Patent Publication Number: US-10764221-B1

Title: Systems and methods for sharing content

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present technology relates to the field of content sharing. More particularly, the present technology relates to techniques for sharing content with users. 
     BACKGROUND 
     Users often utilize computing devices for a wide variety of purposes. Users can use their computing devices to, for example, interact with one another, access media content, share media content, and create media content. In some cases, media content can be provided by members of a social network. The media content can include one or a combination of text, images, videos, and audio. The media content may be published to the social network for consumption by others. 
     SUMMARY 
     Various embodiments of the present disclosure can include systems, methods, and non-transitory computer readable media configured to provide a messaging interface for accessing one or more message threads; determine at least one ephemeral message to be sent through a first message thread, wherein the first message thread is used to exchange messages among a first group of users; and provide the first group of users with access to the ephemeral message through the first message thread. 
     In some embodiments, the first group of users can exchange both ephemeral messages and non-ephemeral messages through the first message thread. 
     In some embodiments, a user that created the ephemeral message is permitted to view the ephemeral message while accessing the first message thread. 
     In some embodiments, the user is no longer permitted to view the ephemeral message after exiting the first message thread. 
     In some embodiments, the user is able to select an option to revive the ephemeral message in the first message thread, wherein reviving the ephemeral message permits the user to again access the ephemeral message. 
     In some embodiments, a recipient of the ephemeral message is permitted to view the ephemeral message while accessing the first message thread, and wherein the recipient is no longer permitted to view the ephemeral message after exiting the first message thread. 
     In some embodiments, the messaging interface provides an option to keep the ephemeral message in the first message thread. 
     In some embodiments, selecting the option to keep the ephemeral message converts the ephemeral message to a non-ephemeral message in the first message thread. 
     In some embodiments, the systems, methods, and non-transitory computer readable media are configured to determine at least one non-ephemeral message to be sent through the first message thread and provide the first group of users with access to the non-ephemeral message through the first message thread. 
     In some embodiments, the non-ephemeral message remains accessible to the first group of users even after a user exits the first message thread. 
     It should be appreciated that many other features, applications, embodiments, and/or variations of the disclosed technology will be apparent from the accompanying drawings and from the following detailed description. Additional and/or alternative implementations of the structures, systems, non-transitory computer readable media, and methods described herein can be employed without departing from the principles of the disclosed technology. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  illustrates an example system including an example messaging module, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 2  illustrates an example message module, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 3A  illustrates an example ephemeral message module, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 3B  illustrates an example non-ephemeral message module, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure 
         FIGS. 4A-4G  illustrate example interfaces, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 5  illustrates an example method, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 6  illustrates a network diagram of an example system including an example social networking system that can be utilized in various scenarios, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 7  illustrates an example of a computer system or computing device that can be utilized in various scenarios, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. 
     
    
    
     The figures depict various embodiments of the disclosed technology for purposes of illustration only, wherein the figures use like reference numerals to identify like elements. One skilled in the art will readily recognize from the following discussion that alternative embodiments of the structures and methods illustrated in the figures can be employed without departing from the principles of the disclosed technology described herein. 
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Approaches for Sharing Content 
     As mentioned, users often utilize computing devices for a wide variety of purposes. Users can use their computing devices to, for example, interact with one another, access media content, share media content, and create media content. In some cases, media content items can include postings from members of an online community or platform, such as a social networking system. The postings may include one or a combination of text, images, videos, and audio. The postings may be published to the social networking system for consumption by others. In some instances, users can create and send content as messages through the social networking system, for example, using a messenger software application. 
     Under conventional approaches, users can confront various challenges when exchanging messages (e.g., content) with other users through a social networking system. In some instances, users may want to send certain messages without having to worry about those messages being accessible for some extended period of time. Further, having the option to send messages with limited lifespan can help users express themselves more fully when communicating with other users. For example, a user may be more willing to send a video of the user singing if the video is accessible for only a limited period of time. In other instances, users may be less concerned about messages being available indefinitely. Conventional techniques employed by a social networking system often cannot accommodate these dual interests. Accordingly, the user experience can suffer, discouraging users from sharing content through the social networking system. 
     An improved approach rooted in computer technology overcomes the foregoing and other disadvantages associated with conventional approaches specifically arising in the realm of computer technology. In various embodiments, users of a messenger application can send and receive messages. In general, messages may sent as ephemeral messages or as non-ephemeral messages. An ephemeral message can include one or more ephemeral media content items. A non-ephemeral message can include one or more non-ephemeral media content items. In some embodiments, access to ephemeral messages may be restricted. For example, in some embodiments, an ephemeral message can be sent to one or more recipients through a message thread. In this example, each recipient can access the ephemeral message through the message thread. In some embodiments, a recipient can repeatedly access the ephemeral message for an indefinite period of time while accessing the message thread. In some embodiments, the recipient&#39;s access to the ephemeral message expires after the recipient is no longer accessing the message thread. For example, the recipient&#39;s access to the ephemeral message can expire as soon as the recipient closes (or exits) the message thread. More details relating to the disclosed technology are provided below. 
       FIG. 1  illustrates an example system  100  including an example messaging module  102 , according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in the example of  FIG. 1 , the messaging module  102  can include an interface module  104  and a message module  106 . In some instances, the example system  100  can include at least one data store  112 . The components (e.g., modules, elements, etc.) shown in this figure and all figures herein are exemplary only, and other implementations may include additional, fewer, integrated, or different components. Some components may not be shown so as not to obscure relevant details. 
     In some embodiments, the messaging module  102  can be implemented, in part or in whole, as software, hardware, or any combination thereof. In general, a module as discussed herein can be associated with software, hardware, or any combination thereof. In some implementations, one or more functions, tasks, and/or operations of modules can be carried out or performed by software routines, software processes, hardware, and/or any combination thereof. In some cases, the messaging module  102  or at least a portion thereof can be implemented using one or more computing devices or systems that include one or more servers, such as network servers or cloud servers. In some instances, the messaging module  102  can, in part or in whole, be implemented within or configured to operate in conjunction with a social networking system (or service), such as the social networking system  630  of  FIG. 6 . In some instances, the messaging module  102  can be, in part or in whole, implemented within or configured to operate in conjunction or be integrated with a client computing device, such as the user device  610  of  FIG. 6 . For example, the messaging module  102  can be implemented as or within a dedicated application (e.g., app), a program, or an applet running on a user computing device or client computing system. The application incorporating or implementing instructions for performing some, or all, functionality of the messaging module  102  can be created by a developer. The application can be provided to or maintained in a repository. In some cases, the application can be uploaded or otherwise transmitted over a network (e.g., Internet) to the repository. For example, a computing system (e.g., server) associated with or under control of the developer of the application can provide or transmit the application to the repository. The repository can include, for example, an “app” store in which the application can be maintained for access or download by a user. In response to a command by the user to download the application, the application can be provided or otherwise transmitted over a network from the repository to a computing device associated with the user. For example, a computing system (e.g., server) associated with or under control of an administrator of the repository can cause or permit the application to be transmitted to the computing device of the user so that the user can install and run the application. The developer of the application and the administrator of the repository can be different entities in some cases, but can be the same entity in other cases. It should be understood that many variations are possible. 
