Enhanced buddy list interface

摘要

A graphical user interface between a user of a computer service and the computer service includes a list of other users of the computer service selected by the user as significant to the user and an icon associated with one of the other listed users indicating that a communication has occurred between the user and the other user.

主权项

1. A method comprising:
providing an instant messaging service to a user; displaying, to the user, a graphical user interface of the instant messaging service, the graphical user interface comprising a window that includes a contacts list listing identifiers corresponding to multiple co-users of the instant messaging service, the contacts list being configured to make online presence information for the co-users perceivable to the user and to enable the user to initiate communication sessions with the co-users; receiving a notification from an e-mail client when an email message is received from a first one of the co-users; determining, in response to the notification, a number of unread e-mail messages sent by the first one of the co-users to the user that remain unread by the user; conditioned on the number of unread e-mail messages being greater than zero, displaying, within the window that includes the contacts list and in association with the identifier corresponding to the first co-user, a first graphical element that indicates that one or more unread e-mail messages have been sent by the first co-user to the user and remain unread by the user, wherein the first graphical element is automatically displayed in response to the notification and independent of a selection of the identifier by the user; enabling the user to select the first graphical element; receiving a selection of the first graphical element by the user; and in response to the selection of the first graphical element by the user, displaying to the user the number of unread e-mail messages sent by the first co-user to the user that remain unread by the user.