Systems and methods for tracking responses on an online social network

Abstract

Disclosed are systems, apparatus, methods, and computer readable media for performing actions in response to information updates provided in an information feed such as a news feed capable of being displayed on a display device. In one implementation, an information update to be displayed in the information feed is received. The information update may be stored in a feed table for inclusion in the information feed. In some implementations, an indication of activation of a response request rule is received. The response request rule may be configured to create a response request related to an identified information update to request information from one or more recipients. The response request may be stored, accessed and presented in association with the identified information update in an information feed.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A computing system for sharing an electronic poll in an online social network, the computing system comprising:
 a database storing:
 social networking data of one or more feeds of an online social network, and 
 user identifiers identifying users of the social network; and 
   at least one processor operable to cause:
 providing data to enable display, in a user interface generated on a display of a user device, of a selection to request an electronic poll to be shared in the social network, the user interface configured to display the social networking data; 
 providing data to enable display, in the user interface, of a plurality of components adapted to receive information for configuring the poll; 
 providing the poll as a configurable data object to be stored as one of a plurality of data objects in the database, the poll configured based on configuration information received via the components in the user interface, the configuration information comprising: data referencing the user identifiers as recipients of the poll, a question, and a plurality of responses to the question; and 
 providing, using the database, the poll in one or more feeds of the social network, the one or more feeds being accessible by user devices of the recipients for display of the poll on displays of the user devices. 
   
     
     
         2 . The computing system of  claim 1 , wherein the poll is identified in association with a feed item, and the question requests information pertaining to the feed item. 
     
     
         3 . The computing system of  claim 1 , wherein the configuration information provides a response type indicating a format for the responses to the question. 
     
     
         4 . The computing system of  claim 3 , wherein the response type comprises one or more of: a textual string, an item in a list, a data update operation to a data object stored in the database, or a computing event in an on-demand computing services environment. 
     
     
         5 . The computing system of  claim 1 , wherein the configuration information further identifies one or more of: a deadline for responding to the question, prioritization information affecting a location of the poll in a presentation of a feed, or an instruction for processing one or more responses to the question. 
     
     
         6 . The computing system of  claim 1 , wherein the poll is automatically activated by a computer language process operating on a data object. 
     
     
         7 . The computing system of  claim 1 , wherein the database is a multi-tenant database accessible to a plurality of tenants using an on-demand computing services environment. 
     
     
         8 . A computer implemented method for sharing an electronic poll in a social networking system, the method comprising:
 receiving, via a user interface configured to display social networking data associated with one or more feeds of a social networking system, a request to share an electronic poll in the social networking system, the user interface generated on a display of a user device;   providing data to cause to be displayed, in the user interface, a plurality of components adapted to receive information to configure the poll;   receiving, via the components in the user interface, configuration information identifying: a plurality of users of the social networking system as recipients of the poll, a question, and a plurality of responses to the question;   providing the poll as a configurable data object to be stored as one of a plurality of data objects in a database system associated with the social networking system, the poll configured based on the configuration information;   causing, using the database system, publication of the poll on one or more feeds of the social networking system, the one or more feeds being accessible by the recipients using user devices; and   receiving information indicating a selection with respect to the poll by one or more of the recipients.   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the poll is identified in association with a feed item, and the question requests information pertaining to the feed item. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , further comprising:
 storing the poll in the database system in association with the feed item.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the configuration information provides a response type indicating a format for the responses to the question. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the response type comprises one or more of: a textual string, an item in a list, a data update operation to a data object stored in the database, or a computing event in an on-demand computing services environment. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the request to share the poll is provided responsive to occurrence of a trigger condition in relation to a feed item. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the configuration information further identifies one or more of: a deadline for responding to the question, prioritization information affecting a location of the poll in a presentation of a feed, or an instruction for processing one or more responses to the question. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the poll is automatically activated by a computer language process operating on the configurable data object. 
     
     
         16 . One or more servers for sharing an electronic poll in a social networking system, the one or more servers comprising:
 one or more processors operable to:
 send data to a user device, the data configured to be processed by the user device to:
 provide, in a user interface generated on a display of the user device, a selection to request an electronic poll to be shared on one or more feeds of a social networking system, and 
 provide, in the user interface, a plurality of components adapted to receive information for configuring the poll; 
 
 receive configuration information from the user device, the configuration information identifying: a plurality of users of the social networking system as recipients of the poll, a question, and a plurality of responses to the question; 
 provide the poll as a configurable data object to be stored as one of a plurality of data objects in a database system associated with the social networking system, the poll configured based on the configuration information; 
 provide, using the database system, the poll in one or more feeds of the social networking system, the one or more feeds being accessible by user devices of the recipients for display of the poll on displays of the user devices; and 
 receive information indicating a selection with respect to the poll by one or more of the recipients. 
   
     
     
         17 . The one or more servers of  claim 16 , wherein the configuration information further identifies one or more of: a deadline for responding to the question, prioritization information affecting a location of the poll in a presentation of a feed, or an instruction for processing one or more responses to the question. 
     
     
         18 . The one or more servers of  claim 16 , wherein the poll is automatically activated by a computer language process operating on a data object. 
     
     
         19 . A computer program product comprising computer-readable program code to be executed by one or more processors when retrieved from a non-transitory computer-readable medium, the program code comprising instructions configured to cause:
 providing data to enable display, in a user interface generated on a display of a user device, of a selection to request an electronic poll to be shared in an online social network, the user interface configured to display social networking data of the social network;   providing data to enable display, in the user interface, of a plurality of components adapted to receive information for configuring the poll;   providing the poll as a configurable data object to be stored as one of a plurality of data objects in a database associated with the social network, the poll configured based on configuration information received via the components in the user interface, the configuration information comprising: data referencing identifiers of users as recipients of the poll, a question, and a plurality of responses to the question; and   providing, using the database, the poll in one or more feeds of the social network, the one or more feeds being accessible by user devices of the recipients for display of the poll on displays of the user devices.   
     
     
         20 . The computer program product of  claim 19 , wherein the configuration information further identifies one or more of: a deadline for responding to the question, prioritization information affecting a location of the poll in a presentation of a feed, or an instruction for processing one or more responses to the question.