Automated location check-in for geo-social networking system

1. A method comprising:

by one or more computing devices, receiving a current location of a first user from a mobile computing device of the first user;

by the one or more computing devices, accessing one or more data stores comprising profile information of the first user and one or more data stores of places associated with the current location of the first user;

by the one or more computing devices, sending instructions to the mobile computing device to present for display to the first user a list of places, wherein the list of places is generated by:

gathering information on a plurality of places located near the current location of the first user,

ranking the plurality of places based at least in part on whether each of the plurality of places is configured for an automatic check-in associated with the first user, wherein each of the plurality of places that is configured for the automatic check-in is ranked higher than any of the plurality of places not configured for the automatic check-in, and

selecting a predetermined number of the top-ranked of the plurality of places to present to the first user as the list of places;

by the one or more computing devices, receiving via the mobile computing device a selection by the first user of a particular place from the list of places;

by the one or more computing devices, determining whether the particular place selected by the first user is associated with one or more activity records of one or more second users, each of the second users being a social contact of the first user as determined using the profile information of the first user; and

by the one or more computing devices, if it is determined that the particular place is associated with the activity records of at least one of the second users, sending instructions to the mobile computing device to present for display to the first user a structured document associated with the particular place selected by the first user.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the activity records of the one or more second users comprise check-in activities of each of the one or more second users associated with the particular place.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the activity records of the one or more second users are stored in a database associated with a social-networking system.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the structured document associated with the particular place comprises one or more web pages presenting information associated with the particular place.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the list of places is generated by:

further ranking the plurality of places based on distance, relevancy, and a configurable rule set;

wherein the automatic check-in associated with the first user is configured based on a threshold number of check-in of the first user at one or more of the plurality of places.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the ranking of the plurality of places is further based on check-in activities of each of the one or more second users.

7. The method of claim 1 ,

wherein the first user and each of the one or more second users are associated with a social graph of a social-networking system;

wherein the social graph comprises a plurality of nodes and edges connecting the nodes, each of the edges between two of the nodes representing a single degree of separation between the nodes;

wherein the first user and the one or more second users are each associated with at least one node of the social graph; and

wherein the node associated with the at least one second user is within a predetermined degree of separation with the node associated with the first user.

8. A system, comprising:

one or more processors; and

a memory coupled to the processors comprising instructions executable by the processors, the processors being operable when executed to:

receive a current location of a first user from a mobile computing device of the first user;

access one or more data stores comprising profile information of the first user and one or more data stores of places associated with the current location of the first user;

send instructions to the mobile computing device to present for display to the first user a list of places, wherein the list of places is generated by:

gathering information on a plurality of places located near the current location of the first user,

ranking the plurality of places based at least in part on whether each of the plurality of places is configured for an automatic check-in associated with the first user, wherein each of the plurality of places that is configured for the automatic check-in is ranked higher than any of the plurality of places not configured for the automatic check-in, and

selecting a predetermined number of the top-ranked of the plurality of places to present to the first user as the list of places;

receive via the mobile computing device a selection by the first user of a particular place from the list of places;

determine whether the particular place selected by the first user is associated with one or more activity records of one or more second users, each of the second users being a social contact of the first user as determined using the profile information of the first user; and

if it is determined that the particular place is associated with the activity records of at least one of the second users, send instructions to the mobile computing device to present for display to the first user a structured document associated with the particular place selected by the first user.

9. The system of claim 8 , wherein the activity records of the one or more second users comprise check-in activities of each of the one or more second users associated with the particular place.

10. The system of claim 9 , wherein the activity records of the one or more second users are stored in a database associated with a social-networking system.

11. The system of claim 8 , wherein the structured document associated with the particular place comprises one or more web pages presenting information associated with the particular place.

12. The system of claim 8 , wherein the list of places is generated by:

further ranking the plurality of places based on distance, relevancy, and a configurable rule set;

wherein the automatic check-in associated with the first user is configured based on a threshold number of check-in of the first user at one or more of the plurality of places.

13. The system of claim 12 , wherein the ranking of the plurality of places is further based on check-in activities of each of the one or more second users.

14. The system of claim 8 ,

wherein the first user and each of the one or more second users are associated with a social graph of a social-networking system;

wherein the social graph comprises a plurality of nodes and edges connecting the nodes, each of the edges between two of the nodes representing a single degree of separation between the nodes;

wherein the first user and the one or more second users are each associated with at least one node of the social graph; and

wherein the node associated with the at least one second user is within a predetermined degree of separation with the node associated with the first user.

15. One or more computer-readable non-transitory storage media embodying software that is operable when executed to:

receive a current location of a first user from a mobile computing device of the first user;

access one or more data stores comprising profile information of the first user and one or more data stores of places associated with the current location of the first user;

send instructions to the mobile computing device to present for display to the first user a list of places, wherein the list of places is generated by:

gathering information on a plurality of places located near the current location of the first user,

ranking the plurality of places based at least in part on whether each of the plurality of places is configured for an automatic check-in associated with the first user, wherein each of the plurality of places that is configured for the automatic check-in is ranked higher than any of the plurality of places not configured for the automatic check-in, and

selecting a predetermined number of the top-ranked of the plurality of places to present to the first user as the list of places;

receive via the mobile computing device a selection by the first user of a particular place from the list of places;

determine whether the particular place selected by the first user is associated with one or more activity records of one or more second users, each of the second users being a social contact of the first user as determined using the profile information of the first user; and

if it is determined that the particular place is associated with the activity records of at least one of the second users, send instructions to the mobile computing device to present for display to the first user a structured document associated with the particular place selected by the first user.

16. The system of claim 15 , wherein the activity records of the one or more second users comprise check-in activities of each of the one or more second users associated with the particular place.

17. The system of claim 16 , wherein the activity records of the one or more second users are stored in a database associated with a social-networking system.

18. The system of claim 15 , wherein the structured document associated with the particular place comprises one or more web pages presenting information associated with the particular place.

19. The system of claim 15 , wherein the list of places is generated by:

further ranking the plurality of places based on distance, relevancy, and a configurable rule set;

wherein the automatic check-in associated with the first user is configured based on a threshold number of check-in of the first user at one or more of the plurality of places.

20. The system of claim 19 , wherein the ranking of the plurality of places is further based on check-in activities of each of the one or more second users.