     The messaging module  102  can be configured to communicate and/or operate with the at least one data store  112 , as shown in the example system  100 . The at least one data store  112  can be configured to store and maintain various types of data. For example, the data store  112  can store information describing various content that has been posted by users of a social networking system. In some implementations, the at least one data store  112  can store information associated with the social networking system (e.g., the social networking system  630  of  FIG. 6 ). The information associated with the social networking system can include data about users, social connections, social interactions, locations, geo-fenced areas, maps, places, events, pages, groups, posts, communications, content, feeds, account settings, privacy settings, a social graph, and various other types of data. In some implementations, the at least one data store  112  can store information associated with users, such as user identifiers, user information, profile information, user specified settings, content produced or posted by users, and various other types of user data. 
     In various embodiments, the interface module  104  can be configured to provide a messaging interface through which users can send messages and access received messages. For example, the messaging interface may be presented through a display screen of a computing device. A user operating the computing device can interact with the messaging interface using various touchscreen gestures, for example. More details regarding the messaging interface will be provided below with reference to  FIGS. 4A-4G . 
     In some embodiments, the message module  106  can provide various options for creating and sending messages through the social networking system. In various embodiments, messages can be sent as ephemeral messages or as non-ephemeral messages. In various embodiments, both ephemeral messages and non-ephemeral messages can be exchanged among a group of users through the same message thread. In some embodiments, a message thread for a group of users (e.g., a user and one or more other users) can be created, for example, when an initial message is communicated among users in the group. The message thread can then be used to manage on-going communication between the users in the group. The membership of such message threads can vary over time, for example, as new users are added to the group or when existing users leave (or are removed from) the group. More details regarding the message module  106  will be provided below with reference to  FIG. 2 . 
       FIG. 2  illustrates an example message module  202 , according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. In some embodiments, the message module  106  of  FIG. 1  can be implemented with the message module  202 . As shown in the example of  FIG. 2 , the message module  202  can include an ephemeral message module  204  and a non-ephemeral message module  206 . 
     In some embodiments, the ephemeral message module  204  provides functionality for sending and accessing ephemeral messages. For example, a user can send ephemeral messages through one or more message threads. In general, each message thread is associated with a group of users (e.g., two or more users). Thus, for example, an ephemeral message can be sent to one or more users (or recipients) through a corresponding message thread. These recipients can access the ephemeral message by accessing this message thread through a messaging interface, for example. In some embodiments, the ephemeral message module  204  can regulate access to ephemeral messages. More details regarding the ephemeral message module  204  will be provided below with reference to  FIG. 3A . 
     In some embodiments, the non-ephemeral message module  206  provides functionality for sending and accessing non-ephemeral messages. Like ephemeral messages, non-ephemeral messages can also be sent through message threads that are each associated with a group of users (e.g., two or more users). In various embodiments, both ephemeral messages and non-ephemeral messages can be exchanged between a group of users in the same message thread. In some embodiments, a non-ephemeral message can be accessible to a designated recipient for an indefinite period of time (e.g., permanently) without having its expiration, if any, being conditioned on some pre-defined event or some pre-defined period of time. More details regarding the non-ephemeral message module  206  will be provided below with reference to  FIG. 3B . 
       FIG. 3A  illustrates an example ephemeral message module  302 , according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. In some embodiments, the ephemeral message module  204  of  FIG. 2  can be implemented with the ephemeral message module  302 . As shown in the example of  FIG. 3A , the ephemeral message module  302  can include a message module  304 , an access module  306 , a state module  308 , and a reply module  310 . 
     The message module  304  can be used to create ephemeral messages. In some embodiments, the message module  304  can provide options for sending and accessing ephemeral messages. For example, a user can select an option to send an ephemeral message. Upon selecting the option, the user can create the ephemeral message and provide the names (or usernames) of one or more recipients of the ephemeral message. After selecting an option to send the ephemeral message, the message module  304  can create a message thread that manages messages exchanged between the user and the one or more recipients. If a message thread between the user and the recipients already exists, then the message module  304  can send the ephemeral message through the existing message thread. In some embodiments, users can create and send ephemeral messages while accessing a given message thread. For example, while accessing a message thread, a user can select an option to create an ephemeral message. After selecting the option, the message module  304  can provide a camera interface for capturing any ephemeral media content items to be included with the ephemeral message. In some embodiments, the camera interface can be used to capture content using a computing device. For example, the camera interface can be used to capture audiovisual content including both images and videos. Once desired content is captured, the user can select an option to send the ephemeral message along with the captured content through the message thread or in an always ephemeral mode, the captures from the camera will be ephemeral by default. In some embodiments, the message module  304  restricts the types of content that can be sent as ephemeral messages. For example, in some embodiments, messages being sent as ephemeral messages may be restricted to visual content (e.g., images, videos, graphical text, animated text, etc., and combinations thereof). 
     The access module  306  can manage access to ephemeral messages shared through a given message thread. In some embodiments, a user that created and sent an ephemeral message through a message thread can continue to access the ephemeral message while accessing the message thread. In some embodiments, the user is no longer permitted to access the ephemeral message after the user exits (or closes) the message thread. For example, the ephemeral message may appear as being expired when the user again accesses the message thread. In some embodiments, the user can be permitted to revive the ephemeral message when the user again accesses the message thread. Once revived, the user can continue accessing the ephemeral message while accessing the message thread. In some embodiments, the revived ephemeral message expires after the user again exits (or closes) the message thread. In some embodiments, the access module  306  may restrict the number of times a given ephemeral message can be revived. 
     In some embodiments, the access module  306  can permit recipients of an ephemeral message to access the ephemeral message. In some embodiments, the recipients can access the ephemeral message in a message thread through which the ephemeral message was sent. For example, a recipient can repeatedly access an ephemeral message while in a message thread. In some embodiments, the recipient&#39;s access to the ephemeral message expires once the recipient exits (or closes) the message thread. Many variations are possible. 
