Presence indication configuration methodology

Abstract

A presence model is maintained for a messaging system to message among a plurality of computing device users. A permission is maintained for providing to a first computing device a presence indication for a user of a second computing device. Based on an indication of a user of the first computing device not being in a messaging list for the user of the second computing device, the permission is maintained to provide only a basic presence indication to the first computing device for the user of the second computing device. From the first computing device, a message is caused to be sent to the second computing device. Based on the maintained permission, the basic presence indication for the user of the second computing device is provided to the first computing device and a user interface element is provided via which the user of the first computing device can be added to a messaging list for the user of the second computing device.

1 . A method of maintaining a permission model for a messaging system to message among a plurality of computing device users via a communication network, wherein the permission model governs what level of presence information may be provided to the computing device users regarding other computing device users, the method comprising:
 receiving a request from a first user, of a first computing device, to subscribe to presence information of a second user, of a second computing device, and, based thereon, allowing the first user to receive a basic level of presence information of the second user;   based on receiving the request from the first user, querying the second user as to whether to allow the first user to receive an enhanced level of presence information of the second user; and   based on a response to the query, from the second user, configuring the permission model to govern what level of presence information of the second user is allowed to be provided to the first user.   
     
     
         2 . A method of maintaining a presence model for a messaging system to message among a plurality of computing device users via a communication network, comprising:
 maintaining a permission for providing to a first computing device a presence indication for a user of a second computing device;   based on an indication of a user of the first computing device not being in a messaging list for the user of the second computing device, maintaining the permission to provide a basic presence indication to the first computing device for the user of the second computing device and to not provide to the first computing device an enhanced presence indication for the user of the second computing device;   from the first computing device, causing a message to be sent to the second computing device and, based on the maintained permission,   providing the basic presence indication for the user of the second computing device to the first computing device; and   providing a user interface element at the second computing device to provide an indication to the messaging system of whether to add the user of the first computing device to a messaging list for the user of the second computing device, so as to maintain the permission to provide the enhanced presence indication to the first computing device for the user of the second computing device.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein:
 the basic presence indication includes an indication of whether the user of the second computing device is online to receive messages from the first computing device.   
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein:
 the enhanced presence indication includes all of the information in the basic presence indication and, additionally, includes information about the user of the second computing device beyond merely whether the user of the second computing device is online to receive messages from the first computing device.   
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 2 , further comprising:
 based on not receiving an indication to the messaging system of whether to add the user of the first computing device to a messaging list for the user of the second computing device, maintaining the permission to provide the basic presence indication to the first computing device for the user of the second computing device.   
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein:
 the user interface element is additionally to provide an indication to the messaging system of whether to add the user of the first computing device to a block list for the user of the second computing device, so as to maintain the permission to provide no presence indication to the first computing device for the user of the second computing device.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein:
 maintaining the permission further includes maintaining a global default presence indication for the second user; and   wherein the method further comprises responding to a global presence indication request made by the user of the first computing device for the presence indication of the second user, including
 determining if the user of the first computing device is an identified user; 
 if the user of the first computing device is determined to not be an identified user, providing the global default permission as the requested global presence indication; and 
 otherwise, if the user of the first computing device is in the messaging list associated with the second user, providing the user of the first computing device with the enhanced presence indication for the user of the second computing device as the requested global presence indication.