Patent ID: 7640309

Claim:
A computer system comprising a processor or processor system and program instructions stored on a computer storage medium that, facilitates instant messaging in association with an online content provider, the computer system comprising: a first receiving module configured for receiving an indication to initiate display of online content; a selecting module configured for selecting a reference in response to the indication, the reference being associated with a content provider; a determining module configured for determining whether an instant messaging capability of content provider is known, wherein the instant messaging capability of the content provider is known if the content provider provided information about the content provider's instant message capability to the determining module, and for determining whether the content provider is instant messaging enabled or not instant messaging enabled, wherein the content provider is instant messaging enabled if the content provider has an instant messaging account associated with the reference, and wherein the content provider is not instant messaging enabled if the content provider does not have an instant messaging account associated with the reference; and a display module for displaying the reference concurrently with an instant messaging indictor in a upper portion of a list of references selected for display, the upper portion being an area for display of references with known instant messaging capabilities, wherein, if the instant messaging capability of the content provider is known and if the content provider is not instant messaging enabled, the instant messaging enablement indicator communicates that the content provider's instant messaging capability is known and that the content provider is not instant messaging enabled, wherein the indication to initiate display of online content comprises a request to initiate display of a website; and wherein the content provider comprises a provider of content relevant to the website.