     In some embodiments, the access module  306  can provide a “keep” option that allows users to save ephemeral messages. For example, in some embodiments, a user that sent an ephemeral message through a message thread can select the keep option to save the ephemeral message. In some embodiments, after saving the ephemeral message, the ephemeral message can appear as a non-ephemeral message in the user&#39;s view of the message thread. In such embodiments, other members of the message thread can still be shown the ephemeral message in the message thread. That is, the ephemeral message does not appear as a non-ephemeral message in the other members&#39; respective views of the message thread. Similarly, the other members can also select the keep option to save the ephemeral message in their respective views of the message thread. For example, once a recipient saves the ephemeral message, the ephemeral message can appear as a non-ephemeral message in the recipient&#39;s view of the message thread. Many variations are possible. 
     In some embodiments, ephemeral messages exchanged between users can be assigned respective send states. For example, in some embodiments, an ephemeral message sent through the social networking system is assigned a timestamp indicating when the ephemeral message was sent. This timestamp can be shown in a corresponding message thread through which the ephemeral message was communicated, for example. In some embodiments, the state module  308  can assign a corresponding state to the sent ephemeral message. In such embodiments, the state for the sent ephemeral message may be “delivered” when the ephemeral message has been delivered to its recipients, “opened” (or “read”) when the ephemeral message has been accessed (or viewed) by a recipient or a threshold number of the recipients (e.g., one recipient, all recipients, etc.), “replayed” when the message was re-accessed (or replayed) by a recipient or a threshold number of the recipients (e.g., one recipient, all recipients, etc.), and/or “kept” when one or more recipients of the ephemeral message select a “keep” option to retain the ephemeral message. 
     The reply module  310  can provide functionality for responding to ephemeral messages. In various embodiments, users can reply to an ephemeral message that was received in a message thread with both ephemeral and/or non-ephemeral messages. In some embodiments, an option for replying to a first ephemeral message can be provided in an immersive viewer through which the first ephemeral message is accessed. In such embodiments, the user can select the reply option to create a different, second ephemeral message in response to the first ephemeral message. For example, selecting the reply option can cause a camera interface to be presented. In this example, the user can interact with the camera interface to capture ephemeral media content items to be sent with the second ephemeral message being created. Once created, the second ephemeral message can be sent through the same message thread in which the first ephemeral message was received. Many variations are possible. 
       FIG. 3B  illustrates an example non-ephemeral message module  352 , according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. In some embodiments, the non-ephemeral message module  206  of  FIG. 2  can be implemented with the non-ephemeral message module  352 . As shown in the example of  FIG. 3B , the non-ephemeral message module  352  can include a message module  354 , an access module  356 , a state module  358 , and a reply module  360 . 
     The message module  354  can provide functionality for creating non-ephemeral messages. In some embodiments, the message module  354  can provide options for sending and accessing non-ephemeral messages. For example, a user can select an option to send a non-ephemeral message. Upon selecting the option, the user can create the non-ephemeral message and provide the names (or usernames) of one or more recipients of the non-ephemeral message. After selecting an option to send the non-ephemeral message, the message module  354  can create a message thread that manages messages exchanged between the user and the one or more recipients. If a message thread between the user and the recipients already exists, then the message module  354  can send the non-ephemeral message through the existing message thread. In some embodiments, the message module  354  restricts the types of content that can be sent as non-ephemeral messages. For example, in some embodiments, messages being sent as non-ephemeral messages may be restricted to text-based messages. In some embodiments, visual content can also be sent as non-ephemeral messages. For example, visual content may include media content items (e.g., images, videos, etc.) accessible through a media gallery that is stored in (or accessible through) a user&#39;s computing device. 
     The access module  356  can manage access to non-ephemeral messages shared through message threads. In various embodiments, non-ephemeral messages sent through a message thread remain accessible through the message thread for an indefinite period of time. For example, a non-ephemeral message sent by a user and through a message thread can remain accessible to the user for an indefinite period of time (e.g., permanently). Similarly, recipients of the non-ephemeral message can also access the non-ephemeral message through the message thread for an indefinite period of time (e.g., permanently). 
     In some embodiments, non-ephemeral messages exchanged between users can be assigned respective send states. For example, in some embodiments, a non-ephemeral message sent through the social networking system can be assigned a timestamp indicating when the non-ephemeral message was sent. This timestamp can be shown in a corresponding message thread through which the non-ephemeral message is communicated, for example. In some embodiments, the state module  358  can assign a corresponding state to the sent non-ephemeral message. In such embodiments, the sent non-ephemeral message may be assigned a “delivered” state when the non-ephemeral message has been delivered to its recipients or an “opened” (or “read”) state when the non-ephemeral message has been accessed (or viewed) by an intended recipient or a threshold number of the recipients (e.g., one recipient, all recipients, etc.). Many variations are possible. 
     The reply module  360  can provide functionality for responding to non-ephemeral messages. In various embodiments, users can reply to a non-ephemeral message with ephemeral messages and/or non-ephemeral messages. For example, a user can reply to the non-ephemeral message with another non-ephemeral message that includes text and/or content. Alternatively, the user can create and send an ephemeral message in response to the non-ephemeral message. Many variations are possible. 
       FIG. 4A  illustrates an example  400  of a messaging interface  404 , according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. In this example, the messaging interface  404  is presented through a display screen of a computing device  402  that is configured to interact with a social networking system. Further, the messaging interface  404  may be provided through an application (e.g., a web browser, a social networking application, a messenger application, etc.) running on the computing device  402 . 
     In the example of  FIG. 4A , the messaging interface  404  provides access to a number of message threads  406  through which groups of users can exchange messages. In various embodiments, users associated with a message thread can exchange both ephemeral messages and non-ephemeral messages through the same message thread. In the example of  FIG. 4A , the user operating the computing device can access a message thread  408  using various touchscreen gestures. Once accessed, the messaging interface  404  can provide a message view  412  of the message thread  408  as illustrated in the example of  FIG. 4B . In this example, the message view  412  includes a non-ephemeral message  414  that was sent by a user through the message thread  408 . In some embodiments, the message view  412  includes an option  416  that can be selected to capture and send media content items (e.g., images, videos, etc.) as ephemeral messages and/or non-ephemeral messages through the messages thread  408 . In this example, the user operating the computing device can select the option  416  to send an ephemeral message in response to the non-ephemeral message  414 . In some embodiments, when the option  416  is selected, a camera interface  420  for capturing ephemeral media content items can be presented, as illustrated in the example of  FIG. 4C . For example, the camera interface  420  can be used to capture an ephemeral media content item to be included with the ephemeral message. Once a desired ephemeral media content item  422  is captured, the user can select an option  424  to send the ephemeral media content item  422  as an ephemeral message  430 , as shown in the example of  FIG. 4D . The ephemeral message  430  can be shown in the message view  412 . In some embodiments, the user operating the computing device  402  can repeatedly access (or replay) the ephemeral message  430  while accessing the message thread  408 . That is, the user can repeatedly access the ephemeral message  430  while accessing the message view  412 . Similarly, any recipients of the ephemeral message  430  (e.g., a user “Jaris Fisher”) can also repeatedly access (or replay) the ephemeral message  430  while accessing the message thread  408 . In some embodiments, a recipient of the ephemeral message  430  is no longer permitted to access the ephemeral message  430  after the recipient exits (or closes) the message thread  408 . 
