Patent attributes
A first user's avatar in a virtual world environment may be controlled by using a virtual world application enabling access to a virtual world environment within which the first user has an avatar associated with the first user. A virtual world location corresponding to the first avatar is identified. At least one second avatar proximate to the virtual world location is identified. Filtering information is accessed. Profile information related to the second avatar is accessed. Filtering information is compared to the accessed profile information. Based on the comparison results, a metric related to the second avatar is determined. The metric is related to a threshold. It is determined whether relating the metric to the threshold supports enabling communications between the first and second avatars, and if so, communications to be exchanged between the first and second avatars are enabled.