Methods and a system are provided. A method includes optimizing, by a natural language processing based response optimizer having a processor, responses in an online question and answer session using natural language processing. The optimizing step includes deriving a candidate answer to a question posed in natural language and gathering support for the candidate answer by accessing a social network. The support is weighted by at least one of degree centrality, betweenness centrality, closeness centrality, Eigenvalue, hub, and authority of nodes in the social network that are associated with the support.
Please help me write a proper abstract based on the patent claims. CLAIM: 1-12. (canceled) 13. A computer program product for natural language processing, the computer program product comprising a computer readable storage medium having program instructions embodied therewith, the program instructions executable by a computer to cause the computer to perform a method comprising: optimizing, by a natural language processing based response optimizer having a processor, responses in an online question and answer session using natural language processing, wherein said optimizing step includes: deriving a candidate answer to a question posed in natural language; and gathering support for the candidate answer by accessing a social network, wherein the support is weighted by at least one of degree centrality, betweenness centrality, closeness centrality, Eigenvalue, hub, and authority of nodes that are associated with the support, from among a plurality of nodes in the social network. 14. A system, comprising: a natural language processing based response optimizer for optimizing responses in an online question and answer session using natural language processing, by deriving a candidate answer to a question posed in natural language and gathering support for the candidate answer by accessing a social network, wherein the support is weighted by at least one of degree centrality, betweenness centrality, closeness centrality, Eigenvalue, hub, and authority of nodes in the social network that are associated with the support. 15. The system of claim 14, wherein the support is gathered by performing an analysis of at least one of content, users, relationships, and sending and receiving of messages in a social network. 16. The system of claim 15, wherein the analysis is performed by analyzing message content in the social network, and at least one of message content of instant messages, message timing, social network connectivity, instant message connectivity, and characteristics of users, tools and systems relating to the social network. 17. The system of claim 15, wherein the natural language processing based response optimizer computes a price, start time, and deadline associated with soliciting information from the social network. 18-19. (canceled) 20. A computer program product for natural language processing, the computer program product comprising a computer readable storage medium having program instructions embodied therewith, the program instructions executable by a computer to cause the computer to perform a method comprising: performing active learning using a machine learning question answering system, wherein said performing step includes: directing active learning to particular nodes from among a plurality of nodes in a social network based on at least one of degree centrality, betweenness centrality, closeness centrality, Eigenvalue, hub, and authority of nodes that are associated with the support, from among a plurality of nodes in the social network.