Inline discussions in search results around real-time clusterings

1. A computer-implemented method executed using one or more processors, the method comprising:

receiving a search query from a searching user;

identifying a plurality of items of digital content distributed using one or more social networking services, each item in the plurality of items being responsive to the search query;

providing a set of items from the plurality of items to be displayed as social search results based on respective item scores, each item score being specific to a respective item and the searching user, and exceeding a threshold item score; and

determining that one or more terms provided in the search query is an active keyword, wherein an active keyword is a keyword that has increased in popularity over a pre-defined time period, and, in response:

determining, from the set of items, an event underlying the active keyword, the event determined from items that are relevant to the event and referencing the event;

determining a time period during which the event occurred;

determining times at which each of the items were distributed by the one or more social networking services;

assigning, to a first sub-set of items, each item that is determined to: (i) be responsive to the active keyword, (ii) be relevant to the event and referencing the event, and (iii) have been distributed using the one or more social networks at a time within the time period during which the event occurred;

assigning to a second sub-set of items, items that are different than items assigned to the first sub-set of items, and that are determined to: (i) be responsive to the active keyword and (ii) have been distributed using the one or more social networks at a time not within the time period during which the event occurred;

providing items in the first sub-set of items for display within a set of search results responsive to the search query as social search results in a discussion stream within the set of search results; and

providing items in the second sub-set of items for display within the set of search results as social search results outside of the discussion stream within the set of search results.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the set of items is provided from the plurality of items of digital content based on at least one of an access authorization of the searching user with respect to each item of the plurality of items of digital content and the respective item scores associated with items of the plurality of items of digital content.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein each item score is specific to the searching user such that items included in the set of items are potentially more relevant to the searching user than other items provided in the plurality of items of digital content.

4. The method of claim 2 , wherein the searching user comprises a user that submitted the search query.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein providing items in the first sub-set of items for display comprises sending a user interface document, the user interface document comprising instructions to display the items of the first sub-set of items as the discussion stream.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the user interface document comprises a web page.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising providing a content sharing interface within the discussion stream, the content sharing interface enabling a searching user to contribute items of digital content to the discussion stream.

8. The method of claim 7 , further comprising:

receiving an item of digital content authored by the searching user using the content sharing interface;

including the item of digital content in the first sub-set of items; and

updating the search results such that the item of digital content is displayed in the discussion stream.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining that one or more terms provided in the search query is an active keyword comprises:

comparing each term of the one or more terms to a plurality of active keywords provided in an active keyword database, the plurality of active keywords including the active keyword; and

determining that a term of the one or more terms matches the active keyword.

10. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

identifying a second plurality of social search results that are responsive to a second search query received from the searching user, the second plurality of social search results comprising a second plurality of items of digital content distributed using one or more social networking services; and

determining that the second search query is absent an active keyword, and, in response, providing items in the second plurality of items for display as social search results within search results.

11. A system comprising:

one or more computer processors; and

one or more non-transitory computer readable devices that include instructions that, when executed by the one or more computer processors, causes the processors to perform operations, the operations comprising:

receiving a search query from a searching user;

identifying a plurality of items of digital content distributed using one or more social networking services, each item in the plurality of items being responsive to the search query;

providing a set of items from the plurality of items to be displayed as social search results based on respective item scores, each item score being specific to a respective item and the searching user, and exceeding a threshold item score; and

determining that one or more terms provided in the search query is an active keyword, wherein an active keyword is a keyword that has increased in popularity over a pre-defined time period, and, in response:

determining, from the set of items, an event underlying the active keyword, the event determined from items that are relevant to the event and referencing the event;

determining a time period during which the event occurred;

determining times at which each of the items were distributed by the one or more social networking services;

assigning to a first sub-set of items each item that is determined to: (i) be responsive to the active keyword, (ii) be relevant to the event and referencing the event, and (iii) have been distributed using the one or more social networks at a time within the time period during which the event occurred;

assigning to a second sub-set of items, items that are different than items assigned to the first sub-set of items, and that are determined to: (i) be responsive to the active keyword and (ii) have been distributed using the one or more social networks at a time not within the time period during which the event occurred;

providing items in the first sub-set of items for display within a set of search results responsive to the search query as social search results in a discussion stream within the set of search results; and

providing items in the second sub-set of items for display within the set of search results as social search results outside of the discussion stream within the set of search results.

12. The system of claim 11 , wherein the set of items is provided from the plurality of items of digital content based on at least one of an access authorization of the searching user with respect to each item of the plurality of items of digital content and the respective item scores associated with items of the plurality of items of digital content.

13. A non-transitory computer storage medium encoded with one or more computer programs, the one or more computer programs comprising instructions that when executed by data processing apparatus cause the data processing apparatus to perform operations comprising:

receiving a search query from a searching user;

identifying a plurality of items of digital content distributed using one or more social networking services, each item in the plurality of items being responsive to the search query;

providing a set of items from the plurality of items to be displayed as social search results based on respective item scores, each item score being specific to a respective item and the searching user, and exceeding a threshold item score; and

determining that one or more terms provided in the search query is an active keyword, wherein an active keyword is a keyword that has increased in popularity over a pre-defined time period, and, in response:

determining, from the set of items, an event underlying the active keyword, the event determined from items that are relevant to the event and referencing the event;

determining a time period during which the event occurred;

determining times at which each of the items were distributed by the one or more social networking services;

assigning to a first sub-set of items each item that is determined to: (i) be responsive to the active keyword, (ii) be relevant to the event and referencing the event, and (iii) have been distributed using the one or more social networks at a time within the time period during which the event occurred;

assigning to a second sub-set of items, items that are different than items assigned to the first sub-set of items, and that are determined to: (i) be responsive to the active keyword and (ii) have been distributed using the one or more social networks at a time not within the time period during which the event occurred;

providing items in the first sub-set of items for display within a set of search results responsive to the search query as social search results in a discussion stream within the set of search results; and

providing items in the second sub-set of items for display within the set of search results as social search results outside of the discussion stream within the set of search results.

14. The computer storage medium of claim 13 , wherein the set of items is provided from the plurality of items of digital content based on at least one of an access authorization of the searching user with respect to each item of the plurality of items of digital content and the respective item scores associated with items of the plurality of items of digital content.