Data object for selective per-message participation of an external user in a meeting chat

A system, comprising:

• one or more data processing units;
• and
• a computer-readable medium having encoded thereon computer-executable instructions to cause the one or more data processing units to perform operations comprising:
• generating, by a collaboration system, a first data record indicative of messages being communicated between a defined group of users of a communication session, each of the messages identifying users having shared each message, and permissions for the identified users to access content of the communication session;
• receiving a selection of a message set including a subset of the messages of the defined group for corresponding with a non-member user who is not a member of the defined group;
• in response to receiving the selection, updating the first data record to include the selected message set and subsequent messages exchanged between the non-member user and a subset of the users in the defined group directed to the selected message set, each of the subsequent messages identifying the users in the defined group and the non-member user, and permissions for the non-member user to access content of the communication session;
• sending, to a display device of one the member in the defined group, subsequent messages exchanged between the non-member user and the defined group, wherein access by the users to the subsequent messages is controlled by the permissions for the users of the defined group;
• and
• sending, to a display device of the non-member user, the selected message set and subsequent messages exchanged between the non-member user and a subset of the users in the defined group directed to the selected message set, wherein access by the non-member user to the subsequent messages is controlled by the permissions for the non-member user.

A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having computer-executable instructions stored thereupon which, when executed by one or more processors of a computing device, cause the computing device to perform operations comprising:

• generating a first data object indicative of a defined group of users of a communication session, messages being communicated between the defined group of users, and permissions defined for the defined group of users to access content of the communication session;
• receiving a selection of a message set including a subset of the messages of the defined group for corresponding with a non-member user who is not a member of the defined group;
• in response to receiving the selection, updating the first data object to include the selected message set and subsequent messages exchanged between the non-member user and a subset of the users in the defined group directed to the selected message set, and permissions defined for the non-member user to limit full access to other subsequent messages in the defined group not directed to the selected message set;
• sending, to a display device of the non-member user, the selected message set and subsequent messages exchanged between the non-member user and a subset of the users in the defined group directed to the selected message set, wherein access to other subsequent messages in the defined group not directed to the selected message set is controlled by the permissions for the non-member user;
• and
• sending, to the first UI of the device of the member in the defined group, subsequent messages exchanged between the non-member user and the defined group, wherein access to the messages being communicated between the defined group of users is controlled by the permissions for the defined group.