A communications system comprising: a communications network; a multiplicity of communications terminals which are connectable to said communications network and which can be employed by a plurality of users (18,34) to communicate via said communications network, wherein a given user of said plurality of users is not necessarily identified with a given communications terminal; apparatus for monitoring whether or not a specific user of said plurality of users is connected to said communications network irrespective of which of said multiplicity of communications terminals said specific user is employing; apparatus for annunciating to at least one seeking user of said plurality of users, currently connected to said communications network via any of said multiplicity of communications terminals, network connection status information relating to at least one other user who is in a set of sought users, said set of sought users being definable by said at least one seeking user and for providing to said at least one seeking user connection address information relating to said at least one other user when said at least one other user is connected to said communications network; information management apparatus for causing said apparatus for annunciating to transmit said network connection status information and connection address information to said at least one seeking user and for maintaining a list of users of said plurality of users who request to be asked for authorization prior to providing their network connection status information and connection address information to other users of said plurality of users; and authorization apparatus for providing authorization information to said information management apparatus, said authorization information being received from said at least one other user in response to an authorization request transmitted from said apparatus for annunciating. a communications network; a multiplicity of communications terminals which are connectable to said communications network and which can be employed by a plurality of users (18,34) to communicate via said communications network, wherein a given user of said plurality of users is not necessarily identified with a given communications terminal; apparatus for monitoring whether or not a specific user of said plurality of users is connected to said communications network irrespective of which of said multiplicity of communications terminals said specific user is employing; apparatus for annunciating to at least one seeking user of said plurality of users, currently connected to said communications network via any of said multiplicity of communications terminals, network connection status information relating to at least one other user who is in a set of sought users, said set of sought users being definable by said at least one seeking user and for providing to said at least one seeking user connection address information relating to said at least one other user when said at least one other user is connected to said communications network; information management apparatus for causing said apparatus for annunciating to transmit said network connection status information and connection address information to said at least one seeking user and for maintaining a list of users of said plurality of users who request to be asked for authorization prior to providing their network connection status information and connection address information to other users of said plurality of users; and authorization apparatus for providing authorization information to said information management apparatus, said authorization information being received from said at least one other user in response to an authorization request transmitted from said apparatus for annunciating.