Communication system

A method for providing network connection information relating to users for enabling a point-to-point connection between users, the method comprising:

• monitoring whether or not a user is connected to a communications network via any of a multiplicity of communications terminals which are connectable to said communications network and which can be employed concurrently by multiple seeking users and multiple sought users to communicate via said communications network, wherein each user is identified independently of a given communications terminal address by a unique identification code predefined for said user and independent of which of said multiplicity of communications terminals that user is employing;
• annunciating to a seeking user, currently connected to said communications network via any of said multiplicity of communications terminals, network connection status information relating to other users who are in a list of sought users which list includes identification indicia of the sought users, which list is defined by and sent by said seeking user without using verbal requests;
• and
• providing to said seeking user the current network address currently assigned to each of said other users for that other user's current connection to said communications network, thereby enabling a point-to-point connection between said seeking user and any of said other users without using verbal requests;
• selecting by said seeking user at least one sought user on said list to establish said point-to-point communication.

A communications system comprising:

• an Internet network;
• a multiplicity of communications terminals which are operative to be logged in to said Internet network and thus connected to said Internet network and which can be employed concurrently by multiple seeking users and multiple sought users to communicate via said Internet network, wherein each user is identified independently of a given communications terminal address by a unique identification code predefined for said user, which code is independent of which of said multiplicity of communications terminals said user is employing;
• a monitor operative to periodically monitor whether or not a user is logged in to said Internet network;
• and
• an annunciator operative to annunciate to a seeking user, currently logged in to said Internet network via any of said multiplicity of communications terminals, network connection status information relating to other users who are in a list of sought users which list includes identification indicia of the sought users, which list is defined by and sent by said seeking user without using verbal requests, and for providing to said seeking user the current IP network address currently assigned to each of said other users for that other user's current connection to said Internet network, wherein said network connection status information includes any of:
• an indication that a sought user is currently logged in to the Internet network,
• an indication that a sought user has currently become logged in to the Internet network, and
• an indication that a sought user has currently become logged out from the Internet network;
• a user communication selector enabling the seeking user to establish communication with at least one sought user on said list.

A method for providing network connection information relating to users for enabling a point-to-point connection between users, the method comprising:

• periodically monitoring whether or not a user is logged in to an Internet network and is thus connected to said Internet network via any of a multiplicity of communications terminals, which are connectable to said Internet and which can be employed concurrently by multiple seeking users and multiple sought users to communicate via said Internet, wherein each user is identified independently of a given communications terminal address by a unique identification code predefined for said user and independent of which of said multiplicity of communications terminals said user is employing;
• annunciating to a seeking user, currently logged in to said communications network via any of said multiplicity of communications terminals, network connection status information relating to other users who are in a list of sought users which list includes identification indicia of the sought users, which list is defined by and sent by said seeking user without using verbal requests, wherein said network connection status information includes any of:
• an indication that a sought user is currently logged in to the Internet network,
• an indication that a sought user has currently become logged in to the Internet network, and
• an indication that a sought user has currently become logged out from the Internet network;
• and
• providing to said seeking user the current IP network address currently assigned to each of said other users for that other user's current connection to said Internet network, thereby enabling a point-to-point connection between said seeking user and any of said other users;
• selecting by said seeking user at least one sought user on said list to establish said point-to-point communication.