US Patent 7765484 Passive personalization of lists

Personalizing communications typically includes accessing status information for instant messaging sessions involving an instant messaging identity and passively configuring a buddy group associated with the instant messaging identity to persistently reflect a list of participant identities from instant messaging sessions in which the instant messaging identity recently participated. The buddy group may be configured without action from the instant messaging identity. The list of participant identities may be maintained persistently beyond logout of the instant messaging identity. The list of participant identities may be maintained independent of a device used for the instant messaging sessions during which the list was created such that the buddy group is accessible from one or more different devices.