5. The method of claim 1 wherein: comparing responses received to accessed stored responses comprises converting a received response into a representative code and comparing the representative code to stored codes corresponding to and representative of responses having been received from the other instant messaging identity.
1. A computer-implemented method for facilitating online communication among multiple online messaging identities, the method comprising: identifying a target online messaging identity who is accessible over a network of computers, and who desires interaction with other online messaging identities who are presently subscribed to an online messaging service; presenting questions to the target online messaging identity, at least one of the questions including selectable responses associated with the question; receiving, from the target online messaging identity, responses to the questions; accessing, from computer-accessible memory, stored responses to the questions, at least one of the stored responses having been received from another online messaging identity presently subscribed to the online messaging service; comparing responses received from the target online messaging identity to the accessed stored responses; identifying, based at least in part on results of the comparison, a group of less than all of online messaging identities who can be contacted through the online messaging service, as being of interest to the target online messaging identity; and introducing the identified group of online messaging identities who can be contacted through the online messaging service to the target online messaging identity.