US Patent 9021031 Providing for selective availability on a messaging service

A system and machine-implemented method for selectively setting the availability of a user with respect to one or more contacts within an messaging service, the method comprising receiving an indication of a user entering a selective availability mode while the user is logged into an messaging service, wherein the messaging service maintains a list of a plurality of contacts associated with the user and setting the availability status of the user to unavailable at the messaging service with respect to the plurality of contacts in response to the detection, such that the plurality of contacts are prohibited from communicating with the user through the messaging service, while the user remains logged into the messaging service.