Patent ID: 8285793

Claim:
A method comprising: receiving, by at least one server and from a first computer associated with a first user, a first request to couple the first computer to the at least one server; receiving, by the at least one server and from a second computer associated with a second user, a second request to couple the second computer to the at least one server; receiving, by the at least one server and from the first computer, a third request to browse contacts associated with the second user; in response to determining that the first user is allowed to access the contacts of the second user, sending, by the at least one server and to the first computer, a message that identifies a third user, wherein the third user is a contact of the second user in a service provided by the at least one server; receiving, by the at least one server and from the first computer, a request to the third user; in response to receiving the request, sending, by the at least one server and to a third computer that is associated with the third user, a message that indicates the request to the third user, such that the first user becomes a contact of the third user when the third user accepts the request; and in response to receiving, from the third computer, a message that indicates the third user has accepted the request, determining, by the at least one server, that the first user is a contact of the third user in the service provided by the at least one server.