Facebook, Inc.

Friendster, Inc.

Nicholas Galbreath

Christopher Lunt

Jeffrey B Winner

Mirko Predosin

Yuh-Wen Soung

An online social network is managed using one server for database management tasks and another server, preferably in a distributed configuration, for CPU-intensive computational tasks, such as finding a shortest path between two members or a degree of separation between two members. The additional server has a memory device containing relationship information between members of the online social network and carries out the CPU-intensive computational tasks using this memory device. With this configuration, the number of database lookups is decreased and processing speed is thereby increased.

Graph server querying for managing social network information flow

Relevant content is prepared and selected for delivery to a member of a network based, in part, on prior online activities of the other members of the network, and the closeness of the member's relationship with the other members of the network. The relevant content may be an online ad, and is selected from a number of candidate online ads based on click-through rates of groups that are predefined with respect to the member and with respect to certain attributes. An online ad's revenue-generating potential may be considered in the selection process.

Online content delivery based on information from social networks

In particular embodiments, a method comprises accessing, from a first user of an online social network, profile information of the first user comprising personal information of the first user and a visibility preference specified by the first user, wherein the visibility preference specifies a degree of separation preference and determines a flow of the first user's profile information to users of the online social network and a flow of information to the first user, identifying relationships between the first user and one or more second users of the online social network based on the personal information and the visibility preference of the first user, and further based on personal information of the one or more second users, and updating a member database with the identified relationships between the first user and one or more of the second users.

Identifying relationships in an online social network

In particular embodiments, a computing system may receive a search query from a first user of an online social network, identify one or more second users of the online social network that match the search query, where each identified second user may have a visibility setting specifying which other users of the online social network can view information from the online social network associated with the second user, and send to the first user information associated with each second user having a relationship within the online social network to the first user such that the visibility setting of the second user specifies that the first user can view the information associated with the second user.

Controlling access of user information using social-networking information

Particular embodiments access a search query submitted by a first user of a social-networking system; identify one or more web pages in response to the search query; for each of the one or more web pages, determine a value indicating a number of user clicks associated with the web page by one or more second users of the social-networking system who are connected to the first user within the social-networking system; and send a set of hyperlinks for the one or more web pages, wherein hyperlinks for web pages where the value is greater than zero are visually emphasized over other hyperlinks.

Ranking search results based on the frequency of access on the search results by users of a social-networking system

In particular embodiments, a method comprises maintaining a database of connections between a plurality of members of an online social network, creating a new entry for a new user in the database responsive to the new user joining the online social network, determining whether the new user joined the online social network in response to a request from an existing user of the online social network, and if the new user joined the online social network in response to a request from the existing user, then sending a prompt to the new user to confirm the relationship between the new user and the existing user.

Relationship confirmation in an online social network

An online social network is provided in which members of the online social network control who may view their personal information and who may communicate with them. The members control who may view their personal information by setting a visibility preference. A member may not view another member's full personal profile if the measure of relatedness between the two is greater than the visibility preference of the other member. The members also control who may communicate with them by setting a contactability preference. A member may not communicate with another member if the measure of relatedness between the two is greater than the contactability preference of the other member.

System and method for managing information flow between members of an online social network

Particular embodiments receive, at a first computing device associated with a social-networking system and from a second computing device associated with a third-party system, a query comprising a first identifier corresponding to a user of the third-party system, wherein the first identifier is computed by applying a hash algorithm to a user credential associated with the user of the third-party system; determine, by the first computing device, whether the user of the third-party system matches any member of the social-networking system; and if the second identifier corresponding to a member of the social-networking system matches the first identifier, then send, by the first computing device to the second computing device, social-network information of the member of the social-networking system in response to the query.

Providing social-network information to third-party systems

System and method for managing an online social network

Particular embodiments access a query submitted by a first user; retrieve information concerning one or more second users; retrieve a degree of separation between the first user and each second user within a social-networking system; and for each second user, if the degree of separation between the first user and the second user is less than or equal to a threshold degree of separation, then send the information concerning the second user to the first user in response to the query.

Particular embodiments receive an indication from a first user that the first user desires to play a game; retrieve, from a social-networking system, one or more second users who are connected to the first user within a threshold degree of separation within the social-networking system; and invite each second user to play the game with the first user.

Growing community of inventors

San Francisco, CA, United States of America

Nicholas Galbreath