Identify Experts and Influencers in a Social Network

• US 20120226748A1
• Filed: 03/03/2011
• Published: 09/06/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/03/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Meta Platforms, Inc. (f/k/a Facebook, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Meta Platforms, Inc. (f/k/a Facebook, Inc.)
• Inventors: Bosworth, Andrew Garrod, Murphy, Michael Patrick
• Granted Patent: US 8,954,503 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/204
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/103 Workflow collaboration or project management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1813 for computer conferences, e.g. chat rooms instant messaging H04L51/04; protocols for multimedia communication H04L65/1101; arrangements for multi-party communication H04L65/403; telephonic conference arrangements H04M3/56; television conference systems H04N7/15

Abstract

On embodiment accesses a set of information comprising one or more elements of information relating to a subject matter, wherein the one or more elements of information have been shared among one or more users of a social-networking system; for each element of information, determines a rate of sharing of the element of information among the one or more users and identifies one or more first users who cause the rate of sharing of the element of information to increase; and identifies one or more influencers associated with the subject matter from the one or more first users identified for each element of information.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

by one or more computing devices,

accessing a set of information comprising one or more elements of information relating to a subject matter, wherein the one or more elements of information have been shared among one or more users of a social-networking system;

for each element of information;

determining a rate of sharing of the element of information among the one or more users; and

identifying one or more first users who cause the rate of sharing of the element of information to increase; and

identifying one or more influencers associated with the subject matter from the one or more first users identified for each element of information.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein for each element of information, identifying the one or more first users comprises identify the one or more first users causing the rate of sharing of the element of information to locally increase significantly.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein for each element of information, identifying the one or more first users comprises:

calculating a first-order derivative of the rate of sharing of the element of information; and

identifying the one or more first users based on the first-order derivative of the rate of sharing of the element of information.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying the one or more influencers from the one or more first users identified for each element of information comprises:

for each unique first user;

determining a total number of elements of information for which the first user is identified; and

if the total number of elements of information is greater than or equal to a threshold, then selecting the first user as one of the one or more influencers.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

conducting a survey among the one or more users of the social-networking system to ask each user to identify one or more potential experts associated with the subject matter; and

selecting, from the one or more potential experts, one or more experts associated with the subject matter.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein for each element of information in the set of information:

one or more instances of the element of information are included in the set of information; and

each instance of the element of information corresponds to where the element of information is shared by one of the one or more users.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

for each element of information, tracing backward a sharing process of the element of information through the one or more instances of the element of information to identify a second user who shares an initial instance of the element of information; and

identifying one or more experts associated with the subject matter from the second user identified for each element of information.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein identifying the one or more experts from the second user identified for each element of information comprises:

for each unique second user;

determining a total number of elements of information for which the second user is identified; and

if the total number of elements of information is greater than or equal to a threshold, then selecting the second user as one of the one or more experts.

9. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

for each element of information, tracing backward a sharing process of the element of information through the one or more instances of the element of information to locate an initial instance of the element of information;

identifying one of the one or more influencers who is closest to the initial instance of the element of information along the sharing process of the element of information;

identifying a second user who is directly connected to the one of the one or more influencers within the social-networking system as an author of the element of information; and

identifying one or more experts associated with the subject matter from the second user identified for each element of information.

10. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

for each element of information, tracing backward a sharing process of the element of information through the one or more instances of the element of information to identify a second user who shares an initial instance of the element of information;

for each influencer, determining a number of connections between the influencer and the second user identified for at least one element of information within the social-networking system; and

grouping the one or more influencers based on the number of connections determined for each influencer.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

identifying the subject matter; and

selecting from information shared on a computer network by the one or more users the one or more elements of information relating to the subject matter to form the set of information.

12. A system comprising:

a memory comprising instructions executable by one or more processors; and

the one or more processors coupled to the memory and operable to execute the instructions, the one or more processors being operable when executing the instructions to;

access a set of information comprising one or more elements of information relating to a subject matter, wherein the one or more elements of information have been shared among one or more users of a social-networking system;

for each element of information;

determine a rate of sharing of the element of information among the one or more users; and

identify one or more first users who cause the rate of sharing of the element of information to increase; and

identify one or more influencers associated with the subject matter from the one or more first users identified for each element of information.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein for each element of information, identifying the one or more first users comprises identify the one or more first users causing the rate of sharing of the element of information to locally increase significantly.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein for each element of information, identifying the one or more first users comprises:

calculate a first-order derivative of the rate of sharing of the element of information; and

identify the one or more first users based on the first-order derivative of the rate of sharing of the element of information.

15. The system of claim 12, wherein identifying the one or more influencers from the one or more first users identified for each element of information comprises:

for each unique first user;

determine a total number of elements of information for which the first user is identified; and

if the total number of elements of information is greater than or equal to a threshold, then select the first user as one of the one or more influencers.

16. The system of claim 12, wherein the one or more processors are further operable when executing the instructions to:

conduct a survey among the one or more users of the social-networking system to ask each user to identify one or more potential experts associated with the subject matter; and

select, from the one or more potential experts, one or more experts associated with the subject matter.

17. The system of claim 12, wherein for each element of information in the set of information:

one or more instances of the element of information are included in the set of information; and

each instance of the element of information corresponds to where the element of information is shared by one of the one or more users.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the one or more processors are further operable when executing the instructions to:

for each element of information, trace backward a sharing process of the element of information through the one or more instances of the element of information to identify a second user who shares an initial instance of the element of information; and

identify one or more experts associated with the subject matter from the second user identified for each element of information.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein identifying the one or more experts from the second user identified for each element of information comprises:

for each unique second user;

determine a total number of elements of information for which the second user is identified; and

if the total number of elements of information is greater than or equal to a threshold, then select the second user as one of the one or more experts.

20. The system of claim 17, wherein the one or more processors are further operable when executing the instructions to:

for each element of information, trace backward a sharing process of the element of information through the one or more instances of the element of information to locate an initial instance of the element of information;

identify one of the one or more influencers who is closest to the initial instance of the element of information along the sharing process of the element of information;

identify a second user who is directly connected to the one of the one or more influencers within the social-networking system as an author of the element of information; and

identify one or more experts associated with the subject matter from the second user identified for each element of information.

21. The system of claim 17, wherein the one or more processors are further operable when executing the instructions to:

for each element of information, trace backward a sharing process of the element of information through the one or more instances of the element of information to identify a second user who shares an initial instance of the element of information;

for each influencer, determine a number of connections between the influencer and the second user identified for at least one element of information within the social-networking system; and

group the one or more influencers based on the number of connections determined for each influencer.

22. The system of claim 12, wherein the one or more processors are further operable when executing the instructions to:

identify the subject matter; and

select from information shared on a computer network by the one or more users the one or more elements of information relating to the subject matter to form the set of information.

23. One or more computer-readable non-transitory storage media embodying software operable when executed by one or more computer systems to:

access a set of information comprising one or more elements of information relating to a subject matter, wherein the one or more elements of information have been shared among one or more users of a social-networking system;

for each element of information;

determine a rate of sharing of the element of information among the one or more users; and

identify one or more first users who cause the rate of sharing of the element of information to increase; and

identify one or more influencers associated with the subject matter from the one or more first users identified for each element of information.

24. The media of claim 23, wherein for each element of information, identifying the one or more first users comprises identify the one or more first users causing the rate of sharing of the element of information to locally increase significantly.

25. The media of claim 23, wherein for each element of information, identifying the one or more first users comprises:

calculate a first-order derivative of the rate of sharing of the element of information; and

identify the one or more first users based on the first-order derivative of the rate of sharing of the element of information.