A method, apparatus, and computer instructions for sending a user's
availability information to an instant messaging (IM) partner. A user
predefines areas of the user's display and associates these predefined
areas, or "hotspots", with user defined messages. If the user is not
available to immediately respond to an incoming message, the user may
move the IM dialog window to a "hotspot" in the display. Depending upon
the user-defined message associated with the "hotspot", the IM
application generates an automated response indicating the user's
availability to respond to the message, and sends the message to the IM
partner. The user also may predefine and associate the user's IM status
with a "hotspot". Moving an IM dialog window into a "hotspot"
automatically changes the user's status based on the associated
"hotspot". This change is communicated to only the particular IM dialog
window partner while other IM partners are unaffected.