Method of switching internet personas based on URL

Abstract

A method of communicating with a remote site on a network by establishing different user personas respectively associated with different remote sites on the network, each user persona containing one or more attributes used in accessing the remote sites, and then accessing a specific one of the remote sites using the attributes in a specific one of the user personas that is associated with the specific remote site. The specific remote site can be associated with the specific user persona by a universal resource locator (URL), e.g., for web sites on the Internet, and the accessing is automatically performed in response to matching of the URL of the specific remote site to the URL associated with the specific user persona. A default persona can be used for any remote site having no specifically associated user persona. The attributes in the user personas can provide various functions such as indicating whether Java programming is enabled for the specific remote site or whether “cookies” are enabled for the specific remote site. The attributes can also define a username for the specific remote site. A user persona can be established when a bookmark is created for the specific remote site.

1 . A method of communicating with a remote site on a network, comprising: 
 establishing a plurality of user personas respectively associated with a plurality of remote sites on the network, each user persona containing one or more attributes used in accessing the remote sites; and    accessing a specific one of the remote sites using the one or more attributes in a specific one of the user personas associated with the specific remote site.    
   
   
       2 . The method of  claim 1  wherein: 
 the specific remote site is associated with the specific user persona by a universal resource locator (URL) of the remote site; and    said accessing is automatically performed in response to matching of the URL of the specific remote site to the URL associated with the specific user persona.    
   
   
       3 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising establishing one of the user personas as a default persona to be used for any remote site having no specifically associated user persona.  
   
   
       4 . The method of  claim 1  wherein one of the attributes in the user personas indicates whether Java programming is enabled for the specific remote site.  
   
   
       5 . The method of  claim 1  wherein one of the attributes in the user personas indicates whether cookies are enabled for the specific remote site.  
   
   
       6 . The method of  claim 1  wherein one of the attributes in the user personas indicates a username for the specific remote site.  
   
   
       7 . The method of  claim 1  wherein at least one of the user personas is established when a bookmark is created for the specific remote site.  
   
   
       8 . A computer system comprising: 
 means for processing program instructions;    a memory device connected to said processing means; and    program instructions residing in said memory device for establishing a plurality of user personas respectively associated with a plurality of remote sites on a network connected to the computer system, each user persona containing one or more attributes used in accessing the remote sites, and for accessing a specific one of the remote sites using the one or more attributes in a specific one of the user personas associated with the specific remote site.    
   
   
       9 . The computer system of  claim 8  wherein: 
 the specific remote site is associated with the specific user persona by a universal resource locator (URL) of the remote site; and    the accessing is automatically performed in response to matching of the URL of the specific remote site to the URL associated with the specific user persona.    
   
   
       10 . The computer system of  claim 8  wherein said program instructions further establish one of the user personas as a default persona to be used for any remote site having no specifically associated user persona.  
   
   
       11 . The computer system of  claim 8  wherein one of the attributes in the user personas indicates whether Java programming is enabled for the specific remote site.  
   
   
       12 . The computer system of  claim 8  wherein one of the attributes in the user personas indicates whether cookies are enabled for the specific remote site.  
   
   
       13 . The computer system of  claim 8  wherein one of the attributes in the user personas indicates a username for the specific remote site.  
   
   
       14 . The computer system of  claim 8  wherein at least one of the user personas is established when a bookmark is created for the specific remote site.  
   
   
       15 . A computer program product comprising: 
 a computer-readable medium; and    program instructions residing in said medium for establishing a plurality of user personas respectively associated with a plurality of remote sites on a network connected to a computer system, each user persona containing one or more attributes used in accessing the remote sites, and for accessing a specific one of the remote sites using the one or more attributes in a specific one of the user personas associated with the specific remote site.    
   
   
       16 . The computer program product of  claim 15  wherein: 
 the specific remote site is associated with the specific user persona by a universal resource locator (URL) of the remote site; and    the accessing is automatically performed in response to matching of the URL of the specific remote site to the URL associated with the specific user persona.    
   
   
       17 . The computer program product of  claim 15  wherein said program instructions further establish one of the user personas as a default persona to be used for any remote site having no specifically associated user persona.  
   
   
       18 . The computer program product of  claim 15  wherein one of the attributes in the user personas indicates whether Java programming is enabled for the specific remote site.  
   
   
       19 . The computer program product of  claim 15  wherein one of the attributes in the user personas indicates whether cookies are enabled for the specific remote site.  
   
   
       20 . The computer program product of  claim 15  wherein one of the attributes in the user personas indicates a username for the specific remote site.  
   
   
       21 . The computer program product of  claim 15  wherein at least one of the user personas is established when a bookmark is created for the specific remote site.