Abstract: A computer system enables automated consumer engagement by an organization. An electronic communication of the consumer may be determined to satisfy a predetermined criterion. For example, it may be determined that the electronic communication contains a particular hashtag indicating affinity with a brand of the organization. A request for authorization by the consumer to transmit future communications to the consumer may be transmitted to the consumer. In response to receiving authorization, a communication representing an incentive may be transmitted to the consumer.

Abstract: A computer-based system identifies, measures, and rewards user interaction with online content, such as customer interaction with online content posted by companies about their products and services. The system tracks user activity online, such as user activity on online social networking systems and on web sites. For each user and company, the system generates a profile that contains data representing the user's interaction with the company's online content. The system may use such profiles to search for users who are similar to a particular user, to drive social gesture advertising to amplify the actions of users, to highlight particular users for other users to discover and connect with, and to deliver targeted promotions and to incent online engagement by users.

Abstract: A computer system facilitates the process of enabling users of an online social networking system to endorse online content. A user of the online social networking system provides input representing an address (e.g., URL) of the content. In response, the system generates code implementing a mechanism for endorsing the content (such as a Facebook “like” button) and provides the code as output to the user. The user may then insert the code into a page (e.g., a Facebook page or a web page external to Facebook) containing the content, thereby producing a modified page. The modified page may be rendered to display a Facebook “like” button or other means for endorsing the content. Furthermore, the user may use the system to control the appearance of messages (such as Facebook news feed stories) that are generated in response to an endorsement of the content, and to track content endorsements.

Abstract: A computer-based system enables categories to be associated with content in an online social networking system. For example, a user of such a system may post a unit of content to such a system and associate one or more categories with that unit of content. As a result, the user-specified categories are stored in the social networking system in association with the posted content. When the posted content is displayed to users of the online social networking system, the categories associated with the posted content may or may not be displayed in association with the posted content. The set of categories associated with the posted content may be modified after the content is posted. Users other than the user who posted the content may be enabled to post other content within the same categories, but may be prevented from modifying those categories.

Abstract: An online fraud prevention system enables a user who sponsors an online activity to select a particular level of fraud prevention from a plurality of levels of fraud prevention. The system associates the particular level of fraud prevention with the online activity. The system identifies, from among a plurality of methods of fraud prevention, a particular fraud prevention method associated with the particular level of fraud prevention. The fraud prevention system applies the particular fraud prevention method to the online activity.

Abstract: A computer-based system enables categories to be associated with content in an online social networking system. A user of such a system posts a unit of content to such a system and associate one or more categories with that unit of content. As a result, the user-specified categories are stored in the social networking system in association with the posted content. When the posted content is displayed to users of the online social networking system, the categories associated with the posted content may or may not be displayed in association with the posted content. The set of categories associated with the posted content may be modified after the content is posted. Users other than the user who posted the content may be enabled to post other content within the same categories, but may be prevented from modifying those categories.

Abstract: A computer-based system enables users who share content on online social networking systems to control the information that is shared in association with the shared content. For example, if a first user shares a hyperlink to content in an online social networking system with one or more other users, the user may specify the information to be shared in association with the hyperlink, such as one or more images to be shared in association with the hyperlink and a summary to be shared in association with the hyperlink. The information associated with the hyperlink may be embedded within the hyperlink to create a modified hyperlink. The modified hyperlink may then be shared with the other users instead of the original hyperlink. When the online social networking system displays the modified hyperlink to the other users, the online social networking system may display the information associated with the modified hyperlink.