Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on computer storage media, for generating and displaying contextual audiovisual content as a reaction video. One of the methods includes receiving a request from a user; and in response: receiving an input from the user identifying an incoming message of an incoming message stream coming into the user device from the platform, receiving an input from the user using the user device, wherein the input selects content from the incoming message as a subject content item; displaying the subject content item on a display of the user device; while displaying the subject content item, recording a user authored video; generating a reaction video, comprising generating a reaction video frame for each user authored video frame, and generating, as the reaction message, a social messaging platform message comprising the reaction video.

Abstract: A method for displaying messages includes receiving, from a social network system, a plurality of messages, and filtering the plurality of messages into at least two filtered sets of messages based on a group where each of the at least two filtered sets of messages include a different subset of the plurality of messages. The method can include assigning each of the at least two filtered sets of messages to a column, triggering concurrent display of the at least two filtered sets of messages in the assigned column, and analyzing data related to an interaction of a user with at least one filtered set of messages from the at least two filtered messages.

Abstract: A real-time messaging platform allows advertiser accounts to pay to insert candidate messages into the message streams requested by account holders. To accommodate multiple advertisers, the messaging platform controls an auction process that determines which candidate messages are selected for inclusion in a requested account holder's message stream. Selection is based on a bid for the candidate message, the message stream that is requested, and a variety of other factors that vary depending upon the implementation. The process for selection of candidate messages generally includes the following steps, though any given step may be omitted or combined into another step in a different implementation: targeting, filtering, prediction, ranking, and selection.

Abstract: A method for displaying messages receiving from a social network system, a plurality of messages, and filtering the plurality of messages into at least two filtered sets of messages based on at least one feature of the plurality of messages where each of the at least two filtered sets of messages includes a different subset of the plurality of messages. The method can include assigning a first of two filtered sets of messages to a first column, analyzing an interaction of the user with the first of the two filtered set of messages, and triggering display of a second of the two filtered sets of messages in a second column in response to the interaction.

Abstract: Various embodiments disclose an in-message application facilitating the use of third-party application programming interfaces (APIs). In particular, these in-message applications (referred to as “cards”) may be designed by a developer to access third-party API functionality. A user may then create a message referencing, e.g., a web address associated with the developer's card. The system may receive the user's message and recognize the reference. The system may then distribute an instantiation of the card to various recipients, the instantiation including elements generated using, or providing the user access to, the third party functionality.

Abstract: A system and method for providing content for broadcast by a messaging platform, including: receiving an identifier selected by a user of a client computing device during composition of a message; identifying a content provider associated with the identifier; providing, by a computer processor, a set of content items of the content provider for presentation by the client computing device, wherein the user of the client computing device selects a content item from the presented set of content items; and broadcasting the message with a reference to the selected content item to a plurality of accounts of the messaging platform.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on computer storage media, for detecting sources of computer network failures. One of the methods includes identifying a network flow in a computer network between a source and a destination; performing a first probe to determine whether there is end-to-end connectivity between the source and the destination; in response to determining that there is no end-to-end connectivity between the host and the destination, performing one or more additional probes including a second probe to determine whether each hop in the path of the network flow between the source and the destination is operational including requesting that the source transmit a respective first trace diagnostic packet to each hop in the path of the network flow; and determining whether at least one link of the computer network that is part of the path of the network flow has failed based on the results.

Abstract: An example system includes prediction workers, training workers, and a parameter server. The prediction workers store a local copy of a machine-learned model and run the mode exclusively in serving mode. The training workers store a local copy of a machine-learned model and a local snapshot and run the local copy exclusively in training mode and compare the local model or state to the snapshot after training to send delta updates to the parameter server after training. The parameter server aggregates received delta updates into a master copy of the model, sends the aggregated updates back to training workers and provides two types of updates; a real-time update based on a comparison of the master model with a local snapshot, and a full update. The real-time update occurs at least an order of magnitude more frequently than the full update and includes a subset of the weights in the model.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on computer storage media, for performing dynamic control of social messaging platform client-side and server-side behavior according to current and historical environmental, service, and application conditions.

