Delaying a social media post

Abstract

A social media application, platform, or computer system facilitating same presents a user with an option to post information later, as opposed to immediately. If the user selects to post later, the user may select a time, enter a time, or select a random time for the post to occur. The user may select a range from which the randomly selected posting time occurs. The computer system may be a user device or a server computer device, either of which may determine a random value for use in causing the information-to-be-posted to post randomly within the selected time range. The computer system may analyze multiple posts from multiple source and append information-to-be-posted to postings of others that contain content related to the information-to-be-posted.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A network device comprising:
 a processor that executes a social media platform;   a memory having stored thereon computer executable instructions, that when executed by the network device, enables the network device to be operable to:
 provide an interface to a social media platform, wherein the user interface is operable to:
 receive an input of information to be posted on the social media platform; 
 receive a selected time to post indicative of a posting time at which the information to be posted is desired to be posted; 
 
 store the selected time to post; 
 in response to a determination that a present time has reached the selection time, post the information via the social media platform. 
   
     
     
         2 . The network device of  claim 1 , wherein the selected time to post is a time that is as soon as resources permit. 
     
     
         3 . The network device of  claim 1 , wherein the selected time to post is a time that requires an allocation of resources so that the information to be posted is posted sooner that a hosting system's resources would otherwise permit, wherein the hosting system hosts the social media platform. 
     
     
         4 . The network device of  claim 1 , wherein the selected time to post comprises a randomly selected time within a time range. 
     
     
         5 . The network device of  claim 4 , wherein the randomly selected time is selected by the network device. 
     
     
         6 . The network device of  claim 4 , wherein the randomly selected time is selected by user device that executes a social media application of the social media platform. 
     
     
         7 . The network device of  claim 4 , wherein the selected time to post comprises an indication from a user to post the information to be posted when a posting of a contact associated with a user of the user interface comprises content related to the information to be posted. 
     
     
         8 . The network device of  claim 7 , wherein the user interface is further operable to:
 receive a selection to post the information to be posted when a posting from one or more contacts associated with a user of the user interface comprises content related to the information to be posted;   analyze a plurality of postings on the social media platform posted by the one or more contacts associated with the user of the user interface; and   append the information to be posted to at least one of the one or more of the plurality of postings if the one or more of the plurality of postings comprises content related to the information to be posted.   
     
     
         9 . The network device of  claim 7 , wherein the network device is further operable to:
 receive a selection to delay posting until the posting from the contact associated with a user of the user interface comprises content related to the information to be posted;   analyze postings on the social media platform by one or more contacts associated with the user of the user interface; and   append the information to be posted to at least one of the one or more of the postings using the social media platform when the at least one of the one or more of the postings comprises content related to the information to be posted.   
     
     
         10 . The network device of  claim 1 , wherein the user interface is further operable to present the user with an option to post the information to be posted immediately to a destination based on a user's preference. 
     
     
         11 . The network device of  claim 7 , wherein the network device is further operable to:
 analyze postings on the social media platform by one or more contacts associated with the user of the user interface; and   append the information to be posted to one or more of the postings using the social media platform when the posting comprises content related to the information to be posted.   
     
     
         12 . The network device of  claim 1 , wherein the selected time to post comprises an indication from a user to provide an alert when a posting of a contact associated with a user of the user interface comprises content related to the information to be posted. 
     
     
         13 . A data processing method comprising:
 receiving, by a computing device comprising a processor and memory, information for a social media posting associated with the user;   receiving, by the computing device, a selection to post the information at a time different than a current time; and   in response to a user's request to post the information at a random time, presenting, by the computing device, a graphical user interface allowing for the entry of a first time and a second time, wherein the first time and the second times define the interval between which the random time is to be determined.   
     
     
         14 . The data processing method of  claim 13 , further comprising, presenting, by the computing device, an option allowing a user to have future posts posted at the random time based on the entry of the first time and the second time. 
     
     
         15 . The data processing method of  claim 13 , further comprising, presenting, by the computing device, an option allowing a user to choose whether the social media posting is to be posted at the random time or to be posted immediately. 
     
     
         16 . The data processing method of  claim 13 , wherein the computing device comprises a hosting system for a social media platform and wherein the social media platform determines the random time value. 
     
     
         17 . The data processing method of  claim 13 , wherein the computing device comprises a user device executing a social media application and wherein the social media application determines the random value. 
     
     
         18 . A computing device having a processor and memory that stores machine executable instruction that, when executed by the processor, facilitate performance of operations comprising:
 providing a user interface of the social media application that provides an interface to a social media platform, wherein the user interface is operable for:
 receiving an input of information to be posted on the social media platform, and 
 receiving an indication from a user to append the information to be posted to a posting that comprises content related to the information to be posted; 
   analyzing a plurality of postings on the social media platform; and   appending the information to be posted to the one or more of the plurality of postings if the one or more of the plurality of postings comprises content related to the information to be posted.   
     
     
         19 . The computing device of  claim 18 , wherein the one or more of the plurality of postings are selected by the user based on an indication by the user as to which of the one or more of the plurality of postings associated with the one or more contacts associated with a user are to contain the information to be posted. 
     
     
         20 . The computing device of  claim 18 , wherein the analyzing a plurality of postings on the social media platform is performed periodically according to a user preference as to frequency and duration.