Enabling an IM user to navigate a virtual world

1. A method, implemented with at least one processor, for enabling a user of an instant messenger application to interact with a virtual world environment, the method comprising:

enabling, using the at least one processor, the user to navigate the virtual world environment using the instant messenger application that includes an instant messaging (IM) user interface;

generating, using the at least one processor, an avatar to represent the user in the virtual world environment;

enabling, using the at least one processor, the user to control the avatar in the virtual world environment from the IM user interface using text-based communications with the virtual world environment;

monitoring, using the at least one processor, a sub-portion of the virtual world environment corresponding to a current location of the user in the virtual world environment;

determining, using the at least one processor, descriptions of activities taking place in the sub-portion of the virtual world environment based on the monitoring;

providing, using the at least one processor, the user with the determined descriptions of activities taking place in the sub-portion of the virtual world environment via the IM user interface;

translating, using the at least one processor, a first set of data related to a first paralinguistic indicator configured to enable non-verbal communications between avatars in the virtual world environment into a second set of data related to a second paralinguistic indicator configured to enable the text-based communications; and

providing, using the at least one processor, the user of the instant messenger application with the second set of data.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein providing the user with the descriptions of activities taking place in the sub-portion of the virtual world environment comprises:

providing the user with a textual description of activities taking place in the sub-portion of the virtual world environment.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein providing the user with the descriptions of activities taking place in the sub-portion of the virtual world environment comprises:

providing the user with a textual description of at least one of an environment associated with the sub-portion of the virtual world environment, proximity of other users to the user, and activities being performed by other users currently located in the sub-portion of the virtual world environment.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

enabling, using the at least one processor, the user to provide preference information related to descriptions provided to the user; and

providing, using the at least one processor, the user with a description of activities taking place in the sub-portion of the virtual world environment in accordance with the preference information.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein enabling the user to provide preference information related to descriptions provided to the user comprises:

enabling the user to provide preference information related to at least one of a volume of descriptions to be provided to the user, a type of descriptions to be provided to the user, and a list of other users about whom descriptions are to be provided to the user.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

accessing, using the at least one processor, a collection of descriptions determined to be relevant to the user;

relating, using the at least one processor, the collection of description to a threshold number of descriptions with a number of descriptions determined based on the monitoring; and

providing, using the at least one processor, the user with a sub-set of the descriptions based on relating the collection of description to the threshold number of descriptions.

7. The method of claim 6 , further comprising:

determining, using the at least one processor, that the collection of descriptions exceeds the threshold number of descriptions,

determining, using the at least one processor, an interest rating for each of the descriptions in the collection of descriptions; and

providing, using the at least one processor, the user with a sub-set of the descriptions based on the interest ratings.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein providing the user with a sub-set of the descriptions based on the interest rating comprises:

accessing, using the at least one processor, user interest preferences;

comparing, using the at least one processor, the interest ratings with the user interest preferences; and

identifying, using the at least one processor, descriptions to be included in the sub-set of the descriptions based on the comparison.

9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

receiving, from the IM interface, a detailed information request from the user regarding a particular description provided to the user;

identifying, using the at least one processor, detailed information related to the particular description; and

providing, using the at least one processor, the user with detailed information related to the particular description.

10. A computer-readable medium, tangibly embodied in a storage device, having instructions encoded thereon which, when executed on a computer system having at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to:

enable a user of an instant messenger application to navigate a virtual world environment using the instant messenger application that includes an instant messaging (IM) user interface;

generate an avatar to represent the user in the virtual world environment;

enable the user to control the avatar in the virtual world environment from the IM user interface using text-based communications with the virtual world environment;

monitor a sub-portion of the virtual world environment corresponding to a current location of the user in the virtual world environment;

determine descriptions of activities taking place in the sub-portion of the virtual world environment based on the monitoring;

provide the user with the determined descriptions of activities taking place in the sub-portion of the virtual world environment via the IM user interface;

translate a first set of data related to a first paralinguistic indicator configured to enable non-verbal communications between avatars in the virtual world environment into a second set of data related to a second paralinguistic indicator configured to enable the text-based communications; and

provide the user of the instant messenger application with the second set of data.

11. The computer-readable medium of claim 10 , wherein providing the user with the descriptions of activities taking place in the sub-portion of the virtual world environment comprises:

providing the user with a textual description of activities taking place in the sub-portion of the virtual world environment.

12. The computer-readable medium of claim 10 , wherein providing the user with the descriptions of activities taking place in the sub-portion of the virtual world environment comprises:

providing the user with a textual description of at least one of an environment associated with the sub-portion of the virtual world environment, proximity of other users to the user, and activities being performed by other users currently located in the sub-portion of the virtual world environment.

13. The computer-readable medium of claim 10 , wherein the instructions further cause the at least one processor to perform operations for:

enabling the user to provide preference information related to descriptions provided to the user; and

providing the user with a description of activities taking place in the sub-portion of the virtual world environment in accordance with the preference information.

14. The computer-readable medium of claim 13 , wherein enabling the user to provide preference information related to descriptions provided to the user comprises:

enabling the user to provide preference information related to at least one of a volume of descriptions to be provided to the user, a type of descriptions to be provided to the user, and a list of other users about whom descriptions are to be provided to the user.

15. The computer-readable medium of claim 10 , wherein the instructions further cause the at least one processor to perform operations for:

accessing a collection of descriptions determined to be relevant to the user;

relating the collection of descriptions to a threshold number of descriptions with a number of descriptions determined based on the monitoring; and

providing the user with a sub-set of the descriptions based on relating the collection of description to the threshold number of descriptions.

16. The computer-readable medium of claim 10 , wherein the instructions further cause the at least one processor to perform operations for:

determining that the collection of descriptions exceeds the threshold number of descriptions;

determining an interest rating for each of the descriptions in the collection of descriptions; and

providing the user with a sub-set of the descriptions based on the interest ratings.

17. The computer-readable medium of claim 16 , wherein providing the user with the sub-set of the descriptions based on the interest rating comprises:

accessing user interest preferences;

comparing the interest ratings with the user interest preferences; and

identifying descriptions to be included in the sub-set of the descriptions based on the comparison.

18. The computer-readable medium of claim 10 , wherein the instructions further cause the at least one processor to perform operations for:

receiving a detailed information request from the user regarding a particular description provided to the user;

identifying detailed information related to the particular description; and

providing the user with detailed information related to the particular description.

19. A system that enables a user of an instant messenger application to interact with a virtual world environment, the system comprising:

means for enabling the user to navigate the virtual world environment using the instant messenger application that includes an instant messaging (IM) user interface;

means for generating an avatar to represent the user in the virtual world environment;

means for enabling the user to control the avatar in the virtual world environment from the IM user interface using text-based communications with the virtual world environment;

means for monitoring a sub-portion of the virtual world environment corresponding to a current location of the user in the virtual world environment;

means for determining descriptions of activities taking place in the sub-portion of the virtual world environment based on the monitoring;

means for providing the user with the determined descriptions of activities taking place in the sub-portion of the virtual world environment via the IM user interface;

means for translating a first set of data related to a first paralinguistic indicator configured to enable non-verbal communications between avatars in the virtual world environment into a second set of data related to a second paralinguistic indicator configured to enable the text-based communications; and

means for providing the user of the instant messenger application with the second set of data.

20. The method of claim 1 , wherein enabling the user to control the avatar in the virtual world environment from the IM user interface comprises:

enabling the user to control at least one of a motion and an emotional expression of the avatar from the IM user interface using text-based communications with the virtual world environment.