Abstract: A method includes selecting two or more frames from a plurality of frames of a video, downscaling the two or more frames, estimating a flow data based on an optical flow associated with the downscaled two or more frames, upscaling the flow data, generating a refined flow data based on the upscaled flow data and the downscaled two or more frames, upscaling the refined flow data, and synthesizing an image based on the upscaled refined flow data and the two or more frames.

Abstract: Systems and methods are described for load balancing between a set of servers. Subsets of servers from the set of servers are assigned, via deterministic subsetting, to respective clients from a set of clients. Unlike conventional load balancing techniques using deterministic subsetting, the disclosed techniques enable configuring a client to distribute different amounts of load among the servers in its server subset. Techniques for constructing the subsets are also described.

Abstract: A method of operating a messaging platform, including: obtaining, for a first profile of the messaging platform, a trending entity within a first topic of interest to the first profile; accessing a first plurality of messages classified as the first topic of interest; retrieving a subset of the first plurality of messages corresponding to the trending entity; and sending content associated with the subset for display to a user of the first profile.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on computer storage media, for posting messages on a social messaging platform. One of the methods includes providing a message composition interface; receiving a user request to include a promotion with a composed message; in response to the request, processing the content of the composed message and the user's profile on the social messaging platform to determine one or more social signals; computing an engagement score for each user in a pool of users, wherein the engagement score for each user indicates the likelihood that the user will engage with the message; selecting candidate users from the pool of users; selecting a plurality of target users from the candidate users based on a promotion value and the respective engagement scores; and posting the message on the platform including adding the message to a message stream associated with the selected target users.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on computer storage media, for identifying devices. One of the methods includes receiving one or more data packets at a network location from a client device, the one or more data packets being associated with a connection request from the client device seeking a connection with particular network resources; identifying transport layer information from the one or more data packets; extracting particular values of the transport layer information; generating a cryptographic hash value from the extracted values, wherein the hash value provides an identifier for the client device; using the identifier for the client device to monitor subsequent connection requests from the client device; and in response to the monitoring, determining whether to perform denial of service (DoS) mitigation with respect to the client device.

Abstract: According to an aspect, a system includes a messaging platform configured to facilitate an exchange of messages between user accounts of the messaging platform, and a client application configured to communicate with the messaging platform. The messaging platform is configured to store a UI process flow relating to the on-boarding process, where the UI process flow defines a flow logic for a plurality of nodes representing tasks to be executed by the client application, and each node is defined by one or more generic UI components and configuration data that configures the generic UI components to render UI objects on a user interface of the client application. The messaging platform is configured to modify one or more of the tasks or the flow logic to change at least one aspect of the on-boarding process without requiring the client application to implement a software update.

Abstract: A method for integrating audio recording and distributing. The method can include: detecting a user interface selection made by a user of a computing device; recording an audio snippet in response to the user interface selection; generating, by the first computing device, a social network message including an indication of the audio snippet; and transmitting the social network message to an external server for broadcasting to a set of user accounts of a real-time messaging platform.

Abstract: A method for testing web services includes obtaining, by a new version of a service deployed on a network framework, a request and an old response to the request generated by an old version of the service, generating, by the new version of the service, a new response to the request, and generating, by a comparison tool built into the network framework and accessible to the new version of the service, a comparison of the old response and the new response.

Abstract: A method for presenting stories includes creating clusters of documents. Each cluster corresponds to a story. A computer processor generates, for each cluster, a global ranking of social networking messages about the story. The method further includes identifying, for each cluster, a representative social networking message according to the global ranking, selecting, by the computer processor, for a user, a subset of the clusters, and presenting, to the user, the representative social networking message for each cluster in the subset of the clusters.

