Abstract:
A method for calculating a social credit score based on online activity of a user is provided. Online activity may be monitored and processed to calculate an indicant of user activity and its influence on other users to obtain a social credit score of the user. Social credit scores may be used to stimulate users to be more active in their online socializing, share their content, and provide information. Social credit scores may be a source of information for advertisers, employers, bankers, and others. Information on social credit scores may be analyzed to determine users with high scores to distinguish top score users and mark them with special prizes, titles, or symbols. Additionally, a list of top scorers may be published via a social networking engine or otherwise as an additional factor of stimulation for other users.

Description:
FIELD 
     This application relates generally to internet-based communications and, more specifically, to methods and systems for evaluating online activity of users and scoring social credits of users. 
     BACKGROUND 
     With the development and widespread of the Internet, many new forms of communication and self-expression came to existence. A few examples include internet forums, social networks, social blogs, and so forth. Users of web resources and social media share their content, identify interests, and provide their information. Online activity and spheres of interests of users as well as influence of user online activity on other users can be monitored and measured to determine their online influence or a social credit score. Some services perform social credit score measuring, however, these services take into account mainly textual activity and ignore other areas of online activity. Therefore, there is a need for a comprehensive social credit score that will include all areas of online activity and provide a more reliable and justified scoring. 
     SUMMARY 
     Provided are methods and systems for social credit scoring based on online activity of a user. In general, these methods and systems are designed to stimulate users to share their content and provide information to create a more attractive and entertaining environment for users of a social networking service. 
     In certain embodiments, a method for social credit scoring based on online activity of a user involves collecting data on online activity of a user and data on response of other users to the online activity of the user. The collected activity and response data may be used to calculate an indicant of a social credit score of the user based on various algorithms. This social credit score may be immediately tallied and published on a web page associated with the user. 
     In certain embodiments, the social credit score of the user may be published in a social network or any other web page associated with the user, included in top score lists, used to provide special prizes, marks, ranks, symbols, or other distinguishing signs, or provided to interested parties. 
     Also provided is a system for social credit scoring based on online activity of a user. The system may include a data collecting module to collect activity and response data related to the online activity of a user, a calculating module to calculate, based on the activity and response data, a social credit score of the user, and an instant tally module to tally a social credit score to the user. 
     In certain embodiments, the system may also include a communication module to exchange information with the user, an analyzing module to analyze the social credit score of users to determine the users with a high social credit score, and a marking module to mark the users with the high social credit score with special prizes, marks, ranks, symbols, or other distinguishing signs. Additionally, the system may include a publishing module to publishing a social score of the user in a social network or any other web page associated with the user, and in a list of the top high score users. 
     In further exemplary embodiments, modules, subsystems, or devices can be adapted to perform the recited steps. Other features and exemplary embodiments are described below. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Embodiments are illustrated by way of example and not limitation in the figures of the accompanying drawings, in which like references indicate similar elements and in which: 
         FIG. 1  is a block diagram illustrating an example of the overall system for social credit scoring based on online activity of a user, in accordance with various embodiments. 
         FIG. 2  is a block diagram showing various modules of the computer system for social credit scoring based on online activity of a user, in accordance with certain embodiments. 
         FIG. 3  is a flow chart illustrating a method for social credit scoring based on online activity of a user, in accordance with certain embodiments. 
         FIG. 4  illustrates an example of a computer system, in which various embodiments may be implemented. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     In the following description, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the presented concepts. The presented concepts may be practiced without some or all of these specific details. In other instances, well known process operations have not been described in detail so as to not unnecessarily obscure the described concepts. While some concepts will be described in conjunction with the specific embodiments, it will be understood that these embodiments are not intended to be limiting. 
     Systems and methods described herein may allow a social network engine operator to provide social credit scoring functionality within various services, such as social networking website, a microblog, a webmail, a blog, a mobile short message. 
