Patent ID: 6879994

Claim:
A method for facilitating a chat session between a first user and a second user visiting a first web site, comprising: receiving, from the first user, at least a first user ID corresponding to the first user and an address of a first web site being visited by the first user; receiving, from the second user, at least a second user ID corresponding to the second user and the address of the first web site; receiving, from other users, at least a user ID corresponding to each of the other users and the address of the first web site; receiving from said first, second, and other users respective parameter criteria relating to interests of said first, second and other users, respectively; receiving, from the first user, a request to locate chat partners based on preferred parameter criteria; matching the preferred parameter criteria from among the parameter criteria received from the second and the other users to locate chat partners; transmitting, to the first user, identities of users matching the preferred parameter criteria; the transmitting step including the step of providing to the first user, at least an indication of the second user ID; receiving, from the first user, a request to open a semi-public chat session with the second user; transmitting, to the second user, an indication that the first user has requested the semi-public chat session; receiving, from the second user, an acceptance to enter the semi-public chat session; and selecting the visibility of the semi-public chat session such that only users located in the matching step, having the preferred predetermined criteria received from the first user, can view and participate in the semi-public chat session.