Abstract: A method and system for capturing, sharing, viewing, and/or displaying one or more videos. A user of a computing device performs a gesture involving contacting a touch sensitive display. In response, a video segment is captured while the user maintains contact with the touch sensitive display. Upon releasing contact with the touch sensitive display, recording of the video segment is ceased. In one or more embodiments of the invention, the user may then record one or more additional video segments to be included in a video vignette.

Abstract: A method of placing advertisements involves sending, from a device, a request for at least one ad position, receiving, in response to the request, ad positioning information specifying an ad position in a stream and a related content position in the stream, determining, by the device, that a related content item is present in the stream, and overriding, by the device, the ad positioning information by placing an advertisement associated with the related content in the related content position within the stream.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for synchronising advertisements published on a group communications network with advertisements in a broadcast, the apparatus comprising: a receiver for receiving broadcast data; a communications interface in communication with a group communications network; a broadcast data content extractor adapted to derive search terms and advert data from the received broadcast data, the advert data relating to an advert received in the broadcast data, wherein on receipt of a query by a user of the group communications network, the query comprising one or more of the search terms, the communications interface publishes a group communication comprising at least a portion of the advert data on the group communications network.

Abstract: A method for operating a server system. The method includes: receiving, by the server system, a request for a plurality of assets in a first format to fill an ad unit, in an application executing on a mobile device, with a native advertisement; receiving, by the server system and from an ad source over a network, ad content in a second format; converting, by a converter of the server system, the ad content in the second format to the plurality of assets in the first format; and sending, by the server system, the plurality of assets to the application, where the application fills the ad unit with the native advertisement including at least one of the plurality of assets.

Abstract: A system and method for message analysis, including: receiving, from a client device, a reporting request identifying a first broadcasted message authored by a context account of a messaging platform; identifying, by a computer processor, engagement data corresponding to engagement with the first broadcasted message by a set of engaging accounts of the messaging platform that engaged with the first broadcasted message; generating, using the engagement data and by the computer processor, propagation data representing propagation of the first broadcasted message in a connection graph of the messaging platform; and providing the propagation data for the client device in response to the reporting request, where the client device is operable to display a visual representation of the propagation data.

Abstract: A messaging system automatically populates a stream of messages using only a seed selected by the requesting account holder. In one embodiment, the seed includes the streams of one or more of the “top” accounts of the messaging system. Here, “top” is according to any one of a number of different metrics stored in the messaging system. With knowledge of the seed, the messaging system automatically populates a stream for the requesting account holder, without requiring any other input. As a result, an account holder is provided with a fully functioning stream with very little effort or knowledge required on their part.

Abstract: Images of key phrases or hashtags appear on televised feeds. Image processing techniques, such as feature locating algorithms or character recognition algorithms, can be used to locate the images of key phrases in the images. Then, character recognition algorithms can be used to generate a list of candidate key phrases for the key phrase in image format. However, identification of the key phrase in image format is not completely accurate with conventional methods. Social media content items associated with the televised feed are used to filter the list of candidate key phrases. Using known information about the televised feed as well as about key phrases in text format in the social media content items, candidate key phrases in the list of candidate key phrases can be scored and, thus, a final candidate key phrase selected based on the scores.

Abstract: According to an aspect, a method for ranking messages of conversation graphs in a messaging platform using machine-learning signals includes receiving a conversation view request to retrieve messages of a conversation graph stored on a messaging platform and determining a plurality of predictive outcomes for each of a plurality of messages of the conversation graph using predictive models. The determining step may include obtaining a plurality of signals relevant to the predictive models, the plurality of signals including data structure-related signals relating to the conversation graph and inputting the plurality of signals to the predictive models. The method includes ranking the plurality of messages based on the predictive outcomes and transmitting at least a subset of the plurality of messages to be rendered on a client application according to the rank.

Abstract: According to an aspect, a method for identifying relevant messages in a conversation graph on a messaging platform includes transmitting, over a network, messages between a plurality of users on the messaging platform, generating a conversation graph based on relationships between the messages, where the conversation graph includes a plurality of messages related to a conversation, and the plurality of messages of the conversation graph include a root message and one or more reply messages connected to the root message. The method includes marking a subset of the plurality of messages of the conversation graph as relevant to the conversation, including marking a message from a user account having a credibility rating over a threshold level, and transmitting, over the network, digital information to render the subset of the plurality of messages on a user interface of a computing device.

