System and method for confirming an association in a web-based social network

A method for confirming an association with an online organization, the method comprising:

• maintaining a profile in a computer memory for each of a set of users of a social networking system, wherein one or more of the users are associated with an organization;
• maintaining social information about the users of the social networking system;
• receiving a request from a user of the social networking system to be associated with the organization, wherein the requesting user is not associated with the organization;
• determining whether to grant the request based at least in part on social information about the requesting user and one or more other users of the social networking system who are already associated with the organization;
• granting the request based at least in part on the social information about the requesting user and one or more other users of the social networking system who are already associated with the organization;
• and
• updating the profile of the requesting user to indicate that the requesting user is associated with the organization if the request is granted.