Patent ID: 7599990

Claim:
A computer-implemented method for sharing an electronic file, the method comprising: enabling access to a contacts list user interface that makes perceivable identities and online presence information for at least some of those identities; receiving, from a user, an indication of an electronic file that is to be shared with other identities; enabling the user to manipulate the contacts list interface to designate at least two identities that appear in the contacts list as identities with whom an electronic file is to be shared; in response to receiving the indication of the file that is to be shared and the designation of the at least two identities as identities with whom an electronic file is to be shared: automatically generating separate electronic communications to each of the at least two identities designated by the user, wherein each of the separate electronic communications is configured to enable the identity for whom it is intended to reply to the user but not the other of the at least two identities designated by the user, and including, within each of the automatically-generated electronic communications, the file that is to be shared; determining which of the at least two designated identities presently are online; sending the separate, automatically-generated electronic communications, including the file that is to be shared, to the designated identities determined to be presently online using an instant messaging communications program; and sending the separate, automatically-generated electronic communications, including the file that is to be shared, to the designated identities determined not to be presently online using one or more communications programs other than the instant messaging communications program.