Sharing Digital Items
A user may make a digital item available to other users of a computer network, such as an instant messaging system, a chat environment, or a subscription-based computer network. Examples of digital items that may be shared with other users include digital representations of graphic images, photographs, audio segments, songs, video segments, movies, and text (such as lists of favorites (e.g., a list of favorite books, a list of favorite movies, and a list of favorite places to visit)). On-line presence information is provided to indicate the on-line presence of users with whom a digital item has been shared, may be shared or is being shared. For instance, an indication of the on-line or offline status of a user with whom an item has been shared or is being shared may be presented.
1 . A computer program product that, when executed, generates a graphical user interface on a display device for using a computer to share digital items, the graphical user interface comprising:
an item display including one or more digital items, at least one digital item being associated with a user and being associated with one or more communication identities to whom the user has granted permission to view the digital item;
a participant list display including the communication identities and presence information associated with the one or more communication identities, the presence information indicating whether a particular communication identity is on-line; and
a control element for managing digital items so as to control communications identities to whom access to a digital item is to be provided.
2 . The computer program product of claim 1 wherein the participant list display includes a communication identity only when presence information associated with the communication identity reflects that the communication identity is on-line.
3 . The computer program product of claim 1 wherein the participant list display includes a presence indication of whether a communication identity is on-line.
4 . The computer program product of claim 1 wherein the participant list display includes categories of communication identities such that a category is associated with one or more communications identities.
5 . The computer program product of claim 4 wherein the participant display includes:
an on-line category that is associated with one or more on-line communication identities when presence information associated with the one or more on-line communication identities reflects that the one or more communication identities are on-line, and
an off-line category that is associated with one or more offline communication identities when presence information associated with the offline communication identities reflects that the one or more offline communication identities are off-line.
6 . The computer program product of claim 4 wherein the participant display includes a category that is associated with the digital item and the one or more communication identities to whom the user has granted permission to view the digital item.
7 . The computer program product of claim 4 wherein the participant display includes a category that is associated with the digital item and the one or more communication identities to whom the user has granted permission to view the digital item when presence information associated with the communication identity reflects that the one or more communication identities are on-line.
8 . The computer program product of claim 1 wherein at least one digital item is associated with annotation text.
9 . The computer program product of claim 1 wherein digital item comprises at least one of a graphical image, a digitized photograph, an audio segment, a digital video segment, or text.
10 . The computer program product of claim 1 wherein the digital item comprises a list of multiple digital items.
11 . A method, performed at least in part by a computer, for sharing digital items with communication identities, the method comprising:
receiving an indication of a digital item that is capable of being accessed over a network of computers,
receiving an indication of a communication identity to whom a user has granted permission to view the indicated digital item over the network of computers; and
presenting to the user an indication of whether the communication identity is currently accessible using the network of computers, the indication is presented in association with the digital item to which the communication identity is permitted to view.
12 . The method of claim 11 wherein presenting to the user comprises presenting to the user an indication of whether the communication identity is on-line.
13 . The method of claim 11 wherein presenting to the user comprises presenting to the user an indication of whether the communication identity is off-line.
14 . The method of claim 11 wherein the user is an end-user of the network of computers used to present the indication whether the communication identity is currently accessible using the network of computers.
15 . The method of claim 11 wherein digital item comprises at least one of a graphical image, a digitized photograph, an audio segment, a digital video segment, or text.
16 . The method of claim 11 wherein the digital item comprises a list of multiple digital items.
17 . An apparatus for sharing digital items with communication identities, the apparatus being configure to:
receive an indication of a digital item that is capable of being accessed over a network of computers,
receive an indication of a communication identity to whom a user has granted permission to view the indicated digital item over the network of computers; and
present to the user an indication of whether the communication identity is currently accessible using the network of computers, the indication is presented in association with the digital item to which the communication identity is permitted to view.
18 . The apparatus of claim 17 further configured to present to the user an indication of whether the communication identity is on-line.
19 . The apparatus of claim 17 further configured to present to the user an indication of whether the communication identity is off-line.
20 . A system for sharing digital items with communication identities, the system comprising:
means for receiving an indication of a digital item that is capable of being accessed over a network of computers;
means for receiving of a communication identity to whom a user has granted permission to view the indicated digital item over the network of computers; and
means for presenting to the user an indication of whether the communication identity is currently accessible using the network of computers, the indication is presented in association with the digital item to which the communication identity is permitted to view.