Patent ID: 8635273

Claim:
A computer-implemented method for announcing new users of an electronic communications system, the method comprising: receiving an indication of a new user of an electronic communications system; accessing, from a computer memory storage system, contact information that is maintained on behalf of the new user and that includes contact information for other users; based on the accessed contact information, identifying multiple users who are known by the new user; as a consequence of identifying the users who are known by the new user, comparing the users identified as being known by the new user to data maintained on behalf of the electronic communications system that includes information about existing users of the electronic communications system who previously registered with the electronic communications system; based on results of comparing the users identified as being known by the new user to the data maintained on behalf of the electronic communications system that includes information about existing users of the electronic communications system who previously registered with the electronic communications system, determining that at least some of the users identified as being known by the new user are existing users of the electronic communications system who previously registered with the electronic communications system; and as a consequence of determining that at least some of the users identified as being known by the new user are existing users of the electronic communications system, sending, to at least one of the users who was identified as being known by the new user and who was determined to be an existing user of the electronic communications system, a message notifying the at least one user who was identified as being known by the new user and who was determined to be an existing user of the electronic communications system that the new user also is a user of the electronic communications system.