     In some embodiments, any states associated with the ephemeral message  430  can be shown. In  FIG. 4D , the message view  412  indicates an “opened” state  432  to inform the user that a recipient opened the ephemeral message  430 . In some embodiments, the user&#39;s access to the ephemeral message  430  expires once the user exits (or closes) the message thread  408 . For example, the user can select an option  434  to exit (or close) the message view  412 . In this example, selecting the option  434  can return the user to the messaging interface  404 . However, exiting (or closing) the message view  412  can result in the user&#39;s access to the ephemeral message  430  being discontinued (or expired). In some embodiments, users are permitted to revive expired ephemeral messages. For example, the user can select an option  436  to revive the ephemeral message  430 , as illustrated in the example of  FIG. 4E . Once revived, access to the ephemeral message  430  can be restored as illustrated in the example of  FIG. 4F . In some embodiments, the user can select an option  440  to “keep” the ephemeral message  430 . In such embodiments, selecting the option  440  causes the ephemeral message  430  to be converted to a non-ephemeral message. For example, once the ephemeral message  430  is converted, the user can repeatedly access the corresponding non-ephemeral message within the message view  412  for an indefinite period of time. In some embodiments, a visual transformation is shown when a user selects an option to “keep” an ephemeral message. For example, the ephemeral message can include content such as photos or videos. Initially, a preview of the ephemeral message can be shown in the message view  412  and/or message thread  408 . In some implementations, the preview can be modified. For example, the preview can be masked using some shape (e.g., round-shape). In some implementations, the preview can be blurred. In some embodiments, a visual transformation is applied to the preview of the ephemeral message once the ephemeral message has been “kept” and made permanent. For example, the ephemeral message can be unblurred in the message view  412  and/or message thread  408 . Further, the ephemeral message being can be masked based on a different shape (e.g., rectangular shape with rounded edges). Similarly, recipients of the ephemeral message  430  (e.g., the user “Jaris Fisher”) can also select a keep option to save the ephemeral message  430  as a non-ephemeral message within their view of the message thread  408 . In some embodiments, any recipients that do not opt to keep the ephemeral message  430  will lose their access to the ephemeral message  430  when those recipients exit (or close) the message thread  408 . Many variations are possible. 
     In some embodiments, when a recipient accesses an ephemeral message, the recipient can be shown any ephemeral media content items associated with the ephemeral message in an immersive viewer. For example, a recipient (e.g., the user “Jaris Fisher”) accessing the ephemeral message  430  can be shown the ephemeral media content item  422  in an immersive viewer  444 , as illustrated in the example of  FIG. 4G . While accessing the immersive viewer  444 , the recipient can select an option  446  to respond to the ephemeral media content item  422 . For example, in some embodiments, selecting the option  446  causes a camera interface to be presented. The recipient can interact with the camera interface to create an ephemeral message to be sent in response. Many variations are possible. 
     In various embodiments, a computing system (e.g., social networking system) can manage various information related to message threads. In some embodiments, the computing system can manage message thread activity such as which users have viewed a given message (ephemeral or non-ephemeral) and which users have selected a keep option to retain a given ephemeral message as a non-ephemeral message. In some embodiments, when a sender (or user) selects a keep option to retain an ephemeral message within a given message thread, the ephemeral message is converted to a non-ephemeral message for all other users that are participating in the message thread. For example, a sender can send an ephemeral message (e.g., photo) to be shared amongst one or more other users through a message thread. A computing system (e.g., social networking system) can receive and timestamp the ephemeral message. The computing system can send (or forward) the ephemeral message to the one or more other users participating in the message thread. For example, the computing system can forward the ephemeral message to both a first user and a second user. In this example, respective computing devices being operated by the first user and the second user can communicate information to the computing system (e.g., social networking system). For example, the computing device of the first user can send a message notifying the computing system when the first user views the ephemeral message. The computing system can store information describing this view action. Once this notification is received, the computing system can send an update notifying both the sender and the second user that the first user has viewed the ephemeral message. In a further example, the second user may also view and select an option to keep the ephemeral message. In this example, the computing device of the second user can notify the computing system of any actions (e.g., view, keep, etc.) performed by the second user. The computing system can store information describing these actions. In some embodiments, when one or more users included in a message thread select an option to keep an ephemeral message, that ephemeral message is converted to a non-ephemeral message for all other users participating in the message thread. Many variations are possible. 
     For example, a message thread (or group thread) may include two or more users. In this example, at step 1, a first user (sender) sends an ephemeral message (e.g., ephemeral photo) through the message thread. At step 2, a computing system (e.g., social networking system) receives the ephemeral message and records the send time. At step 3, the computing system forwards the ephemeral message to a second user (R1) and a third user (R2) participating in the message thread. At step 4, the second user views the ephemeral message in the message thread. A computing device of the second user sends a message notifying the computing system that the second user has seen the ephemeral message. At step 5, the computing system records information indicating the second user has viewed the ephemeral message (e.g., “seen_by: R1”). In some embodiments, the computing system also records a seen time indicating when the second user viewed the ephemeral message. The computing system sends update notifications to computing devices of the first user and the third user indicating the second user has viewed the ephemeral message (e.g., “seen_by: R1”). At step 6, the third user also views the ephemeral message and selects an option to keep the ephemeral message. A computing device of the third user sends a message notifying the computing system that the third user has seen and kept the ephemeral message. At step 7, the computing system records the view and keep actions performed by the third user (e.g., “seen_by: R1, R2” and “kept_by: R2). The computing system also sends the kept ephemeral message as a new message (e.g., a non-ephemeral or permanent photo) to participants of the message thread, i.e., the first, second, and third users. In this way, the ephemeral message becomes permanent in the message thread for all participants. 
       FIG. 5  illustrates an example method  500 , according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. It should be appreciated that there can be additional, fewer, or alternative steps performed in similar or alternative orders, or in parallel, within the scope of the various embodiments discussed herein unless otherwise stated. 
