Status Updates
While most modern messaging apps have long moved past the “presence” settings of apps like iChat and MSN Messenger that let you set statuses like “Online” and “Away” there is still room for status updates, especially in group chats.
It looks like Apple may be bringing the old-school “/me” command to iMessage, however, to allow users to share one-off status updates, which could be especially useful in group chats when needing an easy way to let others know that you might be unavailable or otherwise occupied.