Method for Providing an alert indication

Abstract

A method for providing an alert indication, the method includes: allowing a first user to define an alert to be generated in response to an availability of a second user to participate in an instant messaging session; and sending to the second user an alert indication indicative of the alert.

1 - 22 . (canceled) 
   
   
       23 . A method for providing a service over a network, the method comprising: receiving, from a first user and over a network, a definition of an alert to be generated in response to an availability of a second user to participate in an instant messaging session; and sending, over the network, to the second user an alert indication indicative of the alert. 
   
   
       24 . The method according to  claim 23  further comprising allowing the first user to prevent the sending of the alert indication to the second user. 
   
   
       25 . The method according to  claim 23  further comprising allowing the first user to prevent a generation of the alert indication. 
   
   
       26 . The method according to  claim 23  further comprising sending, over the network, to the first user an alert awareness indication indicative of an awareness of the second user to the alert. 
   
   
       27 . The method according to  claim 23  further comprising allowing the second user to prevent the first user from setting up the alert. 
   
   
       28 . The method according to  claim 23  further comprising allowing the second user to prevent predefined amount of attempts of the first user to set up the alert. 
   
   
       29 . The method according to  claim 23  wherein the allowing comprises allowing the first user to define different alerts to be generated in response to different availability levels of the second user.