Identifying mutual friends in online environments

1. A machine-implemented method comprising:

detecting entrance from an external user into a virtual world that includes a plurality of virtual areas, the plurality of virtual areas including a first virtual area and a second virtual area;

identifying, for each one of the plurality of virtual areas, a plurality of users joined to one of the plurality of virtual areas, wherein the plurality of users includes a plurality of first users joined to the first virtual area and a plurality of second users joined to the second virtual area;

computing a first user weighting for each of the plurality of first users and computing a second user weighting for each of the plurality of second users, the computing resulting in a plurality of first user weightings and a plurality of second user weightings;

computing a first virtual area friendliness level by aggregating the plurality of first user weightings and computing a second virtual area friendliness level by aggregating the plurality of second user weightings;

simultaneously displaying the first virtual area friendliness level and the second virtual area friendliness level to the external user;

receiving, in response to displaying the first virtual area friendliness level and the second virtual area friendliness level, a virtual area selection from the external user that selects the second virtual area friendliness level; and

displaying the plurality of second user weightings to the external user in response to receiving the virtual area selection.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

retrieving an external user profile corresponding to the external user;

comparing the external user profile to one or more joined user profiles in order to determine whether one of the plurality of second users is a friend of a friend;

in response to determining that one of the plurality of second users is a friend of a friend, including a friend of a friend level weighting in one of the second user weightings;

comparing the external user profile to one or more of the second user profiles in order to determine whether one of the plurality of second users has a commonality with the external user; and

in response to determining that one of the plurality of second users has a commonality with the external user, including a commonality weighting in one of the second user weightings.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein one of the plurality of second user weightings includes both the friend of a friend level weighting and the commonality weighting.

4. The method of claim 2 further comprising:

wherein the friend of a friend level weighting indicates a degree of friendship separation from one of the second users and the external user; and

wherein the commonality weighting indicates an interest intersection between the external user and one of the second users.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

displaying a joined avatar for each of the plurality of second users, resulting in a plurality of joined avatars;

displaying the second user weightings for each of the second users in proximity to their corresponding joined avatars; and

displaying an external avatar, which represents the external user.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the displayed joined avatars represent the second users.

7. A peripheral device comprising:

one or more processors;

a memory accessible by at least one of the processors;

a nonvolatile storage area accessible by at least one of the processors;

a set of instructions stored in the memory and executed by at least one of the processors in order to perform actions of:

detecting entrance from an external user into a virtual world that includes a plurality of virtual areas, the plurality of virtual areas including a first virtual area and a second virtual area;

identifying, for each one of the plurality of virtual areas, a plurality of users joined to one of the plurality of virtual areas, wherein the plurality of users includes a plurality of first users joined to the first virtual area and a plurality of second users joined to the second virtual area;

computing a first user weighting for each of the plurality of first users and computing a second user weighting for each of the plurality of second users, the computing resulting in a plurality of first user weightings and a plurality of second user weightings;

computing a first virtual area friendliness level by aggregating the plurality of first user weightings and computing a second virtual area friendliness level by aggregating the plurality of second user weightings;

simultaneously displaying the first virtual area friendliness level and the second virtual area friendliness level to the external user;

receiving, in response to displaying the first virtual area friendliness level and the second virtual area friendliness level, a virtual area selection from the external user that selects the second virtual area friendliness level; and

displaying the plurality of second user weightings to the external user in response to receiving the virtual area selection.

8. The peripheral device of claim 7 wherein the set of instructions performs actions of:

retrieving an external user profile corresponding to the external user;

comparing the external user profile to one or more joined user profiles in order to determine whether one of the plurality of second users is a friend of a friend;

in response to determining that one of the plurality of second users is a friend of a friend, including a friend of a friend level weighting in one of the second user weightings;

comparing the external user profile to one or more of the second user profiles in order to determine whether one of the plurality of second users has a commonality with the external user; and

in response to determining that one of the plurality of second users has a commonality with the external user, including a commonality weighting in one of the second user weightings.

9. The peripheral device of claim 8 wherein one of the plurality of second user weightings includes both the friend of a friend level weighting and the commonality weighting.

10. The peripheral device of claim 8 wherein the friend of a friend level weighting indicates a degree of friendship separation from one of the second users and the external user; and

wherein the commonality weighting indicates an interest intersection between the external user and one of the second users.

11. The peripheral device of claim 7 wherein the set of instructions performs actions of:

displaying a joined avatar for each of the plurality of second users, resulting in a plurality of joined avatars;

displaying the second user weightings for each of the second users in proximity to their corresponding joined avatars; and

displaying an external avatar, which represents the external user.

12. The peripheral device of claim 11 wherein the displayed joined avatars represent the second user.

13. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing instructions that when executed by an information handling system, causes the information handling system to perform actions that include:

detecting entrance from an external user into a virtual world that includes a plurality of virtual areas, the plurality of virtual areas including a first virtual area and a second virtual area;

identifying, for each one of the plurality of virtual areas, a plurality of users joined to one of the plurality of virtual areas, wherein the plurality of users includes a plurality of first users joined to the first virtual area and a plurality of second users joined to the second virtual area;

computing a first user weighting for each of the plurality of first users and computing a second user weighting for each of the plurality of second users, the computing resulting in a plurality of first user weightings and a plurality of second user weightings;

computing a first virtual area friendliness level by aggregating the plurality of first user weightings and computing a second virtual area friendliness level by aggregating the plurality of second user weightings;

simultaneously displaying the first virtual area friendliness level and the second virtual area friendliness level to the external user;

receiving, in response to displaying the first virtual area friendliness level and the second virtual area friendliness level, a virtual area selection from the external user that selects the second virtual area friendliness level; and

displaying the plurality of second user weightings to the external user in response to receiving the virtual area selection.

14. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 13 wherein the information handling system further performs actions that include:

retrieving an external user profile corresponding to the external user;

comparing the external user profile to one or more joined user profiles in order to determine whether one of the plurality of second users is a friend of a friend;

in response to determining that one of the plurality of second users is a friend of a friend, including a friend of a friend level weighting in one of the second user weightings;

comparing the external user profile to one or more of the second user profiles in order to determine whether one of the plurality of second users has a commonality with the external user; and

in response to determining that one of the plurality of second users has a commonality with the external user, including a commonality weighting in one of the second user weightings.

15. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 14 wherein one of the plurality of second user weightings includes both the friend of a friend level weighting and the commonality weighting.

16. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 14 wherein the friend of a friend level weighting indicates a degree of friendship separation from one of the second users and the external user; and

wherein the commonality weighting indicates an interest intersection between the external user and one of the joined users.

17. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 13 wherein the information handling system further performs actions that include:

displaying a joined avatar for each of the plurality of second users, resulting in a plurality of joined avatars;

displaying the second user weightings for each of the second users in proximity to their corresponding joined avatars; and

displaying an external avatar, which represents the external user.