Abstract: A system and method for user content presentation, including: receiving, in association with a request to establish a graph relationship between a first account and a second account, a strength of relationship from the first account to the second account, the strength of relationship selected based on input from a user of the first account; selecting, by a computer processor, a delivery attribute associated with the second account based on the strength of relationship, where the delivery attribute is positively correlated with a measure of content authored by the second account to be provided to the first account; selecting content authored by the second account for inclusion in a stream of the first account based on the delivery attribute; and providing the stream of the first account for display on a client computing device.

Abstract: Methods, computer readable media, and apparatuses for providing enhanced user interface mechanics are presented. In one arrangement, a scrollable list of content items may be displayed. Input associated with a scroll command may be received. Then, based on the scroll command, a scrollable refresh trigger may be displayed. Subsequently, the scrollable list of content items may be refreshed in response to determining, based on the scroll command, that the scrollable refresh trigger has been activated. In at least one instance, it may be determined that the scrollable refresh trigger has been activated in response to determining that the scroll command was completed while the scrollable refresh trigger was fully displayed.

Abstract: Disclosed is a system for delegating authentication of an untrusted application executing on a client device. For delegated authentication, an untrusted application relies on a trusted application executing in the same environment for authentication purposes. The delegated authentication process avoids requiring the user of the untrusted application to provide authentication credentials. The disclosed system for delegating authentication enables any trusted application executing in the same computing environment to authenticate the untrusted application.

Abstract: A system and method for trend detection in a messaging platform. A trend detection model is selected and a time series having a plurality of instances of social data is received, wherein the instances of social data share a countable parameter. A count is made of occurrences of countable parameters in each instance of social data assigned to that bin and a trend detected based at least in part on the trend detection model and on the count for each bin.

Abstract: A neural network is trained to process received visual data to estimate a high-resolution version of the visual data using a training dataset and reference dataset. A set of training data is generated and a generator convolutional neural network parameterized by first weights and biases is trained by comparing characteristics of the training data to characteristics of the reference dataset. The first network is trained to generate super-resolved image data from low-resolution image data and the training includes modifying first weights and biases to optimize processed visual data based on the comparison between the characteristics of the training data and the characteristics of the reference dataset.

Abstract: A system for online conversion attribution. The system includes a short uniform resource locator (URL) service programmed to, in response to receiving a short URL from a device: provide a cookie that includes a short URL ID to the device, and provide a short URL descriptor including the short URL ID to a user mapping service. The system further includes the user mapping service programmed to receive the short URL descriptor, receive a social media descriptor including a social media ID, map the short URL ID to the social media ID using the short URL descriptor and the social media descriptor, and attribute, using the mapping, a conversion on a website accessed using the device based upon receipt of the short URL ID from the device.

Abstract: Example systems and methods are described for implementing a swipe-to-like feature. In an example implementation, a list of content items is displayed on a touchscreen display, and based on detecting input of a first gesture, such as, for example, a swipe gesture, for a first one of the content items in the list, associating a predetermined first sentiment with the first content item.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on computer storage media, for information retrieval. One of the methods includes receiving a search query from a user device at a messaging system; determining one or more relevant messages responsive to the search query, the determining comprising: processing the search query using a first stage of a ranking system, the first stage using a first set of features to identify a first set of relevant message, processing the search query using a second stage of the ranking system, the second stage using a second set of features and the first set of relevant messages to determine a second set of relevant messages, and ranking the second set of relevant messages according to respective scores; and providing one or more results to the user device for display as search results.

