Patent ID: 8255811

Claim:
A computer implemented method for auto-sorting of a list in a user interface of a collaboration system, comprising: determining, for each element in the list, a frequency of actions associated with that element; determining a subset of the elements in the list having the highest frequencies of actions; locating the subset of elements in the list having the highest frequencies of actions in a sub-list at a top-most part of the list within the user interface of the collaboration system; enabling a local user to indicate through the user interface that an alert is to be displayed in response to a selected one of the elements being added to the sub-list; providing at least one alert to the local user in response to the selected one of the elements being added to the sub-list, wherein the alert is displayed separately from the list and wherein the alert visually indicates the addition of the selected one of the elements to the sub-list; wherein each element in the list represents a corresponding collaboration partner; broadcasting a first on-line status for the local user to collaboration partners represented by elements in the sub-list, wherein the first on-line status for the local user indicates that the local user is available for an instant messaging session; and broadcasting a second on-line status for the local user to collaboration partners represented by elements not in the sub-list, wherein the second on-line status for the local user indicates that the local user is not available for an instant messaging session.