Abstract: Implementing people as operating system level objects. A method includes, for a user logged in to an operating system, identifying a person with a relationship to the user. For the person, the method further includes identifying information, including information that can be used to communication with the person. The method further includes storing the information related to the person in a data store that is a global data store with respect to the operating system such that the information related to the person can be accessed at the operating system level. The method further includes using the information related to the person stored in the data store to identify applications or services that can be used to communicate with the person. The method further includes displaying in a user interface for the person an enumeration of applications or services that can be used to communicate with the person.

Abstract: A computer-implemented technique is described herein for presenting notifications on a user interface presentation of a recipient computing device. The technique is considered tiered because it distinguishes between first-type (people-centric) notifications and second-type notifications, and because it processes and presents first-type notifications in a privileged manner compared to the second-type notifications. For instance, the technique presents content associated with each first-type notification in an allocated window that appears in positional association with a person indicator, where that person indicator identifies the person who sent the first-type notification; the technique presents each second-type notification in a different manner. In some implementations, an application developer who designs a custom first-type notification is given authority to draw within the allocated window that is used to present the custom first-type notification in a manner specified by the application developer.

Abstract: A computer-implemented technique is described herein for presenting notifications on a user interface presentation of a recipient computing device. The technique is considered tiered because it distinguishes between first-type (people-centric) notifications and second-type notifications, and because it processes and presents first-type notifications in a privileged manner compared to the second-type notifications. For instance, the technique presents content associated with each first-type notification in an allocated window that appears in positional association with a person indicator, where that person indicator identifies the person who sent the first-type notification; the technique presents each second-type notification in a different manner. In some implementations, an application developer who designs a custom first-type notification is given authority to draw within the allocated window that is used to present the custom first-type notification in a manner specified by the application developer.

Abstract: A computer-implemented technique is described herein for presenting notifications on a user interface presentation of a recipient computing device. The technique is considered tiered because it distinguishes between first-type (people-centric) notifications and second-type notifications, and because it processes and presents first-type notifications in a privileged manner compared to the second-type notifications. For instance, the technique presents content associated with each first-type notification in an allocated window that appears in positional association with a person indicator, where that person indicator identifies the person who sent the first-type notification; the technique presents each second-type notification in a different manner. In some implementations, an application developer who designs a custom first-type notification is given authority to draw within the allocated window that is used to present the custom first-type notification in a manner specified by the application developer.

Abstract: A computer-implemented technique is described herein for presenting notifications on a user interface presentation of a recipient computing device. The technique is considered tiered because it distinguishes between first-type (people-centric) notifications and second-type notifications, and because it processes and presents first-type notifications in a privileged manner compared to the second-type notifications. For instance, the technique presents content associated with each first-type notification in an allocated window that appears in positional association with a person indicator, where that person indicator identifies the person who sent the first-type notification; the technique presents each second-type notification in a different manner. In some implementations, an application developer who designs a custom first-type notification is given authority to draw within the allocated window that is used to present the custom first-type notification in a manner specified by the application developer.

Abstract: Implementing people as operating system level objects. A method includes, for a user logged in to an operating system, identifying a person with a relationship to the user. For the person, the method further includes identifying information, including information that can be used to communication with the person. The method further includes storing the information related to the person in a data store that is a global data store with respect to the operating system such that the information related to the person can be accessed at the operating system level. The method further includes using the information related to the person stored in the data store to identify applications or services that can be used to communicate with the person. The method further includes displaying in a user interface for the person an enumeration of applications or services that can be used to communicate with the person.