Scaling Social Networks

• US 20100169789A1
• Filed: 08/17/2009
• Published: 07/01/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/30/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Muzio, Simon C., Norlander, Rebecca Ann, Daley, Alex D., Dumais, Susan T., Cheng, Lili, Manolescu, Dragos A., Brush, Alice Jane Bernheim, Oberon, John, Meijer, Henricus (Erik) Johannes Maria, Braun, Owen Charles
• Granted Patent: US 8,850,325 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/738
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/00 Commerce

Abstract

The claimed subject matter relates to an architecture that can scale a content feed in terms of the amount of content delivered in order to facilitate satisfactory experiences in connection with a social network. In particular, the architecture can utilize a content feed to disseminate content between members of a network community, generally relative to a particular social circle of a given user. The architecture can maintain a personal space for the user and display to the personal space content provided by a content feed. Content provided to the personal space (as well as that retrieved from the personal space) can be scaled based upon a variety of commitment characteristics associated with the social circle. In addition, the architecture can employ smart dispersal of content and can intelligently acquire additional content from the user or import suitable settings from disparate users.

Claims

1. A computer implemented system that scales a content feed to facilitate satisfactory experiences in connection with a social network, comprising:

an authentication component that authorizes access to a personal space associated with a social circle, the personal space is maintained by a provider of a social networking service and is associated with a user of the social networking service;

an interface component that interfaces the personal space to a content feed; and

a customization component that throttles the content feed based upon a set of commitment characteristics associated with the social circle.

2. The system of claim 1, the interface component displays to the personal space content provided by the content feed.

3. The system of claim 1, the personal space is a node of the social circle maintained by the provider and the social circle includes a set of disparate nodes linked to the node, each disparate node represents a contact described by the personal space.

4. The system of claim 1, the social circle constitutes a portion of a community that is maintained by the provider and accessible by way of the social networking service.

5. The system of claim 1, the content feed provides content available from a community maintained by the provider.

6. The system of claim 1, the content feed provides content available from a contact included in the social circle.

7. The system of claim 1, the set of commitment characteristics includes at least one of a recent level of activity in connection with the user, a historic level of activity in connection with the user, a size of the social circle, a recent level of activity of one or more contacts included in the social circle, a historic level of activity of one or more contacts included in the social circle, or a level of current or upcoming other obligations or commitments.

8. The system of claim 1, the customization component reduces content flow from the content feed when commitment characteristics surpass a maximum activity threshold.

9. The system of claim 1, the customization component increases content flow from the content feed when commitment characteristics fall below a minimum activity threshold.

10. The system of claim 9, the customization component identifies suitable additional content to include in the content feed based upon at least one of a popularity of the additional content, a historic significance of the additional content, a similarity between the user and other users who receive the additional content, or a similarity between the social circle and other social circles that receive the additional content.

11. The system of claim 1, the customization component filters or selects content from the content feed based upon a priority associated with content, the priority is determined based upon at least one of settings or preferences associated with the user, settings or preferences associated with a similar user space, machine learning techniques in connection with historic activity or behavior, or machine-based inferences in connection with satisfactory use of the social networking service.

12. The system of claim 11, the customization component anonymously imports settings or preferences from the similar user space in order to facilitate a richer experience for the user in connection with the personal space.

13. The system of claim 1, further comprising a publication component that provides to the content feed content from the personal space or the user.

14. The system of claim 13, the publication component employs smart dispersal of content to the content feed in order to simulate frequent updates to the personal space.

15. The system of claim 13, further comprising a negotiation component that acquires permission from the user to populate the content feed with authorized content included in a third party application or a disparate device.

16. The system of claim 15, the negotiation component interfaces with the third party application or the disparate device to obtain the authorized content, and the publication component includes the authorized content in the content feed.

17. A computer implemented method for facilitating satisfactory experiences in connection with managing social networks, comprising:

maintaining for a user of a social networking service a social circle that includes a personal space;

authenticating access to the personal space by the user;

interfacing a content feed to the personal space; and

employing a processor for customizing an amount of content provided by the content feed based upon a set of commitment characteristics associated with social circle.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising at least one of the following acts:

maintaining a network community constituting substantially all members of the social networking service;

establishing the social circle including members of the network community designated in a contact list of the user;

including in the content feed content from at least one of the community, the social circle, or the user;

restricting the commitment characteristics to at least one of a recent level of activity in connection with the user, a historic level of activity in connection with the user, a size of the social circle, a recent level of activity of one or more contacts included in the social circle, a historic level of activity of one or more contacts included in the social circle, or a level of other obligations;

reducing the amount of content provided by the content feed when commitment characteristics meet or exceed a maximum activity threshold;

or

increasing the amount of content provided by the content feed when commitment characteristics are at or below a minimum activity threshold.

19. The method of claim 17, further comprising at least one of the following acts:

identifying suitable additional content when the amount of content provided by the content feed is increased;

importing settings or preferences for the user from a similar user for facilitating a richer experience in connection with the social networking service;

utilizing smart dispersal of content in connection with the content feed for simulating frequent updates to the personal space;

acquiring permission from the user for populating the content feed with authorized data included in a third party application or a disparate device;

interfacing with the third party application or the disparate device for obtaining the authorized data;

or

including the authorized data in the content feed.

20. A computer implemented system that scales a content feed to facilitate satisfactory experiences in connection with a social network, comprising:

an authentication component that authorizes access to a personal space associated with a social circle, the personal space is maintained by a provider of a social networking service and is associated with a user of the social networking service;

an interface component that interfaces the personal space to a content feed

a publication component that provides to the content feed outgoing content from the personal space or the user, the publication component utilizes smart dispersal of outgoing content in order to simulate frequent updates to the personal space; and

a customization component that throttles the content feed based upon a set of commitment characteristics associated with the user, the set of commitment characteristics includes at least one of a recent level of activity in connection with the user, a historic level of activity in connection with the user, a size of the social circle, a historic level of activity of one or more contacts included in the social circle, a recent level of activity of one or more contacts included in the social circle, or a level of other commitments or obligations.