     At block  502 , a messaging interface for accessing one or more message threads can be provided, the message threads being accessible through a social networking system. At block  504 , at least one ephemeral message to be sent through a first message thread can be determined. The first message thread can be used to exchange messages among a first group of users. At block  506 , the first group of users can be provided with access to the ephemeral message through the first message thread. 
     It is contemplated that there can be many other uses, applications, and/or variations associated with the various embodiments of the present disclosure. For example, in some cases, user can choose whether or not to opt-in to utilize the disclosed technology. The disclosed technology can also ensure that various privacy settings and preferences are maintained and can prevent private information from being divulged. In another example, various embodiments of the present disclosure can learn, improve, and/or be refined over time. 
     Social Networking System—Example Implementation 
       FIG. 6  illustrates a network diagram of an example system  600  that can be utilized in various scenarios, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. The system  600  includes one or more user devices  610 , one or more external systems  620 , a social networking system (or service)  630 , and a network  650 . In an embodiment, the social networking service, provider, and/or system discussed in connection with the embodiments described above may be implemented as the social networking system  630 . For purposes of illustration, the embodiment of the system  600 , shown by  FIG. 6 , includes a single external system  620  and a single user device  610 . However, in other embodiments, the system  600  may include more user devices  610  and/or more external systems  620 . In certain embodiments, the social networking system  630  is operated by a social network provider, whereas the external systems  620  are separate from the social networking system  630  in that they may be operated by different entities. In various embodiments, however, the social networking system  630  and the external systems  620  operate in conjunction to provide social networking services to users (or members) of the social networking system  630 . In this sense, the social networking system  630  provides a platform or backbone, which other systems, such as external systems  620 , may use to provide social networking services and functionalities to users across the Internet. 
     The user device  610  comprises one or more computing devices (or systems) that can receive input from a user and transmit and receive data via the network  650 . In one embodiment, the user device  610  is a conventional computer system executing, for example, a Microsoft Windows compatible operating system (OS), Apple OS X, and/or a Linux distribution. In another embodiment, the user device  610  can be a computing device or a device having computer functionality, such as a smart-phone, a tablet, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a mobile telephone, a laptop computer, a wearable device (e.g., a pair of glasses, a watch, a bracelet, etc.), a camera, an appliance, etc. The user device  610  is configured to communicate via the network  650 . The user device  610  can execute an application, for example, a browser application that allows a user of the user device  610  to interact with the social networking system  630 . In another embodiment, the user device  610  interacts with the social networking system  630  through an application programming interface (API) provided by the native operating system of the user device  610 , such as iOS and ANDROID. The user device  610  is configured to communicate with the external system  620  and the social networking system  630  via the network  650 , which may comprise any combination of local area and/or wide area networks, using wired and/or wireless communication systems. 
     In one embodiment, the network  650  uses standard communications technologies and protocols. Thus, the network  650  can include links using technologies such as Ethernet, 802.11, worldwide interoperability for microwave access (WiMAX), 3G, 4G, CDMA, GSM, LTE, digital subscriber line (DSL), etc. Similarly, the networking protocols used on the network  650  can include multiprotocol label switching (MPLS), transmission control protocol/Internet protocol (TCP/IP), User Datagram Protocol (UDP), hypertext transport protocol (HTTP), simple mail transfer protocol (SMTP), file transfer protocol (FTP), and the like. The data exchanged over the network  650  can be represented using technologies and/or formats including hypertext markup language (HTML) and extensible markup language (XML). In addition, all or some links can be encrypted using conventional encryption technologies such as secure sockets layer (SSL), transport layer security (TLS), and Internet Protocol security (IPsec). 
     In one embodiment, the user device  610  may display content from the external system  620  and/or from the social networking system  630  by processing a markup language document  614  received from the external system  620  and from the social networking system  630  using a browser application  612 . The markup language document  614  identifies content and one or more instructions describing formatting or presentation of the content. By executing the instructions included in the markup language document  614 , the browser application  612  displays the identified content using the format or presentation described by the markup language document  614 . For example, the markup language document  614  includes instructions for generating and displaying a web page having multiple frames that include text and/or image data retrieved from the external system  620  and the social networking system  630 . In various embodiments, the markup language document  614  comprises a data file including extensible markup language (XML) data, extensible hypertext markup language (XHTML) data, or other markup language data. Additionally, the markup language document  614  may include JavaScript Object Notation (JSON) data, JSON with padding (JSONP), and JavaScript data to facilitate data-interchange between the external system  620  and the user device  610 . The browser application  612  on the user device  610  may use a JavaScript compiler to decode the markup language document  614 . 
     The markup language document  614  may also include, or link to, applications or application frameworks such as FLASH™ or Unity™ applications, the Silverlight™ application framework, etc. 
     In one embodiment, the user device  610  also includes one or more cookies  616  including data indicating whether a user of the user device  610  is logged into the social networking system  630 , which may enable modification of the data communicated from the social networking system  630  to the user device  610 . 
     The external system  620  includes one or more web servers that include one or more web pages  622   a ,  622   b , which are communicated to the user device  610  using the network  650 . The external system  620  is separate from the social networking system  630 . For example, the external system  620  is associated with a first domain, while the social networking system  630  is associated with a separate social networking domain. Web pages  622   a ,  622   b , included in the external system  620 , comprise markup language documents  614  identifying content and including instructions specifying formatting or presentation of the identified content. As discussed previously, it should be appreciated that there can be many variations or other possibilities. 
     The social networking system  630  includes one or more computing devices for a social network, including a plurality of users, and providing users of the social network with the ability to communicate and interact with other users of the social network. In some instances, the social network can be represented by a graph, i.e., a data structure including edges and nodes. Other data structures can also be used to represent the social network, including but not limited to databases, objects, classes, meta elements, files, or any other data structure. The social networking system  630  may be administered, managed, or controlled by an operator. The operator of the social networking system  630  may be a human being, an automated application, or a series of applications for managing content, regulating policies, and collecting usage metrics within the social networking system  630 . Any type of operator may be used. 
     Users may join the social networking system  630  and then add connections to any number of other users of the social networking system  630  to whom they desire to be connected. As used herein, the term “friend” refers to any other user of the social networking system  630  to whom a user has formed a connection, association, or relationship via the social networking system  630 . For example, in an embodiment, if users in the social networking system  630  are represented as nodes in the social graph, the term “friend” can refer to an edge formed between and directly connecting two user nodes. 
