A method of augmenting an online presence by leveraging mobile computing device sensors, comprising: receiving, by the mobile computing device, at least one of state change data and rate of change data measured by the mobile computing device sensors; comparing, by the mobile computing device, the at least one of state change data and rate of change data with a set of rules to determine a matching online presence state, the set of rules describing a plurality of online presence states associated with a user of the mobile computing device; and updating, by the mobile computing device, an online presence associated with the user of the mobile computing device with the matching online presence state, characterized in that: a light sensor detects presence or absence of ambient light; and the at least one state change data and rate of change data measured by the mobile computing device sensors indicate that the mobile computing device has been flipped, the set of rules includes at least one rule defining a first online presence state for a flipped mobile computing device being upside down, a second online presence state for a mobile computing device being right side up in absence of ambient light, and a third online presence state for a mobile computing device being right side up in presence of ambient light, and the online presence is updated with the matching online presence state corresponding to the at least one rule. receiving, by the mobile computing device, at least one of state change data and rate of change data measured by the mobile computing device sensors; comparing, by the mobile computing device, the at least one of state change data and rate of change data with a set of rules to determine a matching online presence state, the set of rules describing a plurality of online presence states associated with a user of the mobile computing device; and updating, by the mobile computing device, an online presence associated with the user of the mobile computing device with the matching online presence state, characterized in that: a light sensor detects presence or absence of ambient light; and the at least one state change data and rate of change data measured by the mobile computing device sensors indicate that the mobile computing device has been flipped, the set of rules includes at least one rule defining a first online presence state for a flipped mobile computing device being upside down, a second online presence state for a mobile computing device being right side up in absence of ambient light, and a third online presence state for a mobile computing device being right side up in presence of ambient light, and the online presence is updated with the matching online presence state corresponding to the at least one rule. a light sensor detects presence or absence of ambient light; and the at least one state change data and rate of change data measured by the mobile computing device sensors indicate that the mobile computing device has been flipped, the set of rules includes at least one rule defining a first online presence state for a flipped mobile computing device being upside down, a second online presence state for a mobile computing device being right side up in absence of ambient light, and a third online presence state for a mobile computing device being right side up in presence of ambient light, and the online presence is updated with the matching online presence state corresponding to the at least one rule.