Techniques for augmenting entity references in a messaging system

1. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

receiving a message from a sending client device at a messaging system, the message intended for a third-party receiving user account;

determining that the message includes an entity reference referencing an entity;

selecting an augmentation element associated with the entity reference, the augmentation element comprising information and controls related to the entity empowering interaction with the entity;

generating an augmented entity reference by augmenting the entity reference with the augmentation element; and

sending the augmented entity reference to one or more receiving client devices associated with the third-party receiving user account.

2. The method of claim 1 , comprising:

selecting the augmentation element associated with the entity reference based on social-networking information for the receiving user account.

3. The method of claim 1 , the entity reference corresponding to an article entity, further comprising:

selecting an article preview for the article entity as the augmentation element.

4. The method of claim 1 , the entity reference corresponding to a media entity, further comprising:

selecting a media preview for the media entity as the augmentation element.

5. The method of claim 1 , the entity reference corresponding to a location entity, further comprising:

selecting a location page preview as the augmentation element and a map view as a second augmentation element; and

generating the augmented entity reference by augmenting the entity reference with the augmentation element and the second augmentation element.

6. The method of claim 1 , the entity reference corresponding to a user entity, further comprising:

selecting one or more user information items as the augmentation element, the one or more user information items comprising one or more of a user name for the user entity, a user nickname for the user entity, a profile item for the user entity, a user page item for the user entity, a user relationship indicator for the user entity, a user connection for the user entity, and a user association for the user entity.

7. The method of claim 1 , the entity reference corresponding to a user entity, further comprising:

selecting one or more user controls as the augmentation element, the one or more user controls comprising one or more of a group-invitation control, a contact-add control, a friend-add control, a message-composition control, a view-profile control, an audio call control, a nickname-editing control, and a reply-to control.

8. An apparatus, comprising:

a processor circuit on a device;

a messaging component operative on the processor circuit to:

receive a message from a sending client device at a messaging system, the message intended for a third-party receiving user account;

determine that the message includes an entity reference referencing an entity; and

send an augmented entity reference to one or more receiving client devices associated with the third-party receiving user account; and

an entity reference component operative to:

select an augmentation element associated with the entity reference, the augmentation element comprising information and controls empowering interaction with the entity; and

generate the augmented entity reference by augmenting the entity reference with the augmentation element.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 , further comprising:

the entity reference component operative to select the augmentation element associated with the entity reference based on social-networking information for the receiving user account.

10. The apparatus of claim 8 , the entity reference corresponding to an article entity, further comprising:

the entity reference component operative to select an article preview for the article entity as the augmentation element.

11. The apparatus of claim 8 , the entity reference corresponding to a media entity, further comprising:

the entity reference component operative to select a media preview for the media entity as the augmentation element.

12. The apparatus of claim 8 , the entity reference corresponding to a location entity, further comprising:

the entity reference component operative to select a location page preview as the augmentation element and a map view as a second augmentation element; and generate the augmented entity reference by augmenting the entity reference with the augmentation element and the second augmentation element.

13. The apparatus of claim 8 , the entity reference corresponding to a user entity, further comprising:

the entity reference component operative to select one or more user information items as the augmentation element, the one or more user information items comprising one or more of a user name for the user entity, a user nickname for the user entity, a profile item for the user entity, a user page item for the user entity, a user relationship indicator for the user entity, a user connection for the user entity, and a user association for the user entity.

14. The apparatus of claim 8 , the entity reference corresponding to a user entity, further comprising:

the entity reference component operative to select one or more user controls as the augmentation element, the one or more user controls comprising one or more of a group-invitation control, a contact-add control, a friend-add control, a message-composition control, a view-profile control, an audio call control, a nickname-editing control, and a reply-to control.

15. At least one non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising instructions that, when executed, cause a system to:

receive a message from a sending client device at a messaging system, the message intended for a third-party receiving user account;

determine a receiving user account for the message that the message includes an entity reference referencing an entity;

select an augmentation element associated with the entity reference, the augmentation element comprising information and controls empowering interaction with the entity;

generate an augmented entity reference by augmenting the entity reference with the augmentation element; and

send the augmented entity reference to one or more receiving client devices associated with the third-party receiving user account.

16. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 15 , comprising further instructions that, when executed, cause a system to:

select the augmentation element associated with the entity reference based on social-networking information for the receiving user account.

17. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 15 , the entity reference corresponding to a media entity, comprising further instructions that, when executed, cause a system to:

select a media preview for the media entity as the augmentation element.

18. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 15 , the entity reference corresponding to a location entity, comprising further instructions that, when executed, cause a system to:

select a location page preview as the augmentation element and a map view as a second augmentation element; and

generate the augmented entity reference by augmenting the entity reference with the augmentation element and the second augmentation element.

19. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 15 , the entity reference corresponding to a user entity, comprising further instructions that, when executed, cause a system to:

select one or more user information items as the augmentation element, the one or more user information items comprising one or more of a user name for the user entity, a user nickname for the user entity, a profile item for the user entity, a user page item for the user entity, a user relationship indicator for the user entity, a user connection for the user entity, and a user association for the user entity.

20. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 15 , the entity reference corresponding to a user entity, comprising further instructions that, when executed, cause a system to:

select one or more user controls as the augmentation element, the one or more user controls comprising one or more of a group-invitation control, a contact-add control, a friend-add control, a message-composition control, a view-profile control, an audio call control, a nickname-editing control, and a reply-to control.