Wish list associated with buddy list screen name

An apparatus comprising:

• a network of computers;
• a wish list repository stored on said network for maintaining a plurality of wish lists in a wish list repository on a particular portal for a plurality of users on said particular portal and comprising at least items offered for sale by a third party not associated with a wish list, said items being identified by an associated user as being desired by said associated user;
• wherein said wish list repository is configured for making each wish list associated with each user viewable to that associated user and to other users of said plurality of users;
• wherein said plurality of users are buddies with said associated user in an instant messaging application and have access to said associated user's wish list through their buddy properties;
• a wallet repository configured for attaching each wish list to an associated wallet account;
• wherein requests are received from multiple users of said other users than can automatically view said wish list to contribute funds to said account towards a purchase of an item on said user's wish list as a gift for said user, wherein each of said multiple users has a wallet account in said wallet repository;
• wherein said multiple users contribute funds from said each wallet account to said wallet account of said associated user towards said purchase of said item;
• wherein an indication of an amount of contributed funds in said associated user's wallet account is stored;
• wherein said wallet account is configured for automatically and electronically executing a purchase of said item as a gift for said user upon said contributed funds equaling a purchase price of said item;
• and
• wherein said user's wish list is updated to delete said purchased item from said wish list and said buddy properties.

A computer-implemented method for sharing wish list information between users, the method comprising the steps of:

• maintaining, with a computer, a plurality of wish lists in a wish list repository on a particular portal on a particular network for a plurality of users on said particular portal, each of said wish lists being associated with a specific user and comprising at least items offered for sale by a third party not associated with a wish list, said items being identified by an associated user as being desired by said associated user;
• making, with the computer, each wish list associated with each user of said plurality of users automatically viewable to said associated user and to other users of said plurality of users and only to said associated user and to each of said other users of said particular portal by said plurality of users and said associated user using a particular application on said portal on said network of which said plurality of users and said associated user are members and by which said members can view other members properties;
• attaching, with the computer, said items on said associated user's wish list to a wallet account of said associated user in a wallet repository on said particular portal on said network;
• receiving, with the computer, requests from multiple users of said other users that can automatically view said wish list to transfer funds to said associated user's wallet account towards a purchase of an item on said associated user's wish list as a gift for said associated user, wherein each of said multiple users has a wallet account in said wallet repository;
• said multiple users directly transferring, with the computer, funds from said each wallet account to said wallet account of said associated user towards said purchase;
• storing, with the computer, an indication of an amount of transferred funds in said associated user's wallet account;
• allowing for automatically and electronically executing, with the computer, a purchase of said item as a gift for said associated user upon said transferred funds equalling a purchase price of said item;
• and
• updating, with the computer, said associated user's wish list to delete said purchased item from said wish list.