Patent ID: 7797318

Claim:
A computer implemented method for providing contact information to a user, comprising: providing an electronic mail service interface to the user over a network, the electronic mail service interface allowing the user, having an account with an electronic mail service, to send and receive electronic mail to and from a second user having an account with a different electronic mail service; receiving a first user input via the electronic mail service interface to view a first contact list, the first contact list containing the user's contacts; outputting the first contact list for display in response to the first user input, the first contact list including a first contact; receiving a second user input indicating that the user has selected the first contact displayed in the first contact list; outputting a second contact list for display in response to the second user input received from the user, the second contact list displaying contacts associated with the first contact selected by the user, the second contact list is different than the first contact list, wherein the outputting the second contact list includes outputting profile information for each contact in the second contact list, the profile information includes an email address associated with each contact, and wherein outputting the second contact list comprises: determining if an instant messaging application is running, starting the instant messaging application if the instant messaging application is not running, sending a request to the instant messaging application for an indication of whether the contacts associated with the first contact selected by the user are online, receiving a response from the instant messaging application indicating whether the contacts associated with the first contact selected by the user are online, and displaying in the second contact list whether the contacts associated with the first contact selected by the user are online in response to the instant messaging application; receiving a third user input indicating that the user has selected a contact displayed in the second contact list; and adding the contact the user selected from the second contact list to the first contact list thereby associating the contact the user selected from the second contact list with the user without first requiring approval from the contact selected in the second contact list.