Patent ID: 8285796

Claim:
A method comprising: accessing a look-up table of do-not disturb circumvention mediators having authority to grant do-not disturb circumvention permission to one or more specified instant messaging users; determining an appropriate do-not disturb circumvention mediator for a second instant messaging user based upon, at least in part, the second instant messaging user and the look-up table of do-not disturb circumvention mediators; transmitting, by an instant messaging client associated with a first instant messaging user, to the appropriate do-not disturb circumvention mediator for the second instant messaging user, a request to circumvent a do-not-disturb status of the second instant messaging user; receiving, by the instant messaging client, circumvention permission for the do-not-disturb status of the second instant messaging user from the appropriate do-not disturb circumvention mediator for the second instant messaging user; and circumventing the do-not-disturb status of the second instant messaging user based upon, at least in part, the circumvention permission received from the appropriate do-not disturb circumvention mediator for the second instant messaging user.