Organizing entries in participant lists based on communications strengths

A method for or organizing a participant list, the method comprising:

• maintaining a participant list of users of an electronic communications system to be used by a first user of the electronic communications system, the participant list including a first group of users of the electronic communications system and a second group of users of the electronic communications system that is different from the first group of users;
• determining communications strengths between the first user and each of the users included in the first group of users;
• determining communications strengths between the first user and each of the users included in the second group of users;
• determining an order in which to list the users in the first group of users based on the determined communications strengths between the first user and each of the users included in the first group of users;
• determining an order in which to list the users in the second group of users based on the determined communications strengths between the first user and each of the users included in the second group of users;
• and
• causing a visual display of the participant list including:
• the first group of users listed in the order determined for the first group of users based on the determined communications strengths between the first user and each of the users included in the first group of users;
• and
• the second group of users listed in the order determined for the second group of users based on the determined communications strengths between the first user and each of the users included in the second group of users,
• wherein:
• determining the communications strengths between the first user and each of the users included in the first group of users includes:
• determining, for each of the users included in the first group of users, whether the first user subscribes to contact information published by the user such that changes made to the contact information by the user automatically are propagated to the first user,
• determining, for each of the users included in the first group of users, whether the user subscribes to contact information published by the first user such that changes made to the contact information by the first user automatically are propagated to the user, and
• calculating communications strengths between the first user and each of the users included in the first group of users based on results of the determinations of whether the first user subscribes to contact information published by each of the users included in the first group of users and whether each of the users in the first group of users subscribes to contact information published by the first user;
• and
• determining the order in which to list the users in the first group of users based on the determined communications strengths includes ordering the users in the first group of users based on the calculated communications strengths between the first user and each of the users included in the first group of users;
• wherein:
• calculating communications strengths between the first user and each of the users included in the first group of users based on results of the determinations of whether the first user subscribes to contact information published by each of the users included in the first group of users and whether each of the users included in the first group of users subscribes to contact information published by the first user includes assigning the users in the first group of users who subscribe to contact information published by the first user and who publish contact information to which the first user subscribes higher communications strengths than the users in the first group of users who do not subscribe to contact information published by the first user and who publish contact information to which the first user does not subscribe;
• and
• ordering the users in the first group of users based on the calculated communications strengths between the first user and each of the users included in the first group of users includes ordering the users in the first group of users who subscribe to contact information published by the first user and who publish contact information to which the first user subscribes before the users in the first group of users who do not subscribe to contact information published by the first user and who publish contact information to which the first user does not subscribe.

A method for or organizing a participant list, the method comprising:

• maintaining a participant list of users of an electronic communications system to be used by a first user of the electronic communications system, the participant list including a first group of users of the electronic communications system and a second group of users of the electronic communications system that is different from the first group of users;
• determining communications strengths between the first user and each of the users included in the first group of users;
• determining communications strengths between the first user and each of the users included in the second group of users;
• determining an order in which to list the users in the first group of users based on the determined communications strengths between the first user and each of the users included in the first group of users;
• determining an order in which to list the users in the second group of users based on the determined communications strengths between the first user and each of the users included in the second group of users;
• and
• causing a visual display of the participant list including:
• the first group of users listed in the order determined for the first group of users based on the determined communications strengths between the first user and each of the users included in the first group of users;
• and
• the second group of users listed in the order determined for the second group of users based on the determined communications strengths between the first user and each of the users included in the second group of users,
• wherein:
• determining the communications strengths between the first user and each of the users included in the first group of users includes:
• determining, for each of the users in the first group of users, a number of contact addresses stored for the user in an electronic contacts collection maintained on behalf of the first user, and
• calculating communications strengths between the first user and each of the users included in the first group of users based on the determined number of contact addresses stored for the user in the electronic contacts collection maintained on behalf of the first user;
• and
• determining the order in which to list the users in the first group of users based on the determined communications strengths includes ordering the users in the first group of users based on the calculated communications strengths between the first user and each of the users included in the first group of users;
• wherein:
• calculating communications strengths between the first user and each of the users included in the first group of users based on the determined number of contact addresses stored for the user in the electronic contacts collection maintained on behalf of the first user includes assigning the users included in the first group of users for whom relatively large numbers of contact addresses are stored in the electronic contacts collection maintained on behalf of the first user higher communications strengths than the users included in the first group of users for whom relatively small numbers of contact addresses are stored in the electronic contacts collection maintained on behalf of the first user;
• and
• ordering the users in the first group of users based on the calculated communications strengths between the first user and each of the users included in the first group of users includes ordering the users in the first group of users in order of decreasing numbers of contact addresses stored in the electronic contacts collection maintained on behalf of the first user.