Patent ID: 7664816

Claim:
A method comprising: during a launch of an online activity, wherein the online activity is an online game that communicates with one or more instant messaging modules via an application programming interface to initiate an instant messaging session: a client specifying a plurality of other clients that may participate in the online activity over a network by examining a persistent object, wherein: the persistent object is created by the client via a create group function and comprises naming a group and references to other clients in the group; the persistent object automatically causes notifications to be configured for the other clients referenced by the persistent object; and the persistent object is callable by the client and each of the plurality of other clients; and the client initiating the instant messaging session, during which, an instant message is formed for communication to each of the plurality of other clients over the network to invite participation in the online activity; managing presence of the plurality of other clients and the client initiating online activity via one or more instant messaging modules, wherein managing a change in presence comprises: in an event one or more clients of the plurality of other clients responds to an invitation to participate in the online activity, adding the one or more clients of the plurality of other clients as a participant, to participate in the online activity; in an event one or more clients of the plurality of other clients that has been participating in the online activity ceases participation in the online activity, removing the one or more of the plurality of other clients from participating in the online activity, and saving a current state of interaction of the plurality of other clients and the client initiating the online activity in response to the ceasing; in an event the client initiating the online activity ceases participation in the online activity, removing the client initiating the online activity from participating in the online activity, and saving a current state of interaction of the plurality of other clients and the client initiating the online activity in response to the ceasing; in an event one or more clients of the plurality of other clients that has been removed from participating in the online activity rejoins the online activity after an arbitrary period of time, adding the one or more clients of the plurality of other clients to participate in the online activity from a stored state of interaction of the plurality of other clients and the client initiating the online activity; and in an event the client initiating the online activity that has been removed from participating in the online activity rejoins the online activity after an arbitrary period of time, adding the client initiating the online activity to participate in the online activity from a stored state of interaction of the plurality of other clients and the client initiating the online activity.