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New Probably not.
What they added, I am guessing, is a database of userIds with an association of other userIds that are potentially interested in communicating with this user. When you start you Instant messenger program (however that's done) they notify all other Instant messenger programs of users that are interested in you and at the same time let you know of all the users you are interested in and happen to be On (i.e. have their Instant messenger program running) at the time. The database with userId status is maintained in real time. This is different from you seeing who is logged in and then sending them a message. The actual mechanism of sending of the message is probably (I don't know!) not part of the patent.
Alex

"No man's life, liberty, or property are safe while the legislature is in session."\t-- Mark Twain
New talk does that using /etc/passwd
more primitive of course but prior art I would think. Cant check for sure as to see if it would try to connect to a non existant user means going offline and dumping the firewall and Im lazy:-)
thanx,
bill
will work for cash and other incentives [link|http://home.tampabay.rr.com/boxley/resume/Resume.html|skill set]

You think that you can trust the government to look after your rights? ask an Indian
New That is still not new
The chess servers have been doing something similar to that (automatic notification of when people you are interested in show up) at least since the mid-90's.

I highly doubt that it was original even then.

Cheers,
Ben
"Career politicians are inherently untrustworthy; if it spends its life buzzing around the outhouse, it\ufffds probably a fly."
- [link|http://www.nationalinterest.org/issues/58/Mead.html|Walter Mead]
     AOL patents Instant Messaging - (Steve Lowe) - (12)
         Bah! - (Yendor)
         even existed in the days of BBSes - (SpiceWare)
         Heh...How about this irony... - (Yendor) - (1)
             shhhh - (Steve Lowe)
         What about Novell and message? - (folkert) - (3)
             talk goes back to the seventies(core nix app) -NT - (boxley) - (2)
                 As the commercial goes... - (folkert)
                 Had it on IBM CP/67-CMS back in late 60's too. - (a6l6e6x)
         can they be sued for infringement of public domaine software - (boxley) - (3)
             Probably not. - (a6l6e6x) - (2)
                 talk does that using /etc/passwd - (boxley)
                 That is still not new - (ben_tilly)

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