Patent ID: 7334021

Claim:
A method for providing customized away messages to buddies of an instant messaging program user who try to communicate with the user through the instant messaging program while the user is away, wherein buddies of the user are grouped into buddy groups, the method comprising: providing an interface that displays representations of the buddies in a manner that identifies one or more buddy groups and the membership of buddies within one or more of those buddy groups; permitting the user to select a buddy group using the interface; permitting the user to set a group away message for the selected buddy group, wherein the set group away message is sent to buddies grouped into the selected buddy group that attempt to communicate with the user through the instant messaging program when the user is away; permitting the user to select one of the buddies that belongs to the buddy group for which the group away message is set; and permitting the user to set a personal away message for the selected buddy, wherein the personal away message is sent to the selected buddy when the selected buddy attempts to communicate with the user through the instant messaging program when the user is away, wherein setting a personal away message comprises appending an additional message on to the group away message.