1. A method, performed by an automated agent module, comprising: observing, by the automated agent module, an indication of an information need that has been expressed via a social network module, the automated agent module having been designated as a contact of a user; determining whether it is appropriate to reply to the information need; generating a reply message to the information need if it is deemed appropriate to reply to the information need; and sending the reply message to a target destination, the sending comprising sending the reply message over a network, the automated agent module being implemented by computing functionality.