Initiating communications with web page visitors and known contacts

摘要

Methods and apparatus, including computer program products, implementing and using techniques for initiating communication between two users among several users while at least one of the two users is browsing a web page. User information is collected about each user among the several users. Page information is collected about what web page each user among the several users is browsing. A portion of the user information and page information for a first user and a second user is shared between the first user and the second user when a predetermined criterion is met, and request by the first user to initiate communication with the second user is processed.

主权项

1. A computer-implemented method for initiating communication between a plurality of users, the method comprising:
determining page information, the page information including information indicative of web content areas displayed by a first web browser and a second web browser among a plurality of web browsers, wherein the first web browser and the second web browser are associated with a first user and a second user respectively; determining whether the first web browser and the second web browser among the plurality of web browsers are simultaneously displaying a same web site; in response to determining that the first and second web browsers are simultaneously displaying the same web site: providing an indication to the first web browser and the second web browser that the first and second web browsers are simultaneously displaying the same web site; sharing identifiers of the first user and the second user and a portion of the page information of the web site displayed in the first web browser and the second web browser, wherein the identifier of the first user is provided in a menu of the second web browser associated with the second user and the identifier of the second user is provided in a menu of the first web browser associated with the first user; and processing a request to initiate communication between the first user and the second user using respective identifiers of the first user and the second user, wherein the communication is performed via a mechanism for the first user to send an instant message to the second user or via a mechanism for the second user to send an instant message to the first user.