     Connections may be added explicitly by a user or may be automatically created by the social networking system  630  based on common characteristics of the users (e.g., users who are alumni of the same educational institution). For example, a first user specifically selects a particular other user to be a friend. Connections in the social networking system  630  are usually in both directions, but need not be, so the terms “user” and “friend” depend on the frame of reference. Connections between users of the social networking system  630  are usually bilateral (“two-way”), or “mutual,” but connections may also be unilateral, or “one-way.” For example, if Bob and Joe are both users of the social networking system  630  and connected to each other, Bob and Joe are each other&#39;s connections. If, on the other hand, Bob wishes to connect to Joe to view data communicated to the social networking system  630  by Joe, but Joe does not wish to form a mutual connection, a unilateral connection may be established. The connection between users may be a direct connection; however, some embodiments of the social networking system  630  allow the connection to be indirect via one or more levels of connections or degrees of separation. 
     In addition to establishing and maintaining connections between users and allowing interactions between users, the social networking system  630  provides users with the ability to take actions on various types of items supported by the social networking system  630 . These items may include groups or networks (i.e., social networks of people, entities, and concepts) to which users of the social networking system  630  may belong, events or calendar entries in which a user might be interested, computer-based applications that a user may use via the social networking system  630 , transactions that allow users to buy or sell items via services provided by or through the social networking system  630 , and interactions with advertisements that a user may perform on or off the social networking system  630 . These are just a few examples of the items upon which a user may act on the social networking system  630 , and many others are possible. A user may interact with anything that is capable of being represented in the social networking system  630  or in the external system  620 , separate from the social networking system  630 , or coupled to the social networking system  630  via the network  650 . 
     The social networking system  630  is also capable of linking a variety of entities. For example, the social networking system  630  enables users to interact with each other as well as external systems  620  or other entities through an API, a web service, or other communication channels. The social networking system  630  generates and maintains the “social graph” comprising a plurality of nodes interconnected by a plurality of edges. Each node in the social graph may represent an entity that can act on another node and/or that can be acted on by another node. The social graph may include various types of nodes. Examples of types of nodes include users, non-person entities, content items, web pages, groups, activities, messages, concepts, and any other things that can be represented by an object in the social networking system  630 . An edge between two nodes in the social graph may represent a particular kind of connection, or association, between the two nodes, which may result from node relationships or from an action that was performed by one of the nodes on the other node. In some cases, the edges between nodes can be weighted. The weight of an edge can represent an attribute associated with the edge, such as a strength of the connection or association between nodes. Different types of edges can be provided with different weights. For example, an edge created when one user “likes” another user may be given one weight, while an edge created when a user befriends another user may be given a different weight. 
     As an example, when a first user identifies a second user as a friend, an edge in the social graph is generated connecting a node representing the first user and a second node representing the second user. As various nodes relate or interact with each other, the social networking system  630  modifies edges connecting the various nodes to reflect the relationships and interactions. 
     The social networking system  630  also includes user-generated content, which enhances a user&#39;s interactions with the social networking system  630 . User-generated content may include anything a user can add, upload, send, or “post” to the social networking system  630 . For example, a user communicates posts to the social networking system  630  from a user device  610 . Posts may include data such as status updates or other textual data, location information, images such as photos, videos, links, music or other similar data and/or media. Content may also be added to the social networking system  630  by a third party. Content “items” are represented as objects in the social networking system  630 . In this way, users of the social networking system  630  are encouraged to communicate with each other by posting text and content items of various types of media through various communication channels. Such communication increases the interaction of users with each other and increases the frequency with which users interact with the social networking system  630 . 
     The social networking system  630  includes a web server  632 , an API request server  634 , a user profile store  636 , a connection store  638 , an action logger  640 , an activity log  642 , and an authorization server  644 . In an embodiment of the invention, the social networking system  630  may include additional, fewer, or different components for various applications. Other components, such as network interfaces, security mechanisms, load balancers, failover servers, management and network operations consoles, and the like are not shown so as to not obscure the details of the system. 
     The user profile store  636  maintains information about user accounts, including biographic, demographic, and other types of descriptive information, such as work experience, educational history, hobbies or preferences, location, and the like that has been declared by users or inferred by the social networking system  630 . This information is stored in the user profile store  636  such that each user is uniquely identified. The social networking system  630  also stores data describing one or more connections between different users in the connection store  638 . The connection information may indicate users who have similar or common work experience, group memberships, hobbies, or educational history. Additionally, the social networking system  630  includes user-defined connections between different users, allowing users to specify their relationships with other users. For example, user-defined connections allow users to generate relationships with other users that parallel the users&#39; real-life relationships, such as friends, co-workers, partners, and so forth. Users may select from predefined types of connections, or define their own connection types as needed. Connections with other nodes in the social networking system  630 , such as non-person entities, buckets, cluster centers, images, interests, pages, external systems, concepts, and the like are also stored in the connection store  638 . 
     The social networking system  630  maintains data about objects with which a user may interact. To maintain this data, the user profile store  636  and the connection store  638  store instances of the corresponding type of objects maintained by the social networking system  630 . Each object type has information fields that are suitable for storing information appropriate to the type of object. For example, the user profile store  636  contains data structures with fields suitable for describing a user&#39;s account and information related to a user&#39;s account. When a new object of a particular type is created, the social networking system  630  initializes a new data structure of the corresponding type, assigns a unique object identifier to it, and begins to add data to the object as needed. This might occur, for example, when a user becomes a user of the social networking system  630 , the social networking system  630  generates a new instance of a user profile in the user profile store  636 , assigns a unique identifier to the user account, and begins to populate the fields of the user account with information provided by the user. 
     The connection store  638  includes data structures suitable for describing a user&#39;s connections to other users, connections to external systems  620  or connections to other entities. The connection store  638  may also associate a connection type with a user&#39;s connections, which may be used in conjunction with the user&#39;s privacy setting to regulate access to information about the user. In an embodiment of the invention, the user profile store  636  and the connection store  638  may be implemented as a federated database. 
     Data stored in the connection store  638 , the user profile store  636 , and the activity log  642  enables the social networking system  630  to generate the social graph that uses nodes to identify various objects and edges connecting nodes to identify relationships between different objects. For example, if a first user establishes a connection with a second user in the social networking system  630 , user accounts of the first user and the second user from the user profile store  636  may act as nodes in the social graph. The connection between the first user and the second user stored by the connection store  638  is an edge between the nodes associated with the first user and the second user. Continuing this example, the second user may then send the first user a message within the social networking system  630 . The action of sending the message, which may be stored, is another edge between the two nodes in the social graph representing the first user and the second user. Additionally, the message itself may be identified and included in the social graph as another node connected to the nodes representing the first user and the second user. 
