Patent ID: 7512652

Claim:
A method for configuring an instant messaging participant list, the method comprising: maintaining, at a computer system and for a communication identity, an instant messaging participant list that includes one or more participant identities, the instant messaging participant list being configured to enable the communication identity to monitor on-line presence of and initiate instant messaging communication sessions with the participant identities included in the instant messaging participant list; maintaining, at the computer system and for the communication identity, a log for tracking communication sessions that involve the communication identity, the log including records of communication sessions that leverage one or more communication platforms other than instant messaging and that involve communications between the communication identity and other participant identities; determining, from the log, a subset of the other participant identities that most recently participated in communication sessions with the communication identity leveraging communication platforms other than instant messaging; and based on the determined subset of participant identities that most recently participated in communication sessions with the communication identity leveraging communication platforms other than instant messaging, passively configuring the instant messaging participant list associated with the communication identity to enable identification of one or more of the subset of participant identities as participant identities that recently participated in communication sessions with the communication identity including: generating a list that includes the subset of participant identities determined to have most recently participated in communication sessions with the communication identity leveraging communication platforms other than instant messaging, arranging the listed participant identities sequentially within the list according to a relative temporal order in which each listed participant identity of the subset of participant identities participated in a communication session with the communication identity leveraging a communication platform other than instant messaging, and including, within the instant messaging participant list, the arranged list of participant identities determined to have most recently participated in communication sessions with the communication identity leveraging communication platforms other than instant messaging.