     In one example embodiment, a system for social credit scoring based on online activity of a user may include or be coupled to a social networking engine. Online activity of a user within a social network may be monitored, together with the response of other users to the online activity of the user. The data of monitoring and data on user contacts, friends, and connections may be processed using various algorithms in order to obtain an indicant of influence of the user and his online activity called a social credit score. The purpose of a social credit score may be to stimulate users to share their content and provide information to create a more attractive and entertaining environment for users of a social networking service. The social credit score may be immediately tallied after each operation related to the online activity of the user based on numeric values assigned to each specific type of the online activity. 
     In some embodiments, social credit scores of users may be analyzed to identify users with high scores. The purpose of this may be to identify influential users in social networking and use these data for advertising, stimulating other users of a social networking service to share their content and information, providing access to these data for interested parties. 
     In certain embodiments, the social credit score of a user may be published in a social network or any other web page associated with the user, included in top score lists, used to provide special prizes, marks, ranks, symbols, or other distinguishing signs. Additionally, it may be provided to interested parties. These operations may be performed based on user settings or irrespective of them. 
     Referring now to figures,  FIG. 1  is a block diagram illustrating an example of the overall system for social credit scoring based on online activity of a user, in accordance with various embodiments.  FIG. 1  shows an architecture  100  that may include a network  110 , a social networking engine  120 , client devices  130 , a user  140 , a user interface  150 , and a system for social credit scoring  200 . The network  110  may include the Internet or any other network capable of communicating data between devices. Suitable networks may include or interface with any one or more of, for instance, a local intranet, a PAN (Personal Area Network), a LAN (Local Area Network), a WAN (Wide Area Network), a MAN (Metropolitan Area Network), a virtual private network (VPN), a storage area network (SAN), a frame relay connection, an Advanced Intelligent Network (AIN) connection, a synchronous optical network (SONET) connection, a digital T 1 , T 3 , E 1  or E 3  line, Digital Data Service (DDS) connection, DSL (Digital Subscriber Line) connection, an Ethernet connection, an ISDN (Integrated Services Digital Network) line, a dial-up port such as a V. 90 , V. 34  or V. 34 bis analog modem connection, a cable modem, an ATM (Asynchronous Transfer Mode) connection, or an FDDI (Fiber Distributed Data Interface) or CDDI (Copper Distributed Data Interface) connection. Furthermore, communications may also include links to any of a variety of wireless networks, including WAP (Wireless Application Protocol), GPRS (General Packet Radio Service), GSM (Global System for Mobile Communication), CDMA (Code Division Multiple Access) or TDMA (Time Division Multiple Access), cellular phone networks, GPS (Global Positioning System), CDPD (cellular digital packet data), RIM (Research in Motion, Limited) duplex paging network, Bluetooth radio, or an IEEE 802.11-based radio frequency network. The network  120  can further include or interface with any one or more of an RS-232 serial connection, an IEEE-1394 (Firewire) connection, a Fiber Channel connection, an IrDA (infrared) port, a SCSI (Small Computer Systems Interface) connection, a USB (Universal Serial Bus) connection or other wired or wireless, digital or analog interface or connection, mesh or Digi® networking. The network  110  may be a network of data processing nodes that are interconnected for the purpose of data communication. 
     The client devices  130 , in some example embodiments, may include a Graphical User Interface (GUI) for displaying the user interface  150 . In a typical GUI, instead of offering only text menus or requiring typed commands, the system presents graphical icons, visual indicators, or special graphical elements called widgets that may be utilized to allow the user  140  to interact with the user interface  150 . The client devices  130  may be configured to utilize icons used in conjunction with text, labels, or text navigation to fully represent the information and actions available to users. 
