Patent ID: 7774416

Claim:
A method for instant messaging in a data processing system comprising: detecting, using a processor of said data processing system, one or more of instant messaging sessions of a first messaging participant with a plurality of other messaging participants; detecting, using said processor, a hierarchy class of each of said other messaging participants; calculating, using said processor, an average response time of said first messaging recipient for each of said hierarchy class; determining, using said processor, whether said average response time for each of said hierarchy class exceeds a predefined threshold for the hierarchy class; in response to determining that said average response time for said hierarchy class does not exceed a predefined threshold, transmitting, using said processor, an indication of the average response time for said hierarchy class to each of said other messaging participants of said hierarchy class; and in response to determining that said average response time for said hierarchy class exceeds a predefined threshold for said hierarchy class, transmitting, using said processor, an indication to each of said other messaging participants of said hierarchy class that the first messaging participant is unable to respond.