Abstract: A social networking website maintains a profile for each user of the website. The profile includes data associated with a user, such as a connection to one or more plurality of other users of the social networking website or user preferences. The social networking website communicates with one or more third-party application servers to provide one or more applications to social networking website users. When a social networking website user requests an application provided by a third-party application server, the social networking website communicates a subset of the user's profile to the third-party application server, allowing the third-party application server to use this profile data to personalize the application performed for the user. A privacy setting associated with a user profile allows the social networking website to limit the profile data communicated to the third-party application server.

Abstract: An online system predicts gender, age, interests, or other demographic information of a user based on image data of the user, e.g., profile photos, photos the user posts of him/herself within an online system, and photos of the user posted by other users socially connected with the user, and textual data in the user's profile that suggests age or gender (e.g., like or dislikes similar to a population of users of an online system). The online system similarly predicts a user's interests based on the photos of the user. The online system applies one or more models trained using deep learning techniques to generate the predictions. The online system uses the predictions to build more information about the user in the online system, and provide improved and targeted content delivery to the user that may have disparate information scattered throughout different online systems.

Abstract: Particular embodiments of a social-networking system maintain one or more data stores storing a social graph comprising user nodes, concept nodes, and edges connecting the nodes. Particular embodiments may determine a confidence score with respect to a user node and a concept node, wherein the confidence score is based at least in part on affinity scores associated with the edges along a sequence of nodes between the user node and the concept node in the social graph. The confidence score may be based on an overall probability that a random walk starting at the user node will end at the concept node. This overall probability may be determined by calculating, for each edge in the random walk, the probability of taking that edge during the random walk, based on the affinity score associated with that edge.

Abstract: A social networking system or other user registration site builds a log of exposures by users to advertisements outside of the user registration site to determine their effectiveness. For each user exposed to an advertisement, a log entry is created indicating that the user has been exposed to the advertisement. Tracking pixels are embedded into advertisements that, when accessed, enable the social networking system or user registration site to log access to the advertisement by the user. From the log files, the user registration site identifies exposed users and selects unexposed users with similar demographics and/or behavior information to generate a control group. The two groups can be surveyed about the advertisement to determine its effectiveness. The user exposure information also can be used to retarget advertisements, to measure advertising effectiveness on connections of exposed users, and to measure actions of exposed users.

Abstract: An online system maintains information identify a context in which sponsored content items were presented to users. A context in which a sponsored content item was presented to a user identifies additional content presented to the user prior to the sponsored content item, and may identify additional content presented in conjunction with the sponsored content item. The online system identifies users to whom at least one sponsored content item was presented in a context and generates characteristics for the context based on characteristics of users who were presented with at least one sponsored content item in the context. When the online system receives a request to present sponsored content items in the context that does not identify an online system user, the online system selects sponsored content items for the request based on the generated characteristics for the context.

Abstract: Indexing and retrieving real time content in a social networking system is disclosed. A user-term index includes user-term partitions, each user-term partition comprising temporal databases. As a post is received from a user, a user identifier, a post identifier, and a post is extracted. An object store communicatively coupled to a temporal database for recently received content is queried to determine whether terms in the post has already been stored. A term identifier is stored in the user-term index with the user and post identifiers. A forward index stores the post by post identifier. Responsive to a search query, the user-term index is searched by the user's connections and the terms. A real time search engine compiles the results of the user-term index query and retrieves the stored posts from the forward index. The search results may then be ranked and cached before presentation to the searching user.

Abstract: A social networking website maintains a profile for each user of the website. The profile includes data associated with a user, such as a connection to one or more plurality of other users of the social networking website or user preferences. The social networking website communicates with one or more third-party application servers to provide one or more applications to social networking website users. When a social networking website user requests an application provided by a third-party application server, the social networking website communicates a subset of the user's profile to the third-party application server, allowing the third-party application server to use this profile data to personalize the application performed for the user. A privacy settings associated with a user profile allows the social networking website to limit the profile data communicated to the third-party application server.

Abstract: A method and system for instant personalization security are provided. The system includes a platform for a user to open applications and/or access web sites. When an application is integrated with the platform, the identification of the application can be combined with the ID of the user and encrypted into a hashed ID. The application does not have access to the user's fully identifying profile (e.g., UID or other public information). Instead, the application only has access to a pseudonymous profile (e.g., the hashed ID, first name, last initial, small profile pictures, and/or other non-fully identifying profile information) of the user. One or more options are then provided for the user to authorize or reject the application to access the user's fully identifying profile. Upon the user's authorization, an access token is provided to the application to access a subset of the user's fully identifying profile.

Abstract: Techniques to configure the network distribution of media compositions for reception are described. An apparatus may comprise a user interface component operative to display a messaging interface in association with a first user account with a messaging system, the messaging interface comprising a visual indicator for a second user account with the messaging system, the visual indicator comprising a media composition availability indicator, the media composition availability indicator associated with an inclusion of the first user account in a media composition distribution group for the second user account; receive a user selection of the media composition availability indicator in the messaging interface; and display the media composition in response to the user selection of the media composition availability indicator; and a messaging component operative to receive a media composition package associated with the first user account, the media composition package comprising the media composition.

Abstract: Systems and methods for automatically locating web-based social network members are provided. According to one embodiment, contact content including an associated GPS identifier and status for web-based social network members located at or near the same location automatically appears on a GPS-enabled device. A further exemplary system includes a GPS-enabled device configured to receive a GPS identifier and a status representing a location and a current state for a web-based social network member, a processing module that associates the received GPS-identifier and the received status, and a communications module that sends the associated GPS-identifier and status to a server comprising a web-based social network database. Contact content in a web-based social network database record in the web-based social network database is updated to include the associated GPS identifier and status for the web-based social network member.

