Allowing groups expanded connectivity to entities of an information service

1. A method comprising:

allowing a first user to become a member of a system accessible through the Internet;

providing a social graph, wherein the social graph comprises:

a plurality of nodes of a first type, referred to as system-provided nodes, wherein system-provided nodes represent entities tracked by the system and include information gathered by the system;

a plurality of nodes of a second type, different from the first type of node and referred to as ghost nodes, wherein ghost nodes represent entities created for users of the system and include information specified by the users of the system;

a plurality of edges of a first type, referred to as system-provided edges, wherein system-provided edges represent relationships categorized by at least one concept category of the system between two different system-provided nodes of the social graph; and

a plurality of edges of a second type, different from the first type of edge and referred to as ghost edges, wherein each ghost edge represents relationships between a system-provided node and a ghost node of the social graph, and information on the relationships are specified by the users of the system;

maintaining the social graph comprising:

allowing the plurality of system-provided nodes of the social graph to be directly coupled to other system-provided nodes by system-provided edges, wherein system-provided edges include information gathered by the system and not specified by the users of the system;

allowing the plurality of ghost nodes of the social graph to be directly coupled to system-provided nodes by ghost edges, wherein ghost edges include information specified by the users of the system;

disallowing the plurality of ghost nodes from being directly coupled to other ghost nodes or to system-provided nodes using system-provided edges; and

disallowing the plurality of system-provided nodes from being directly coupled to other system-provided nodes using ghost edges, wherein nodes are directly coupled when they are one degree of separation from each other;

representing the first user in the social graph as a first ghost node;

receiving profile information from the first user comprising a first person associated with a first entity, wherein the first entity is represented by a first system-provided node in the social graph;

providing a first system-provided edge coupling the first and a second system-provided nodes, wherein the first system-provided edge includes information gathered by the system and not specified by the users of the system;

allowing the first user to access a profile page generated by the system for the second system-provided node in the social graph for a second entity, wherein the second entity is coupled by a first-degree of separation in the social graph to a second person associated with the first entity, and the second person is different from the first person; and

providing a notification to the first user indicating a connection between the first user and second entity through the first entity, wherein the first ghost node and the second system-provided node are coupled at two or more degrees of separation.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the notification displays an identity of the second person.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the notification does not display an identity of the first person.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the first person is not represented by a system-provided node in the social graph.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the second person does not have a system-provided node in the social graph.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the providing an notification to the first user indicating a connection between the first user and second entity through the first entity comprises:

displaying on a portion of a Web page of information for the second entity an identity of the second person and a link to the first entity.

7. The method of claim 1 comprising:

displaying on a computer screen for the second entity comprising a listing for adversarial relationships comprising a third entity having a third system-provided node which is coupled to the second system-provided node through an edge indicating an adverse relationship.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the first system-provided edge represents an adverse relationship between the first and second system-provided nodes, indicating the first entity was a party to a lawsuit against the second entity.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the first system-provided edge represents an adverse relationship between the first and second system-provided nodes, indicating the first entity was a competitor in a business deal with the second entity.

10. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving from the first user an indication that the first user knows the second person; and

coupling the first ghost node with the second system-provided node in the social graph by a ghost edge based on the indication from the first user.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the maintaining the social graph further comprises:

receiving unfiltered information from an on-line source;

filtering the unfiltered information to obtain information on entities;

filtering the unfiltered information to obtain filtered information on entities;

retrieving a plurality of ontology data structures, wherein each ontology data structure of the plurality of ontology data structures include a method of representing a relationship in an unstructured data format to a data format of the social graph, wherein the data format of the social graph comprises entities represented by at least one system-provided edge and at least two system-provided nodes;

selecting ontology data structures from the plurality of ontology data structures to represent the filtered information on entities; and

creating system-provided nodes and system-provided edges in the social graph to represented the filtered information on entities based on the selected ontology data structures.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein each ghost node of the plurality of ghost nodes of the social graph is one-degree of separation from at least one system-provided node of the social graph.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein none of the system-provided edges of the plurality of system-provided edges are directly coupled to a ghost node.

14. The method of claim 4 wherein none of the ghost edges of the plurality of ghost edges are coupled to more than one system-provided node.

15. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

disallowing system-provided edges from directly coupling two ghost nodes.

16. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

disallowing ghost edges from directly coupling two ghost nodes or two system-provided nodes.

17. The method of claim 1 wherein the first user is allowed to modify information associated with the first ghost node and disallowed to modify information associated with the first system-provided node.

18. The method of claim 1 wherein each ghost edge of the plurality of ghost edges of the social graph is directly coupled to at least one ghost node.

19. The method of claim 1 wherein each ghost edge of the plurality of ghost edges of the social graph is directly coupled to at most one system-provided node.

20. The method of claim 1 wherein each ghost node of the plurality of ghost nodes of the social graph is at least two degrees of separation from every other ghost node of the social graph.

21. The method of claim 1 wherein the maintaining the social graph further comprises:

disallowing system-provided edges from directly coupling two ghost nodes; and

disallowing ghost edges from directly coupling two ghost nodes or two system-provided nodes.

22. The method of claim 1 further comprising allowing the first user to be represented in the social graph as a third system-provided node, separate from the first ghost node representing the first user including information specified by the first user, and the third system-provided node includes information gathered by the system.

23. The method of claim 1 wherein the first system-provided edge coupling the first and second system-provided nodes includes information gathered by the system from an on-line information source.

24. The method of claim 1 wherein the first system-provided edge includes information accessible by the first user but prevented from specifying information on the first system-provided edge.

25. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

displaying on the computer screen for the second entity comprising a listing of relationships between the first and second entities wherein the listing comprises:

a first relationship represented in the social graph as a third ghost edge indicating an adverse relationship; and

a second relationship represented in the social graph as a fourth ghost edge indicating a beneficial relationship.

26. A method comprising:

allowing a first user to become a member of a system accessible through the Internet;

providing a social graph, wherein the social graph comprises:

a plurality of nodes of a first type, referred to as system-provided nodes, wherein system-provided nodes represent entities tracked by the system and include information gathered by the system;

a plurality of nodes of a second type, different from the first type of node and referred to as ghost nodes, wherein ghost nodes represent entities created for users of the system and include information specified by the users of the system;

a plurality of edges of a first type, referred to as system-provided edges, wherein system-provided edges represent relationships categorized by at least one concept category of the system between two different system-provided nodes of the social graph; and

a plurality of edges of a second type, different from the first type of edge and referred to as ghost edges, wherein each ghost edge represents relationships between a system-provided node and a ghost node of the social graph, and information on the relationships are specified by the users of the system;

maintaining the social graph comprising:

allowing the plurality of system-provided nodes of the social graph to be directly coupled to other system-provided nodes by system-provided edges, wherein system-provided edges include information gathered by the system and not specified by the users of the system;

allowing the plurality of ghost nodes of the social graph to be directly coupled to system-provided nodes by ghost edges, wherein ghost edges include information specified by the users of the system;

disallowing the plurality of ghost nodes from being directly coupled to other ghost nodes or to system-provided nodes using system-provided edges; and

disallowing the plurality of system-provided nodes from being directly coupled to other system-provided nodes using ghost edges wherein nodes are directly coupled when they are one degree of separation from each other;

representing the first user in the social graph as a first ghost node;

receiving profile information from the first user comprising a first person associated with a first entity, wherein the first entity is represented by a first system-provided node in a social graph;

providing a first system-provided edge coupling the first and a second system-provided nodes, wherein the first system-provided edge includes information gathered by the system and not specified by the users of the system;

allowing the first user to access a profile page generated by the system for the second system-provided node in the social graph for a second entity, wherein the second entity is coupled by a first-degree connection in the social graph to the first entity via a first activity; and

providing a notification to the first user indicating a connection between the first user and second entity through the first entity.

27. The method of claim 26 wherein the first activity comprises a contribution of money from the second entity to the first entity.

28. The method of claim 26 wherein the first activity comprises the second entity being a board member of the first entity.

29. The method of claim 26 wherein the first entity is representative of an organization and the second entity is representative of a person.

30. The method of claim 26 comprising:

displaying on a computer screen for the second entity comprising a listing for entities over which the second entity has influence comprising a third entity having a third system-provided node which is coupled to the first system-provided node through a single direct edge indicating a first degree relationship.

31. The method of claim 30 comprising:

displaying on the computer screen for the second entity comprising a listing of connected entities having a edge connection to the second entity, wherein the listing of connected entities does not list the third entity.

32. A method comprising:

allowing a first user to become a member of a system accessible through the Internet;

providing a social graph, wherein the social graph comprises:

a plurality of nodes of a first type, referred to as system-provided nodes, wherein system-provided nodes represent entities tracked by the system and include information gathered by the system;

a plurality of nodes of a second type, different from the first type of node and referred to as ghost nodes, wherein ghost nodes represent entities created for users of the system and include information specified by the users of the system;

a plurality of edges of a first type, referred to as system-provided edges, wherein system-provided edges represent relationships categorized by at least one concept category of the system between two different system-provided nodes of the social graph; and

a plurality of edges of a second type, different from the first type of edge and referred to as ghost edges, wherein each ghost edge represents relationships between a system-provided node and a ghost node of the social graph, and information on the relationships are specified by the users of the system;

maintaining the social graph comprising:

allowing the plurality of system-provided nodes of the social graph to be directly coupled to other system-provided nodes by system-provided edges, wherein system-provided edges include information gathered by the system and not specified by the users of the system;

allowing the plurality of ghost nodes of the social graph to be directly coupled to system-provided nodes by ghost edges, wherein ghost edges include information specified by the users of the system;

disallowing the plurality of ghost nodes from being directly coupled to other ghost nodes or to system-provided nodes using system-provided edges; and

disallowing the plurality of system-provided nodes from being directly coupled to other system-provided nodes using ghost edges wherein nodes are directly coupled when they are one degree of separation from each other;

representing the first user in the social graph as a first ghost node;

representing a second user in the social graph as a second ghost node;

coupling the second ghost node to the second system-provided node by a first ghost edge;

allowing the first user to be represented in the social graph as a third system-provided node, separate from the first ghost node representing the first user including information specified by the first user, and the third system-provided node includes information gathered by the system on the first user;

receiving profile information from the first user comprising a first person associated with a first entity, wherein the first entity is represented by a first system-provided node in a social graph;

providing a first system-provided edge coupling the first and a second system-provided nodes, wherein the first system-provided edge includes information gathered by the system and not specified by the users of the system;

disallowing the first user to access a profile page of the second system-provided node in the social graph for a second entity based on the first ghost edge coupling the second user and the second system-provided node;

determining to allow the first user to access a profile page of the second system-provided node in the social graph based on the first system-provided edge; and

providing a notification to the first user indicating a connection between the first user and second entity through the first entity.

33. The method of claim 32 further comprising:

coupling the third system-provided node representing the first user to the second system-provided node by a second system-provided edge; and

disallowing the first user to access a profile page of the second system-provided node in the social graph based on the second system-provided edge.

34. The method of claim 32 wherein the third system-provided node representing the first user excludes information provided to the system by the first user.