Abstract: A method of posting ephemeral posts is disclosed. The method starts with receiving, from a user of a social network, a request to post an ephemeral post, the request including an ephemeral variable associated with a threshold event. The ephemeral post is posted on behalf of the user. Then an occurrence of the threshold event is monitored. When the threshold event has not occurred, the post is allowed to be accessible to at least one viewer other than the user. When the threshold event has occurred, the post is blocked from being accessible by the at least one view other than the user.

Abstract: A social networking system presents recommendation units to its users. The recommendation units suggest actions for the users to increase their engagement with the social networking system or otherwise interact with other users. The social networking system establishes internal goals and associates bids for recommendation units with different goals. The bids reflect the value to the goal of a user interacting with a recommendation unit. Based on bids for recommendation units associated with one or more goals, expected values of the recommendation units arid determined. The recommendation units are ranked based on the expected values and one or more recommendation units are selected based on the ranking.

Abstract: A social networking system determines whether a user is a real public figure or is the correct “public persona” of an individual who is famous within a particular domain. The system selects one or more trusted agents. A trusted agent is a user who has been confirmed or is otherwise trusted within the system. The system traverses the social graph of the trusted agent to score and identify additional users who have a sufficient connection to the trusted agent to authenticate them as other confirmed public personas/figures. The system computes confidence scores of the connections of the trusted agent, considering the strength of the connections and other relevant factors. The system provides confidence scores for one or more target users in the social network based on the confidence scores of the friends or connections connecting the trusted agent and the target user.

Abstract: A social networking system detects spam in comments posted by users of the social networking system. A spam prevention module of the social networking system retrieves content signals associated with a posted comment and analyzes the content signals to determine whether the posted comment contains spam content. The spam prevention module augments the content signal analysis by analyzing social signals of the posted comment. Based on the content signal analysis and the social signal analysis, the spam prevention module determines whether the posted comment is spam and takes remedial actions on detected spam, including blocking the comment and educating the user who posted the comment.

Abstract: As a user of a social networking system views a page that includes information provided by the system, certain types of social interactions are monitored. If an interaction monitored for is detected, at least one recommendation unit is identified to present to user on the page. The recommendation unit is identified based on a description of the interaction. The recommendation unit suggests that the user perform a social interaction in the social networking system. The recommendation unit is transmitted to a device of the user and is presented to the user on the page without having to reload the entire page.

Abstract: As a user of a social networking system views a page that includes information provided by the system, certain types of social interactions are monitored. If an interaction monitored for is detected, at least one recommendation unit is identified to present to user on the page. The recommendation unit is identified based on a description of the interaction. The recommendation unit suggests that the user perform a social interaction in the social networking system. The recommendation unit is transmitted to a device of the user and is presented to the user on the page without having to reload the entire page.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a method includes accessing a social graph that includes a plurality of nodes and edges, receiving from a user a selection of a structured query the user wants to share, where the structured query comprises references to nodes and edges of the social graph, and sending the structured query for display on a page associated with one or more other users.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a method includes accessing a social graph that includes a plurality of nodes and edges, identifying a node corresponding to an advertiser, generating a plurality of structured queries, where each structured query comprises reference to nodes and edges of the social graph, and where at least one structured query is a sponsored query comprising a reference to the identified node and one or more edges that are connected to the identified node, and sending one or more of the structured queries to a user for display, where at least one of the sent structured queries is a sponsored query.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a method includes accessing a social graph that includes a plurality of nodes and edges, generating a plurality of structured queries, where each structured query comprises references to nodes and edges of the social graph, generating search results corresponding to at least one of the structured queries, and sending one or more of the structured queries to a user for display, where at least one of the structured queries is displayed with a preview of one or more of the search results corresponding to the structured query.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a method includes accessing a social graph that includes a plurality of nodes and edges, generating a plurality of structured queries, where each structured query comprises references to nodes and edges of the social graph, and where at least one of the structured queries is a dynamic query comprising a reference to one or more to the social graph, and sending one or more of the structured queries to a user for display, where at least one of the sent structured queries is a dynamic query.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a method includes accessing a social graph that includes a plurality of nodes and edges, generating a plurality of structured queries, where each structured query comprises references to nodes and edges of the social graph, calculating a score for each structured query based on user-engagement factors, and sending each structured query having a score greater than a threshold score to a first user for display.

Abstract: User reports concerning inappropriate content are received by a social networking system and are put into a content report management process that routes the reports into other handling processes based upon the reporting user's identification of the report type. Reports concerning content that is related to the reporting user are routed into a social resolution process that resolves the complaint through self-help and social resolution. Other reports are handled by a content review process that resolves complaints through automated methods as well as manual review by human agents.

Abstract: Imposter account reports received by a social networking system are put into a report management process that routes the reports into other handling processes based upon the comparison of the probability of fraud in an alleged imposter account versus the probability of fraud in an alleged authentic account. The account determined to be most probably fraudulent is enrolled in an account verification process. In the account verification process, the account-holder is asked to verify their identity through automatic means. If the automatic means fail to verify the identity of the account-holder, a manual process for verification is initiated.

Abstract: When a social interaction by a user in a social networking system is detected, a description of the interaction is created. A service level auction is performed to select one or more service modules to provide recommendation units from a plurality of service modules. Each of the plurality of service modules is configured to provide recommendation units that suggest that the user engage in a social interaction in the social networking system. The description of the interaction is provided to each service module selected and recommendation units are requested. A plurality of recommendation units are received from the selected service modules. A unit level auction is performed to select one of more recommendation units to present to the user from the plurality of recommendation units. The selected recommendation units are transmitted to a device of the user for presentation.

Abstract: As a user of a social networking system views a page that includes information provided by the system, certain types of social interactions are monitored. If an interaction monitored for is detected, at least one recommendation unit is identified to present to user on the page. The recommendation unit is identified based on a description of the interaction. The recommendation unit suggests that the user perform a social interaction in the social networking system. The recommendation unit is transmitted to a device of the user and is presented to the user on the page without having to reload the entire page.

Abstract: A social networking system performs account recovery for a user with the help of the user's connections (e.g., friends). The social networking system selects connections of the user based on information indicating likelihood of real-world interactions between the user and the selected connections. Access codes are sent to the selected connections and the user instructed to obtain access codes from the selected connections via a communication that is outside the social networking system, for example, via phone. The user provides the access codes obtained from the selected connections to the social networking system. If the access codes provided by the user match the access codes sent to the selected connections, the user is granted access to the account. Real-world interactions between two users are determined based on sharing of devices between the users or information indicating presence of the users in the same place during same time interval.

Abstract: A social networking system performs account recovery for a user with the help of the user's connections (e.g., friends). The social networking system selects connections of the user based on information indicating likelihood of real-world interactions between the user and the selected connections. Access codes are sent to the selected connections and the user instructed to obtain access codes from the selected connections via a communication that is outside the social networking system, for example, via phone. The user provides the access codes obtained from the selected connections to the social networking system. If the access codes provided by the user match the access codes sent to the selected connections, the user is granted access to the account. Real-world interactions between two users are determined based on sharing of devices between the users or information indicating presence of the users in the same place during same time interval.