Strategies for alerting users to events that have transpired in their absence

摘要

While You Were Away (WYWA) functionality is described for alerting a user to events which have transpired between a time that the user ceases interaction with an electronic environment and a time that the user resumes interaction with the electronic environment. The detected events may include news stories, Email messages, offline instant messenger (IM) messages, and so forth. The WYWA functionality can order the events based on at least one ordering criterion, as well as group the events into multiple categories. The WYWA functionality displays the events in a user interface panel that is presented to the user upon the resumption of their use of the electronic environment. The user interface panel can include another section which displays information that is tailored to the user's geographic location and/or personal identity, another section which displays targeted advertising information, and another section that presents application-related features provided by an entity that sponsors the user interface panel, etc.