Abstract: A user device requests a web page from a web server of a third-party website, which is separate from a social networking system. The web server from the third-party website sends a markup language document for the requested web page to the user device which includes an instruction for a browser application running on the user device to incorporate information obtained from the social networking system within the web page. Based on the instruction in the received markup language document, the user device requests personalized content from the social networking system, which generates the requested personalized content based on social information about the user. The user device then renders the web page with the personalized content contained in a frame and displays the rendered web page and the frame to the user.

Abstract: A social networking website maintains a profile for each user of the website. The profile includes data associated with a user, such as a connection to one or more plurality of other users of the social networking website or user preferences. The social networking website communicates with one or more third-party application servers to provide one or more applications to social networking website users. When a social networking website user requests an application provided by a third-party application server, the social networking website communicates a subset of the user's profile to the third-party application server, allowing the third-party application server to use this profile data to personalize the application performed for the user. A privacy setting associated with a user profile allows the social networking website to limit the profile data communicated to the third-party application server.

Abstract: The disclosure is directed to data replication in a distributed computing system. The system ensures a read-after-write consistency for the replicated data by associating the write requests with unique version numbers, and using them to obtain the data. A server associates a write request with a unique version number, and returns the version number to a client, which can use it in a subsequent read request for the data. On receiving a read request for a first data, the server extracts the version number from the request and ensures a specified write request associated with the version number is processed prior to obtaining the data. If the specified write request is processed, the server obtains the data and returns it to the client, else the server processes the pending write requests up until the version number and then the specified write request, and returns the specified data to the client.

Abstract: A social networking system provides relevant third-party content objects to users by matching user location, interests, and other social information with the content, location, and timing associated with the content objects. Content objects are provided based on relevance scores specific to a user. Relevance scores may be calculated based on the user's previous interactions with content object notifications, or based on interests that are common between the user and his or her connections in the social network. Context search is also provided for a user, wherein a list of search of results is ranked according to the relevance score of content object associated with the search results. Notifications may also be priced and distributed to users based on their relevance. In this way, the system can provide notifications that are relevant to user's interests and current circumstances, increasing the likelihood that they will find content objects of interest.

Abstract: A social networking system provides relevant third-party content objects to users by matching user location, interests, and other social information with the content, location, and timing associated with the content objects. Content objects are provided based on relevance scores specific to a user. Relevance scores may be calculated based on the user's previous interactions with content object notifications, or based on interests that are common between the user and his or her connections in the social network. Context search is also provided for a user, wherein a list of search of results is ranked according to the relevance score of content object associated with the search results. Notifications may also be priced and distributed to users based on their relevance. In this way, the system can provide notifications that are relevant to user's interests and current circumstances, increasing the likelihood that they will find content objects of interest.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are systems and methods for facilitating the usage of an online workforce to remotely monitor security-sensitive sites and report potential security breaches. In some embodiments, cameras are configured to monitor critical civilian infrastructure, such as water supplies and nuclear reactors. The cameras are operatively connected to a central computer or series of computers, and images captured by the cameras are transmitted to the central computer. After initially registering with the central computer, Guardians “log on” to a central website hosted by the central computer and monitor the images, thereby earning compensation. Site owners compensate the operator of the computer system for this monitoring service, and the operator in turn compensates Guardians based on, for example, (i) the amount of time spent monitoring, and/or (ii) the degree of a given Guardian's responsiveness to real or fabricated security breaches.

Abstract: An online system optimizes selection content items for a user based on total value of presenting a selected content item, rather than discrete actions with the content item. To account for the total value of presenting a content item, the online system receives information from a third party system associated with the content item identifying actions by users captured by the third party system and values associated with the identified actions. The online system matches the identified actions with presentations of the content item to various users by identifying users of the online system corresponding to information identifying users received from the third party system and retrieves information describing presentation of content items to the information identifying presentation of content items. Based on historical actions and presentations of a content item, the online system obtains a model determining value of presenting a content item for use in selecting content.

Abstract: Systems and methods for automatically locating web-based social network members are provided. According to one embodiment, contact content including an associated GPS identifier and status for web-based social network members located at or near the same location automatically appears on a GPS-enabled device. A further exemplary system includes a GPS-enabled device configured to receive a GPS identifier and a status representing a location and a current state for a web-based social network member, a processing module that associates the received GPS-identifier and the received status, and a communications module that sends the associated GPS-identifier and status to a server comprising a web-based social network database. Contact content in a web-based social network database record in the web-based social network database is updated to include the associated GPS identifier and status for the web-based social network member.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a method includes receiving a user input from a client system associated with a first user, wherein the user input comprises an incomplete gesture performed by the first user, calculating one or more confidence scores by an intent-understanding module for one or more intents corresponding to the incomplete gesture, determining the calculated confidence scores associated with each of the intents are below a threshold score, selecting candidate gestures from a plurality of pre-defined gestures based on a personalized gesture-recognition model responsive to determining that the calculated confidence scores for each of the intents are below the threshold score, wherein each of the candidate gestures is associated with a confidence score representing a likelihood the first user intended to input the respective candidate gesture, and sending instructions for presenting one or more suggested inputs corresponding to one or more of the candidate gestures to the client system.

Abstract: A social networking system includes a mechanism for integrating user actions on objects outside of the social networking system in the social graph. For example, streaming music on external systems may be integrated into the user experience on the social networking system. Third-party developers, in addition to administrators of the social networking system, may define objects and actions that enable integration of external music sources to be played and controlled using the social networking system while also providing socially relevant information to other users of the social networking system. Actions and objects recorded from these external user interactions are structured to enable aggregation and structured querying, which enables data visualizations of the information discoverable on the social graph. In this way, interesting information about users' actions outside of the domain of the social networking system may be shared and compared with other users on the social networking system.