Abstract: Disclosed is a system for recommending content of a predefined category to an account holder, detecting spam applications, or account holders based on the account holder application graphs. The system receives information corresponding to applications executing on the client device of the account holders and generates an application graph for each account holder that includes a list of predefined application categories that are preferred by the account holder. For each predefined category, a list of account holders preferring content relevant to that category is predicted based on the set of generated application graphs. Some application graphs may be detected as spam application graphs by comparing the generated application graphs with a set of predefined spam application graphs. Alternatively, if the generated application graph does not match the predefined spam application graphs, they are compared to a set of application graphs from a database to find similar application graphs.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on computer storage media, for providing to user devices identifiers of edge servers from which to obtain content. One example system includes a traffic control service. The traffic control service is configured to receive polling requests from user devices. In response to a particular polling request, the traffic control service obtains aggregated data about the user devices and edge servers. The traffic control service selects, based on the aggregated data, a best edge server for the user device that sent the particular polling request. The traffic control service sends an identifier of the selected best edge server to the user device.

Abstract: A system and method for feature switching in software applications. A feature switching action (FSA) is received and at least one user device is identified based on the received FSA. At least one feature switching instruction (FSI) is generated based on the received FSA and the FSI is sent to at least one of the identified user devices. A feature switching instruction response (FSIR) is received from each user device that received a FSI and a feature switching action response (FSAR) is generated based on the received FSIRs.

Abstract: A real-time messaging platform and method are disclosed which suggests messages and accounts from the real-time messaging platform.

Abstract: In general, embodiments of the invention relate to servicing fill request using ad networks and demand-side partners.

Abstract: A system and method for event-based content presentation, including: receiving a content presentation request to present a content item at an event where presentation of the content item can be captured. The content presentation request can include an event identifier identifying the event at which the content item is to be presented, and can further identify the content item to be displayed. The submitted content item can be presented on a content presentation device located at the event. Presentation of the content item can be captured and the resulting captured content presentation can be stored, broadcasted on a messaging platform, provided to the requesting user, etc.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on computer storage media, for data retention and modification. One of the methods includes dividing partitions into a set of generations according to a retention policy; accumulating modification and deletion events that define changes to be applied to data of the distributed dataset; and when a triggering event occurs for a triggered generation in the set of generations, rolling an oldest partition out of the triggered generation, the rolling comprising: if the oldest partition has reached the end of a retention period for the dataset, marking the oldest partition for deletion in the triggered generation; otherwise: creating a new partition corresponding to the data of the oldest partition, wherein the data is cleaned using a scrubbing process; adding the new partition to a next generation in the set of generations; and marking the oldest partition for deletion in the triggered generation.

Abstract: A real-time messaging platform and method is disclosed which classifies messages in accordance with a combination of user engagement events as modified to reflect the temporal structure of the user engagement events. A message can be assigned a metric based, for example, on a weighted combination of user engagement rates, decayed with time to reflect an intuition that recent interactions by one or more users with the message will have a greater impact than older interactions with the message. Different types of interaction by one or more users with the message can be assigned different weights when the different engagement events are combined and, also, can be assigned different temporal characteristics.

Abstract: A method for establishing a trust association includes receiving, by a server, a request to associate a web source with an account, the request having a link to the web source, and accessing, by the server, the web source in response to the request to associate. The method further includes locating, by the server and within the web source, a tag associated with the account, creating, by the server and in response to locating the tag within the web source, a trust association between the account and the web source, and providing, by the server, an indicating of the trust association for display in a user interface of a client device.

Abstract: A method, system, and non-transitory computer readable medium for identifying a relevant conversation. The method can include: identifying a conversation graph including identifiers of messages posted by a set of authoring accounts; identifying a relevance score for each authoring account; applying, by a computer processor, a first relevance filter to the conversation graph in order to modify the set of relevance scores; applying, by the computer processor and after applying the first relevance filter, a second relevance filter to the conversation graph in order to further modify the set of relevance scores; selecting, based on the set of relevance scores and after applying the second relevance filter, a subset of messages of the conversation graph for inclusion in the relevant conversation; and providing at least a portion of the relevant conversation to a client device.