     In another example, a first user may tag a second user in an image that is maintained by the social networking system  630  (or, alternatively, in an image maintained by another system outside of the social networking system  630 ). The image may itself be represented as a node in the social networking system  630 . This tagging action may create edges between the first user and the second user as well as create an edge between each of the users and the image, which is also a node in the social graph. In yet another example, if a user confirms attending an event, the user and the event are nodes obtained from the user profile store  636 , where the attendance of the event is an edge between the nodes that may be retrieved from the activity log  642 . By generating and maintaining the social graph, the social networking system  630  includes data describing many different types of objects and the interactions and connections among those objects, providing a rich source of socially relevant information. 
     The web server  632  links the social networking system  630  to one or more user devices  610  and/or one or more external systems  620  via the network  650 . The web server  632  serves web pages, as well as other web-related content, such as Java, JavaScript, Flash, XML, and so forth. The web server  632  may include a mail server or other messaging functionality for receiving and routing messages between the social networking system  630  and one or more user devices  610 . The messages can be instant messages, queued messages (e.g., email), text and SMS messages, or any other suitable messaging format. 
     The API request server  634  allows one or more external systems  620  and user devices  610  to call access information from the social networking system  630  by calling one or more API functions. The API request server  634  may also allow external systems  620  to send information to the social networking system  630  by calling APIs. The external system  620 , in one embodiment, sends an API request to the social networking system  630  via the network  650 , and the API request server  634  receives the API request. The API request server  634  processes the request by calling an API associated with the API request to generate an appropriate response, which the API request server  634  communicates to the external system  620  via the network  650 . For example, responsive to an API request, the API request server  634  collects data associated with a user, such as the user&#39;s connections that have logged into the external system  620 , and communicates the collected data to the external system  620 . In another embodiment, the user device  610  communicates with the social networking system  630  via APIs in the same manner as external systems  620 . 
     The action logger  640  is capable of receiving communications from the web server  632  about user actions on and/or off the social networking system  630 . The action logger  640  populates the activity log  642  with information about user actions, enabling the social networking system  630  to discover various actions taken by its users within the social networking system  630  and outside of the social networking system  630 . Any action that a particular user takes with respect to another node on the social networking system  630  may be associated with each user&#39;s account, through information maintained in the activity log  642  or in a similar database or other data repository. Examples of actions taken by a user within the social networking system  630  that are identified and stored may include, for example, adding a connection to another user, sending a message to another user, reading a message from another user, viewing content associated with another user, attending an event posted by another user, posting an image, attempting to post an image, or other actions interacting with another user or another object. When a user takes an action within the social networking system  630 , the action is recorded in the activity log  642 . In one embodiment, the social networking system  630  maintains the activity log  642  as a database of entries. When an action is taken within the social networking system  630 , an entry for the action is added to the activity log  642 . The activity log  642  may be referred to as an action log. 
     Additionally, user actions may be associated with concepts and actions that occur within an entity outside of the social networking system  630 , such as an external system  620  that is separate from the social networking system  630 . For example, the action logger  640  may receive data describing a user&#39;s interaction with an external system  620  from the web server  632 . In this example, the external system  620  reports a user&#39;s interaction according to structured actions and objects in the social graph. 
     Other examples of actions where a user interacts with an external system  620  include a user expressing an interest in an external system  620  or another entity, a user posting a comment to the social networking system  630  that discusses an external system  620  or a web page  622   a  within the external system  620 , a user posting to the social networking system  630  a Uniform Resource Locator (URL) or other identifier associated with an external system  620 , a user attending an event associated with an external system  620 , or any other action by a user that is related to an external system  620 . Thus, the activity log  642  may include actions describing interactions between a user of the social networking system  630  and an external system  620  that is separate from the social networking system  630 . 
     The authorization server  644  enforces one or more privacy settings of the users of the social networking system  630 . A privacy setting of a user determines how particular information associated with a user can be shared. The privacy setting comprises the specification of particular information associated with a user and the specification of the entity or entities with whom the information can be shared. Examples of entities with which information can be shared may include other users, applications, external systems  620 , or any entity that can potentially access the information. The information that can be shared by a user comprises user account information, such as profile photos, phone numbers associated with the user, user&#39;s connections, actions taken by the user such as adding a connection, changing user profile information, and the like. 
     The privacy setting specification may be provided at different levels of granularity. For example, the privacy setting may identify specific information to be shared with other users; the privacy setting identifies a work phone number or a specific set of related information, such as, personal information including profile photo, home phone number, and status. Alternatively, the privacy setting may apply to all the information associated with the user. The specification of the set of entities that can access particular information can also be specified at various levels of granularity. Various sets of entities with which information can be shared may include, for example, all friends of the user, all friends of friends, all applications, or all external systems  620 . One embodiment allows the specification of the set of entities to comprise an enumeration of entities. For example, the user may provide a list of external systems  620  that are allowed to access certain information. Another embodiment allows the specification to comprise a set of entities along with exceptions that are not allowed to access the information. For example, a user may allow all external systems  620  to access the user&#39;s work information, but specify a list of external systems  620  that are not allowed to access the work information. Certain embodiments call the list of exceptions that are not allowed to access certain information a “block list”. External systems  620  belonging to a block list specified by a user are blocked from accessing the information specified in the privacy setting. Various combinations of granularity of specification of information, and granularity of specification of entities, with which information is shared are possible. For example, all personal information may be shared with friends whereas all work information may be shared with friends of friends. 
     The authorization server  644  contains logic to determine if certain information associated with a user can be accessed by a user&#39;s friends, external systems  620 , and/or other applications and entities. The external system  620  may need authorization from the authorization server  644  to access the user&#39;s more private and sensitive information, such as the user&#39;s work phone number. Based on the user&#39;s privacy settings, the authorization server  644  determines if another user, the external system  620 , an application, or another entity is allowed to access information associated with the user, including information about actions taken by the user. 
     In some embodiments, the social networking system  630  can include a messaging module  646 . The messaging module  646  can, for example, be implemented as the messaging module  102  of  FIG. 1 . In some embodiments, the messaging module  646 , in whole or in part, is additionally or alternatively implemented in the user device  610 . As discussed previously, it should be appreciated that there can be many variations or other possibilities. 
     Hardware Implementation 
     The foregoing processes and features can be implemented by a wide variety of machine and computer system architectures and in a wide variety of network and computing environments.  FIG. 7  illustrates an example of a computer system  700  that may be used to implement one or more of the embodiments described herein in accordance with an embodiment of the invention. The computer system  700  includes sets of instructions for causing the computer system  700  to perform the processes and features discussed herein. The computer system  700  may be connected (e.g., networked) to other machines. In a networked deployment, the computer system  700  may operate in the capacity of a server machine or a client machine in a client-server network environment, or as a peer machine in a peer-to-peer (or distributed) network environment. In an embodiment of the invention, the computer system  700  may be the social networking system  630 , the user device  610 , and the external system  720 , or a component thereof. In an embodiment of the invention, the computer system  700  may be one server among many that constitutes all or part of the social networking system  630 . 
