Patent ID: 8255453

Claim:
A system for managing a use of BOTs by computer network users, the system comprising: a gateway-to-BOT communications manager comprising hardware executing computer program instructions that are stored in a non-transient storage medium, wherein said gateway-to-BOT communication manager is configured to relay communications to an instant messaging robot (BOT) on behalf of a computer user using fictitious identifying information in a manner that prevents said BOT from associating said communications with a computing device used by said computer user, wherein said fictitious information is generated in response to a request from said computer user for receiving presence information regarding said BOT; and a gateway-to-user communications manager comprising hardware executing computer program instructions that are stored in a non-transient storage medium, wherein said gateway-to-user communication manager is configured to relay said communications from said computer user to said gateway-to-BOT communications manager, and relay to said computer user communications received from said gateway-to-BOT communications manager that originate from said BOT.