based on the likelihood of the user viewing or interacting with an advertisement via the social networking system presented while the client device is in the state providing the user with limited functionality. This likelihood is determined based on information including a history of user interaction with the client device and contextual information indicating whether the client device is in use.

Abstract: A social networking system selects advertisements for presentation to a user while a client device used by the user is in a state that provides limited functionality to the user, such as a locked state. Based on objectives associated with various advertisements, the social networking system determines interactions associated with advertisements and selects advertisements associated with interactions capable of being performed while the client device is in the state that provides limited functionality to the user or associated with no interaction. The social networking system sends the advertisements to the client device for display to the user while the client device is in the state of limited functionality.

Abstract: Embodiments of the invention improve the ability of a social networking system to determine which types of data—hereinafter referred to as “fields”—are relevant to which types of user pages. Specifically, a social networking system assigns page types to different user pages, and likewise stores information on different types of fields. By analyzing the relationships of different pages and fields, the social networking system determines which types of fields are particularly well-suited for inclusion on different types of pages. Using the learned information about page types and field types, the social networking system can better aid page administrators in specifying data to add to their pages. For example, the social networking system can recommend to administrators the addition of certain types of fields or automatically add the fields. Further, the social networking system can specialize a search for social networking system data to field types.

Abstract: A social networking system aggregates two or more stories having at least one common characteristic to create an aggregated story unit. Each story describes an action performed on an object over the social networking system or external to the social networking system. The aggregated story unit includes one or more input elements allowing a viewing user to interact with the aggregate story unit as a whole or with individual stories in the aggregated story unit. The input elements included in the aggregated story unit may be based on the types of the actions or of the objects described by stories in the aggregated story unit and on one or more input policies.

Abstract: A social networking system generates a newsfeed for a user to view when accessing the social networking system. Candidate stories associated with users of the social networking system are selected and an expected value score for each candidate story is determined. An expected value score is based on the probability of a user performing various types of interactions with a candidate story and a numerical value for each type of interaction. The numerical value for a type of interaction represents a value to the social networking system of the type of interaction. Based on the expected value scores, the candidate stories are ranked and the ranking used to select candidate stories for the newsfeed.

Abstract: A social networking system generates a newsfeed for a user to view when accessing the social networking system. Candidate stories associated with users of the social networking selection are selected for inclusion in the newsfeed. Based on data associated with users associated with candidate stories, the social networking system determines a neediness value for the users associated with the candidate stories. The neediness value of a user indicates a degree of assistance by the social networking system to distribute content associated with the user. For users indicated as “needy users” based on their neediness values, the social networking system modifies the location of candidate stories associated with needy users in a ranking of the candidate stories.

Abstract: A social networking system generates a newsfeed for a user to view when accessing the social networking system. Candidate stories associated with users of the social networking system are selected and attributes of each story are determined. The candidate stories are ranked so that the ranking of a candidate story having one or more common attributes with another candidate story is modified. This reduces the likelihood of the newsfeed presenting candidate stories with common attributes proximate to each other.

Abstract: A social networking system displays stories describing actions to a user in a news ticker. The stories may be selected so that a variety of types of stories, stories associated with a variety of users, or stories associated with a variety of actions are presented via the news ticker. Additionally, stories having a common characteristic, such as being associated with a common user, may be aggregated and a description of the aggregated stories is presented in the news ticker. For example, stories aggregated based on acting user may identify the user common to the stories and a description of the aggregated stories may be displayed. Further, the value to the social networking system of displaying different types of content may be used to modify how different types of content are displayed in the news ticker.

Abstract: A social networking system displays stories describing actions to a user in a news ticker. The stories may be selected so that a variety of types of stories, stories associated with a variety of users, or stories associated with a variety of actions are presented via the news ticker. Additionally, stories having a common characteristic, such as being associated with a common user, may be aggregated and a description of the aggregated stories is presented in the news ticker. For example, stories aggregated based on acting user may identify the user common to the stories and a description of the aggregated stories may be displayed. Further, the value to the social networking system of displaying different types of content may be used to modify how different types of content are displayed in the news ticker.

Abstract: A social networking system displays stories describing actions to a user in a news ticker. The stories may be selected so that a variety of types of stories, stories associated with a variety of users, or stories associated with a variety of actions are presented via the news ticker. Additionally, stories having a common characteristic, such as being associated with a common user, may be aggregated and a description of the aggregated stories is presented in the news ticker. For example, stories aggregated based on acting user may identify the user common to the stories and a description of the aggregated stories may be displayed. Further, the value to the social networking system of displaying different types of content may be used to modify how different types of content are displayed in the news ticker.

Abstract: To allow third-party websites to leverage social information maintained in a social networking system, a third-party website may include social information for a user in a web page provided by the third-party website. The social information is obtained from the social networking system. The web page provided by the third-party website includes a social context plug-in that causes a user's browser to obtain social information from a social networking system and to incorporate it within the web page. Customization rules are specified by the web page or by the third-party website to determine how the social information is aggregated and presented on the web page. Hence, the customization rules allow an operator of the third-party website to customize the social content displayed with the web page to provide more relevant information to social networking system users interacting with the third-party website.

Abstract: Embodiments improve the ability of users of a social networking system to search for information that is likely to be relevant to them by learning and/or applying a search context associated with selector components used to search for objects of the social networking system. The search context is specific to the use of an individual selector and thus need not be as general as the context of an entire page or set of pages in which selectors can be embedded. The social networking system may learn the context of a selector by monitoring user selections from prior search results performed using the selector.

Abstract: Embodiments of the invention improve the ability of a social networking system to determine which types of data—hereinafter referred to as “fields”—are relevant to which types of user pages. Specifically, a social networking system assigns page types to different user pages, and likewise stores information on different types of fields. By analyzing the relationships of different pages and fields, the social networking system determines which types of fields are particularly well-suited for inclusion on different types of pages. Using the learned information about page types and field types, the social networking system can better aid page administrators in specifying data to add to their pages. For example, the social networking system can recommend to administrators the addition of certain types of fields or automatically add the fields. Further, the social networking system can specialize a search for social networking system data to field types.

Abstract: A social networking system leverages user's social information to evaluate content submitted for inclusion in objects. If the evaluated submission is accepted, the submission is added to the content of an object. Accepted submissions are also used to predict associations between metadata and objects. Metadata is used to predict which objects will match user searches for information. The social networking system also provides a user interface configured to prompt users to submit information to objects. When a user completes a submission to an object, the user is provided with other options for groups of objects to contribute to. The objects offered are chosen to increase the likelihood that the user will choose to provide submissions to one of the provided objects.