     The client devices  130  may include a mobile telephone  132 , a computer  134 , a television (TV) set  136 , and a personal digital assistant (PDA)  138 . The user  140 , in some example embodiments, is a person interacting with the user interface  150  via the client devices  130 . The user  140  may be a member of a social network provided by the social networking engine  120 . The user  140  may periodically interact with the social networking engine  120  and provide various information to the social networking engine  120 . This information is stored and, in certain embodiments, analyzed by the social networking engine  120  to create user specific information, such as user&#39;s profile. This information may include various demographic information about the user  140  (e.g., age, gender, location), user&#39;s interests and spheres of activity, user&#39;s connections in the social network (e.g., friends) and other types of information. The user  140  information and communications with the social networking engine  120  may be monitored by the system for social credit scoring  200 . 
       FIG. 2  illustrates a detailed block diagram of the system for social credit scoring  200  based on online activity of a user, in accordance with an example embodiment. The system for social credit scoring  200  may include a data collecting module  202 , a calculating module  204 , an instant tally module  206 , a communication module  208 , an analyzing module  210 , a marking module  212 , and a publishing module  214 . 
     Note that even though various modules of the system for social credit scoring  200  are shown together, the system for social credit scoring  200  may be implemented as a web service, via a distributed architecture, or within a cloud computing environment. 
     The data collecting module  202  of the system for social credit scoring  200  may be configured to collect activity data on the online activity of a user, and response data on response of other users to the online activity of the user. The activity data may include data related to a number of the user contacts, friends, or connections, and to a number, frequency, volume of messages, texts, recommendations, ideas, creations, reviews, comments, articles, photo materials, video materials, games, drawings, links, answers, payments, buying and selling records published, edited, shared, or reposted by the user. The response data may include data related to views, answers, comments, reposting, following links, purchases, and other types of response of other users to the online activity of the user. 
     The calculating module  204  may be configured to calculate, based on the activity data and the response data, a social credit score of the user. The collected activity and response data may be used to calculate a number, index, percentage, rating, or another indicant of a social credit score of the user based on various algorithms. In some embodiments, a social credit score of the user may be calculated for specific thematic or geographical areas, for specific activity types, for specific user groups, and so forth. 
     This calculated social credit score may be immediately tallied for the user  140 , via the user interface  150  or otherwise, using the instant tally module  206  of the system for social credit scoring  200 . 
     The communication module  208  may be configured to exchange information with the user. For example, the system, via the communication module  208 , may inform the user about changes related to the social credit score of the user, prizes or benefits available for the user, new rules for social credit score calculation, and so forth. Additionally, the communication module  208  may receive user responses to system messages and proposals. 
     The analyzing module  210  may be configured to analyze the social credit score of users to determine the users with a high social credit score. Analysis may be performed separately for specific thematic or geographical areas, activity types, user groups, and so forth. The marking module  212  may mark users with a high social credit score with special prizes, marks, ranks, symbols, or other distinguishing signs. Prizes may be provided by third parties. 
     Analysis results obtained by the analyzing module  210  may be also published, by the publishing module  214 , in a social network or any other web site. Additionally, the publishing module  214  may publish the social credit score of the user in a web page associated with the user. 
       FIG. 3  shows a flow chart  300  of a method for social credit scoring based on online activity of a user, in accordance with an example embodiment. The method  300  may be performed by processing logic that may comprise hardware (e.g., dedicated logic, programmable logic, microcode, etc.), software (such as computer code executable on a general-purpose computer system or a specifically configured computer system), or a combination of both. In one example embodiment, the processing logic resides at the system for social credit scoring  200 , illustrated in  FIG. 2 . The method  300  may be performed by the various modules discussed above with reference to  FIG. 2 . Each of these modules may comprise processing logic. 
     As shown in  FIG. 3 , the method  300  may commence at operation  302 , with the data collecting module  202  collecting, via a social networking engine  120  or otherwise, data related to online activity of the user  140 , and, at operation  304 , data related to response of one or more other users  140  to online activity of the user  140 . This data will be used by system for social credit scoring  200  to calculate an indicant of influence of the user and his online activity, called a social credit score, at operation  306 . 
     At operation  308 , a social credit score of the user  140  may be tallied for the user  140  via the user interface  150  or otherwise. 
