Selecting matches in a social dating system

1. A method for selecting matches in a social dating system, the method comprising:

receiving a request from a user device associated with a viewing user to view matching users;

identifying at least one preliminary matching user connected to the viewing user via at least one connecting user in a social networking system;

determining a common interest representing a general interest in common between the viewing user and each of the preliminary matching users based on interactions of the viewing user with a first social networking object for a first specific interest and interactions by the preliminary matching users with a second social networking object for a second specific interest, where the first and second social networking objects are different;

selecting matching users based on the Get of common interest associated with the preliminary matching users; and

providing the matching users for display to the viewing user.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the request to view matching users includes viewing user preferences, and the preliminary matching users are selected based on the viewing user preferences.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the common interest is associated with a discount factor indicating the relatedness of a viewing user interest to a matched user interest.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein selecting the matching users based on the common interest excludes common interests that are associated with a discount factor below a threshold of relatedness.

5. The method of claim 3 , wherein selecting the matching users is based on the discount factor.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

selecting a set of recent activities associated with the matching users, each recent activity associated with a matching user and a common interest of the viewing user and the matching user; and

providing the set of recent activities for display to the user.

7. A method for suggesting messages in a social dating system, comprising:

receiving a request from a user device associated with a viewing user to view a matching user;

identifying a common interest representing a general interest in common between the viewing user and the matching user based on interactions of the viewing user with a first social networking object for a first specific interest and interactions by the matching user with a second social networking object for a second specific interest, where the first and second social networking objects are different;

selecting a promotional offer for the viewing user for an activity to do with the matching user related to the identified common interest; and

transmitting the promotional offer to the user device for display.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the matching user is connected to the viewing user via at least one connecting user in a social networking system.

9. The method of claim 7 , wherein the promotional offer is a suggested message to be sent to the matching user.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the suggested message is a date suggestion provided for the matching user.

11. The method of claim 7 , wherein the promotional offer is sent to another user device associated with the matching user.

12. The method of claim 7 , wherein at least one common interest is determined from a first social networking system object associated with the viewing user and a second social networking object associated with the matching user.

13. A non-transitory computer-readable medium for selecting matches in a social dating system, the medium including instructions that when executed by a processor cause the processor to:

receive a request from a user device associated with a viewing user to view matching users;

identify at least one preliminary matching user connected to the viewing user via at least one connecting user in a social networking system;

determine a common interest representing a general interest in common between the viewing user and each of the preliminary matching users based on interactions of the viewing user with a first social networking object for a first specific interest and interactions by the preliminary matching users with a second social networking object for a second specific interest, where the first and second social networking objects are different;

select matching users based on the set of common interests associated with the preliminary matching users; and

provide the matching users for display to the viewing user.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13 , wherein the request to view matching users includes viewing user preferences, and the preliminary matching users are selected based on the viewing user preferences.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13 , wherein each common interest in the set of common interests is associated with a discount factor indicating the relatedness of a viewing user interest to a matched user interest.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15 , wherein selecting the matching users based on the set of common interests excludes common interests that are associated with a discount factor below a threshold of relatedness.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15 , wherein selecting the matching users is based on the discount factor.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13 , the instructions further causing the processor to:

select a set of recent activities associated with the matching users, each recent activity associated with a matching user and a common interest of the viewing user and the matching user; and

provide the set of recent activities for display to the user.