     The computer system  700  includes a processor  702 , a cache  704 , and one or more executable modules and drivers, stored on a computer-readable medium, directed to the processes and features described herein. Additionally, the computer system  700  includes a high performance input/output (I/O) bus  706  and a standard I/O bus  708 . A host bridge  710  couples processor  702  to high performance I/O bus  706 , whereas I/O bus bridge  712  couples the two buses  706  and  708  to each other. A system memory  714  and one or more network interfaces  716  couple to high performance I/O bus  706 . The computer system  700  may further include video memory and a display device coupled to the video memory (not shown). Mass storage  718  and I/O ports  720  couple to the standard I/O bus  708 . The computer system  700  may optionally include a keyboard and pointing device, a display device, or other input/output devices (not shown) coupled to the standard I/O bus  708 . Collectively, these elements are intended to represent a broad category of computer hardware systems, including but not limited to computer systems based on the x86-compatible processors manufactured by Intel Corporation of Santa Clara, Calif., and the x86-compatible processors manufactured by Advanced Micro Devices (AMD), Inc., of Sunnyvale, Calif., as well as any other suitable processor. 
     An operating system manages and controls the operation of the computer system  700 , including the input and output of data to and from software applications (not shown). The operating system provides an interface between the software applications being executed on the system and the hardware components of the system. Any suitable operating system may be used, such as the LINUX Operating System, the Apple Macintosh Operating System, available from Apple Computer Inc. of Cupertino, Calif., UNIX operating systems, Microsoft® Windows® operating systems, BSD operating systems, and the like. Other implementations are possible. 
     The elements of the computer system  700  are described in greater detail below. In particular, the network interface  716  provides communication between the computer system  700  and any of a wide range of networks, such as an Ethernet (e.g., IEEE 802.3) network, a backplane, etc. The mass storage  718  provides permanent storage for the data and programming instructions to perform the above-described processes and features implemented by the respective computing systems identified above, whereas the system memory  714  (e.g., DRAM) provides temporary storage for the data and programming instructions when executed by the processor  702 . The I/O ports  720  may be one or more serial and/or parallel communication ports that provide communication between additional peripheral devices, which may be coupled to the computer system  700 . 
     The computer system  700  may include a variety of system architectures, and various components of the computer system  700  may be rearranged. For example, the cache  704  may be on-chip with processor  702 . Alternatively, the cache  704  and the processor  702  may be packed together as a “processor module”, with processor  702  being referred to as the “processor core”. Furthermore, certain embodiments of the invention may neither require nor include all of the above components. For example, peripheral devices coupled to the standard I/O bus  708  may couple to the high performance I/O bus  706 . In addition, in some embodiments, only a single bus may exist, with the components of the computer system  700  being coupled to the single bus. Moreover, the computer system  700  may include additional components, such as additional processors, storage devices, or memories. 
     In general, the processes and features described herein may be implemented as part of an operating system or a specific application, component, program, object, module, or series of instructions referred to as “programs”. For example, one or more programs may be used to execute specific processes described herein. The programs typically comprise one or more instructions in various memory and storage devices in the computer system  700  that, when read and executed by one or more processors, cause the computer system  700  to perform operations to execute the processes and features described herein. The processes and features described herein may be implemented in software, firmware, hardware (e.g., an application specific integrated circuit), or any combination thereof. 
     In one implementation, the processes and features described herein are implemented as a series of executable modules run by the computer system  700 , individually or collectively in a distributed computing environment. The foregoing modules may be realized by hardware, executable modules stored on a computer-readable medium (or machine-readable medium), or a combination of both. For example, the modules may comprise a plurality or series of instructions to be executed by a processor in a hardware system, such as the processor  702 . Initially, the series of instructions may be stored on a storage device, such as the mass storage  718 . However, the series of instructions can be stored on any suitable computer readable storage medium. Furthermore, the series of instructions need not be stored locally, and could be received from a remote storage device, such as a server on a network, via the network interface  716 . The instructions are copied from the storage device, such as the mass storage  718 , into the system memory  714  and then accessed and executed by the processor  702 . In various implementations, a module or modules can be executed by a processor or multiple processors in one or multiple locations, such as multiple servers in a parallel processing environment. 
     Examples of computer-readable media include, but are not limited to, recordable type media such as volatile and non-volatile memory devices; solid state memories; floppy and other removable disks; hard disk drives; magnetic media; optical disks (e.g., Compact Disk Read-Only Memory (CD ROMS), Digital Versatile Disks (DVDs)); other similar non-transitory (or transitory), tangible (or non-tangible) storage medium; or any type of medium suitable for storing, encoding, or carrying a series of instructions for execution by the computer system  700  to perform any one or more of the processes and features described herein. 
     For purposes of explanation, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the description. It will be apparent, however, to one skilled in the art that embodiments of the disclosure can be practiced without these specific details. In some instances, modules, structures, processes, features, and devices are shown in block diagram form in order to avoid obscuring the description. In other instances, functional block diagrams and flow diagrams are shown to represent data and logic flows. The components of block diagrams and flow diagrams (e.g., modules, blocks, structures, devices, features, etc.) may be variously combined, separated, removed, reordered, and replaced in a manner other than as expressly described and depicted herein. 
     Reference in this specification to “one embodiment”, “an embodiment”, “other embodiments”, “one series of embodiments”, “some embodiments”, “various embodiments”, or the like means that a particular feature, design, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the disclosure. The appearances of, for example, the phrase “in one embodiment” or “in an embodiment” in various places in the specification are not necessarily all referring to the same embodiment, nor are separate or alternative embodiments mutually exclusive of other embodiments. Moreover, whether or not there is express reference to an “embodiment” or the like, various features are described, which may be variously combined and included in some embodiments, but also variously omitted in other embodiments. Similarly, various features are described that may be preferences or requirements for some embodiments, but not other embodiments. 
     The language used herein has been principally selected for readability and instructional purposes, and it may not have been selected to delineate or circumscribe the inventive subject matter. It is therefore intended that the scope of the invention be limited not by this detailed description, but rather by any claims that issue on an application based hereon. Accordingly, the disclosure of the embodiments of the invention is intended to be illustrative, but not limiting, of the scope of the invention, which is set forth in the following claims.