     At operation  310 , the analyzing module  210  may determine users with high scores based on social credit scores calculated for each user. Then, at operation  312 , the marking module  212  may mark top high score users with distinguishing marks, for example, they may get a special title, a graphical symbol, and so forth. Additionally, top high score users may be provided with special prizes or benefits proposed via the system for social credit scoring or third parties. 
     At operation  314 , a list of top high score users may be published via the user interface  150 , via the social networking engine, or otherwise. 
       FIG. 4  shows a diagrammatic representation of a machine in the example electronic form of a computer system  400 , within which a set of instructions for causing the machine to perform any one or more of the methodologies discussed herein may be executed. In various example embodiments, the machine operates as a standalone device or may be connected (e.g., networked) to other machines. In a networked deployment, the machine may operate in the capacity of a server or a client machine in a server-client network environment, or as a peer machine in a peer-to-peer (or distributed) network environment. The machine may be a personal computer (PC), a tablet PC, a set-top box (STB), a Personal Digital Assistant (PDA), a cellular telephone, a portable music player (e.g., a portable hard drive audio device such as an Moving Picture Experts Group Audio Layer 3 (MP3) player), a web appliance, a network router, switch or bridge, or any machine capable of executing a set of instructions (sequential or otherwise) that specify actions to be taken by that machine. Further, while only a single machine is illustrated, the term “machine” shall also be taken to include any collection of machines that individually or jointly execute a set (or multiple sets) of instructions to perform any one or more of the methodologies discussed herein. 
     The example computer system  400  includes a processor or multiple processors  402  (e.g., a central processing unit (CPU), a graphics processing unit (GPU), or both), a main memory  404  and a static memory  406 , which communicate with each other via a bus  408 . The computer system  400  may further include a video display unit  410  (e.g., a liquid crystal display (LCD) or a cathode ray tube (CRT)). The computer system  400  may also include an alphanumeric input device  412  (e.g., a keyboard), a cursor control device  414  (e.g., a mouse), a disk drive unit  416 , a signal generation device  418  (e.g., a speaker) and a network interface device  420 . 
     The disk drive unit  416  includes a computer-readable medium  422 , on which is stored one or more sets of instructions and data structures (e.g., instructions  424 ) embodying or utilized by any one or more of the methodologies or functions described herein. The instructions  424  may also reside, completely or at least partially, within the main memory  404  and/or within the processors  402  during execution thereof by the computer system  400 . The main memory  404  and the processors  402  may also constitute machine-readable media. 
     The instructions  424  may further be transmitted or received over a network  426  via the network interface device  420  utilizing any one of a number of well-known transfer protocols (e.g., Hyper Text Transfer Protocol (HTTP)). 
     While the computer-readable medium  422  is shown in an example embodiment to be a single medium, the term “computer-readable medium” should be taken to include a single medium or multiple media (e.g., a centralized or distributed database and/or associated caches and servers) that store the one or more sets of instructions. The term “computer-readable medium” shall also be taken to include any medium that is capable of storing, encoding, or carrying a set of instructions for execution by the machine and that causes the machine to perform any one or more of the methodologies of the present application, or that is capable of storing, encoding, or carrying data structures utilized by or associated with such a set of instructions. The term “computer-readable medium” shall accordingly be taken to include, but not be limited to, solid-state memories, optical and magnetic media, and carrier wave signals. Such media may also include, without limitation, hard disks, floppy disks, flash memory cards, digital video disks, random access memory (RAMs), read only memory (ROMs), and the like. 
     The example embodiments described herein may be implemented in an operating environment comprising software installed on a computer, in hardware, or in a combination of software and hardware. 
     Thus, a system and method for social credit scoring based on online activity of a user have been described. Although embodiments have been described with reference to specific example embodiments, it will be evident that various modifications and changes may be made to these embodiments without departing from the broader spirit and scope of the system and method described herein. Accordingly, the specification and drawings are to be regarded in an illustrative rather than a restrictive sense.