Bootstrapping social networks using augmented peer to peer distributions of social networking services

摘要

A mobile device, system, and method are directed towards enabling a social network member to bootstrap another person's membership to a social network application and to send an invite using an augmented peer to peer distribution mechanism. The member may bootstrap membership by providing information about the invitee. A server may then determine sharable social networking information, to include within the invite, such as personal information about the member, and/or about the invitee. The invite is then automatically modified to make it appear as though it is sent by the member, by spoofing an identifier of the source of the invite. A link or other information associated with a link to the sharable social network application may be automatically included into the invite, where the link is configured to direct the invitee to a configuration of the social network application appropriate for the invitee's mobile device.

主权项

1. A method comprising:
providing a selectable user interface that enables a member of an electronic social network application to generate an electronic invite to a recipient; receiving an identifier of the recipient of the electronic invite; automatically augmenting the electronic invite with personally identifying information pertaining to the recipient, the identifying information comprising at least one item of information known only by a limited group of people prior to the electronic invite being generated, the limited group of people including the recipient and the member associated with the augmented electronic invite, wherein the identifying information is known from prior social interactions of the recipient and member; automatically spoofing a source identifier of the augmented electronic invite to make the augmented electronic invite appear to be originating from the member rather than from a server device, the spoofing being implemented to minimize a likelihood that the augmented electronic invite is interpreted as spam; transmitting a first portion of the augmented electronic invite to the recipient; receiving a request from the recipient to access another portion of the augmented electronic invite; determining a capability of a computing device associated with the request; and transmitting a second portion of the augmented electronic invite to the recipient with link information to a version of the electronic social networking application configured to be compatible with the capability of the computing device.