Patent ID: 8250144

Claim:
A computer-implemented method for enabling perception of multiple online personas in an instant messaging communications session, the method comprising: identifying at least two identities within a communications environment to whom messages are directed; associating, using at least one processor, a persona with a first of the identities and a different persona with a group of the identities with which the first of the identities is associated; and enabling a first persona of a user to be projected to the first of the identities while enabling a second persona of the user to be concurrently projected to the second of the identities, wherein: the persona associated with the first of the identities overrides the different persona associated with the group of the identities to the extent a conflict exists; the first user persona comprises an amalgamation of the persona associated with the first of the identities and the different persona associated with the group of the identities; the first and second user personas comprise animated avatars; and the first user persona and the second user persona differ.