Web-enabled chat conferences and meeting implementations

A server-based meeting system comprising:

• server circuitry configured as a computer server arrangement (“server”) to provide data communications services including meeting registration services via a meeting board that provides different meeting groups and associated with various meetings and further including a plurality of different types of communications services from among chat, messaging, and voice-over-Internet Protocol;
• the server, including at least one computer processor and communication circuitry, to present a model for the meeting board for which an individual, registered to receive the data communications services, can visit to identify and register to participate in one or more of the meetings for which the individual may be interested, and
• a set of information that specifies a plurality of meeting groups for the meetings and that is accessible to remote users or participants and that provides details to the remote users or participants of a meeting, conducted via data communications, and scheduled via the set of information;
• and
• the server, in response to the server receiving selection of a particular meeting group by at least one of the remote users or participants, further to:
• identify a meeting scheduled for the particular meeting group using meeting schedule data of the particular meeting group, and a set of the remote users or participants that are associated with the particular meeting group,
• establish internet data-communications connections for the set of the remote users or participants associated with the particular meeting group,
• merge the established internet data-communications connections for the set of the remote users or participants for the meeting, and
• convey authority, to one of the set of the remote users or participants, to conduct one or more chat sessions with another whether or not said another is from among the set of the remote users or participants.

A tangible computer-readable device including instructions which, in response to being executed, computer circuitry causes the following steps to be carried out:

• presenting, via a computer server arrangement (“server”) including at least one computer processor and communication circuitry and being configured to provide a plurality of different types of communications services from among chat, messaging, and Voice-over-Internet Protocol, a model for a meeting board, which provides different meeting groups and associated with various meetings, for which an individual can visit to identify and register to participate in one or more of the meetings for which the registered individual may be interested, and a set of information that specifies a plurality of meeting groups for the meetings and that is accessible to remote users or participants and that provides details to the remote users or participants of a meeting, conducted via data communications, and scheduled via the set of information;
• and
• in response to the server receiving selection of a particular meeting group by at least one of the remote users or participants:
• identifying a meeting scheduled for the particular meeting group using meeting schedule data of the particular meeting group, and a set of the remote users or participants that are associated with the particular meeting group,
• establishing internet data-communications connections for the set of the remote users or participants associated with the particular meeting group,
• merging the established internet data-communications connections for the set of the remote users or participants for the meeting, and
• conveying authority, to one of the set of the remote users or participants, to conduct one or more chat sessions with another whether or not said another is from among the set of the remote users or participants.