Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC

Gaganpreet Singh Shah

Mark Hull

Nash Raghavan

Elizabeth Ethel Burstein

Jayant Balasubramanian Sai

Jesse Jyh-Cherng Hsia

Rachel Kumar

Sammy Shreibati

Vivian Mak Urata

Christopher Randall Arrowood

Pradeepta Dash

Chong Ho Lee

Among other things, embodiments of the present disclosure discussed herein may be used to receive, analyze, and distribute queries about various topics from a member of an online social network to other members of the social network. The embodiments of the present disclosure may additionally assess the quality of responses to queries by members, as well as expand or narrow the distribution of the query among the social network based on various events and criteria.

Query processing for online social networks

Techniques for enabling members that have interacted physically to interact thereafter via an online social networking service are described. According to various embodiments, it is determined that a first member and a second member of an online social networking service physically interacted at an interaction location at an interaction time, and a specific time interval commencing at the interaction time is calculated. Thereafter, an ephemeral prompt is displayed to the first member, during the specific time interval, indicating that the first member physically interacted with the second member, and inviting the first member to message the second member via the online social networking service. The ephemeral prompt is prevented from being displayed subsequent to expiration of the specific time interval.

Ephemeral interaction system

Growing community of inventors

Union City, CA, United States of America

Gaganpreet Singh Shah