Messaging including custom characters with tags localized to language of user receiving message

A method for receiving and displaying messages one or more custom characters, the method comprising:

• (a) a second client device receiving message data from a first client device, wherein
• the first client device is associated with a first user having a first designated language,
• the second client device is associated with a second user having a second designated language that is different than the first designated language,
• the message data includes one or more unique custom character references, and one or more tag words associated with each of the unique custom character reference(s),
• at least one said tag word associated with each of the unique custom character reference(s) is in the second designed language of the second user,
• each of the unique custom character references is associated with a corresponding custom character that is not included within a Unicode Standard;
• (b) the second client device obtaining, for each of the unique custom character reference(s) included in the received message data, image data for the custom character associated with the unique custom character reference,
• wherein the obtaining is performing without the second client device receiving the image data associated with the custom character(s) from the first client device;
• and
• (c) displaying, via a user interface of the second client device, the one or more custom characters that is/are associated with the one or more unique custom character references included in the received message data;
• and
• (d) in response to the second user of the second client device selecting one of the custom character(s) that is/are displayed via the user interface of the second client device, also displaying via the user interface of the second client device at least one said tag word, associated with the selected custom character, that is in the second designated language of the second user and thereby provides context for the selected custom character in the second designated language of the second user.

One or more processor readable storage devices having instructions encoded thereon which when executed cause one or more processors of a first client device to provide a client messaging application operable to:

• provide a messaging user interface for the first client device associated with a first user having a first designated language;
• accept and display, via the messaging user interface of the first client device, a message within a message entry field;
• send, from the first client device to a second client device having a second designated language that is different than the first designated language, message data that includes the following one or more standard characters included in the message entry field,
• a unique custom character reference associated with each of one or more custom characters included in the message entry field, and
• at least one tag word associated with each of the custom character(s) included in the message entry field,
• wherein each of the standard character(s) is included within a Unicode Standard,
• wherein each of the custom character(s) is not included within the Unicode Standard, and
• wherein at least one said tag word associated with each of the custom character(s) is in the second designated language.

A server system, comprising:

• one or more processors;
• one or more data stores configured to store
• client data for each of a plurality of users that are each associated with a respective client device, the client data including a designated language for each of the users, wherein the designated language for one or more of the users can be a default designated language, and wherein the designated language for at least some of the users differ from one another;
• a unique custom character reference, one or more tag words, and image data associated with each of a plurality of custom characters;
• translation data that enables tag words to be translated from one designated language of one user to another designated language of another user;
• and
• a server messaging application including instructions that are executable by the one or more processors, the server messaging application operable to:
• receive a unique custom character reference query including one or more standard characters from a said client device, and in response thereto, identify one or more of the unique custom character references that have a tag word associate therewith that includes the one or more standard characters included in the unique custom character reference query;
• send to the client device from which the unique custom character reference query was received, a list of the identified one or more of the unique custom character references that have a tag word associate therewith that includes the one or more standard characters included in the unique custom character reference query;
• receive an image data query including a unique custom character reference from the client device, and in response thereto, identify image data for a custom character associated with the unique custom character reference included in the image data query;
• and
• send to the client device from which the image data query was received, image data for the custom character associated with the unique custom character reference included in the image data query.