Updating a Social Graph Based on Recency of Sharing Activity of Users of the Open Web

Abstract

A social graph is built which includes interactions, sharing activity, and connections between the users of the open Web and can be used to improve ad targeting and content personalization. Sharing activity between two users will affect ads or content that both users will be presented while surfing the Web. This sharing activity includes sending of links, sending of videos, sending of files, cutting and pasting of content, sending text messages, and sending of e-mails. A technique can include a sender sending a first link to at least one recipient. When a first node representative of the sender in a social graph is not identified and after receiving the activity information, creating a second node to represent the sender in the social graph. The social graph can be updated based on a recency of the sharing activity.

The invention claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method comprising:
 receiving first activity information for a sender of a message to at least one recipient by a collection resource at a Web site, wherein the message comprises text and a first link added by the collection resource, and no personally identifiable information of the sender is collected in collecting the first activity information;   storing the first activity information at a storage server;   receiving second activity information when a first recipient accesses the first link sent by the sender corresponding to the first activity information stored at the storage server, wherein no personally identifiable information of the first recipient is collected in the second activity information;   using at least one processor, using the first activity information to identify a first node in a social graph as being representative of the sender;   using the second activity information to identify a second node in the social graph as being representative of the first recipient;   determining a category for the first link as a first category type;   in the social graph, creating a first edge between the first and second nodes, wherein the first edge is representative of the first category type; and   after a first amount of time has passed, reducing a weight of the first edge.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the text is copied from the Web site. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the message comprises an image. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the message comprises a video. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the first recipient is represented as a node in the social graph. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising:
 generating the first link based on the message, wherein the first link is associated with the text and the first link comprises a reference to information accessible over the Internet. 
 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6  wherein the first link comprises a reference to a first information accessible over the Internet, different than a second link the sender accessed to the Web site. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the first link is generated in response to the message. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the first link is uniquely associated with the sender. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising:
 storing in the social graph the second activity information. 
 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the first activity information stored in the social graph comprises associating the sender with the first activity information. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1  wherein edges in the social graph comprises weighted edges. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the first link comprises a shortened uniform resource locator. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising:
 receiving third activity information when a second recipient accesses the first link sent by the sender corresponding to the first activity information stored at the storage server, wherein no personally identifiable information of the second recipient is collected in the third activity information; and 
 using the third activity information to identify a third node in the social graph as being representative of the second recipient. 
 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising:
 when the second node has inactive over a second amount of time, purging the second node from the social graph, wherein the second amount of time is greater than the first amount of time. 
 
     
     
         16 . A method comprising:
 collecting activity data from a plurality of online sources using a plurality of collection devices, wherein the activity data does not contain any personally identifiable information;   identifying a plurality of users and sharing activity between the users in the activity data; and   using at least one processor, updating a social graph of the users and the sharing activity, wherein users are represented as nodes in the social graph and the sharing activity are represented as edges in the social graph,   wherein the updating a social graph of the users and the sharing activity comprises:   identifying a first sharing activity between a first user and a second user in the activity data;   providing a first node in a social graph as being representative of the first user;   providing a second node in a social graph as being representative of the second user;   determining a category for the first sharing activity as a first category type;   in the social graph, creating a first edge between the first and second nodes, wherein the first edge is representative of the first category type; and   after a first amount of time has passed, altering a weight of the first edge.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16  wherein the providing a first node in a social graph as being representative of the first user comprises
 using the activity data to identify a first node in a social graph as being representative of a first user, and 
 wherein the providing a second node in a social graph as being representative of the second user comprises 
 using the activity data to identify a second node in a social graph as being representative of a second user. 
 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 16  wherein the providing a first node in a social graph as being representative of the first user comprises
 creating a first node in a social graph as being representative of a first user, and 
 wherein the providing a second node in a social graph as being representative of the second user comprises creating a second node in a social graph as being representative of a second user. 
 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 16  wherein the providing a first node in a social graph as being representative of the first user comprises
 using the activity data to identify a first node in a social graph as being representative of a first user, and 
 wherein the providing a second node in a social graph as being representative of the second user comprises 
 creating a second node in a social graph as being representative of a second user. 
 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 16  wherein the providing a first node in a social graph as being representative of the first user comprises
 creating a first node in a social graph as being representative of a first user, and 
 wherein the providing a second node in a social graph as being representative of the second user comprises 
 using the activity data to identify a second node in a social graph as being representative of a second user. 
 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 16  comprising:
 using the social graph including the sharing activity, selecting an advertisement for online delivery to the first user in the social graph. 
 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 16  comprising:
 using the social graph including the sharing activity, selecting an advertisement for online delivery to the second user in the social graph. 
 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 16  wherein the after a first amount of time has passed, altering a weight of the first edge comprises:
 reducing a weight of the first edge. 
 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 16  wherein the collection devices comprise URL shortening. 
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 16  wherein the collection devices comprise an instant messenging application. 
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 16  wherein the collection devices comprise a sharing widget. 
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 16  wherein the identifying a plurality of users and the sharing activity between the users in the activity data comprises:
 extracting a user identifier from a cookie in the activity data; and 
 identifying a node in the social graph based on the user identifier. 
 
     
     
         28 . A method comprising:
 collecting activity data from a plurality of online sources using a plurality of collection devices, wherein the activity data does not contain any personally identifiable information;   identifying a plurality of users and sharing activity between the users in the activity data; and   using at least one processor, updating a social graph of the users and the sharing activity, wherein users are represented as nodes in the social graph and the sharing activity are represented as edges in the social graph, and the social graph has been formed without the use of any personally identifiable information,   wherein the updating a social graph of the users and the sharing activity comprises:   identifying a first sharing activity between a first user and a second user in the activity data;   at least one or creating or identifying a first node in a social graph as being representative of the first user;   at least one of creating or identifying a second node in a social graph as being representative of the second user;   determining a category for the first sharing activity as a first category type;   in the social graph, creating a first edge between the first and second nodes, wherein the first edge is representative of the first category type;   after a first amount of time has passed, altering a weight of the first edge.   
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 28  wherein the after a first amount of time has passed, altering a weight of the first edge comprises:
 reducing a weight of the first edge. 
 
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 28  wherein the collection devices comprise at least one of URL shortening, an instant messenging application, or a sharing widget.