Internet messaging system and method for use in computer networks

A communication board system for use in a computer network including a server, comprising:

• a server application executable on the server;
• and
• a client application providing an interface between system users and the server application;
• such that said client application and server application are configured cooperatively to provide each of said users with a respective view of a virtual bulletin board system illustrating history and content of at least a subset of messages, said respective view being accessible to and customizable for a corresponding one of said users, wherein each message including respective threading information and the history includes indentations of the content indicating a respective position of the content within the history;
• and
• wherein said respective view includes only those of said messages associated with conversations to which said corresponding user is a participant, and wherein the respective views display representations of the messages in an open format in which the content of the messages can be read without selecting the messages, by dynamically generating HTML representations of the messages.

A system for open display bulletin boards for use by a plurality of participants in a network of computers, comprising:

• a computer configured to provide a bulletin board system
• a memory configured to store a plurality of messages;
• the messages include threading information for each message comprising parent, child, thread level and thread ID fields;
• the messages include a plurality of participants;
• the participants include a sender and at least one recipient;
• and
• a delivery structure configured to deliver the messages, the delivery structure further configured to instantly display the representations in an open format wherein the computer is configured to display the messages on a plurality of private message boards, each of which only shows communications sent to and by a respective participant and which can be viewed only by the respective participant, and wherein the messages do not need to be selected to be read by dynamically generating HTML representations of the messages.

A private message board system for use in a network of computers including a server computer, comprising:

• a server mechanism executable in the server, the server mechanism configured to:
• provide a plurality of private bulletin boards for each of a plurality of users of the system, wherein each of said private bulletin boards shows history of messages associated with conversations involving a respective user, wherein each message including respective threading information and the history includes indentations that delineate a message's place within the history;
• and
• display representations of the messages in an open format that only shows communications sent to and by the respective user, and wherein by dynamically generating HTML representations of the messages, the messages do not need to be selected to be read.

A method for threaded instant messaging for use in a computer network, comprising the steps of:

• maintain threading information of said messages comprising parent, child, thread level and thread ID fields;
• displaying a representation of said threading information along with said messages;
• displaying messages sent over the network involving a user of the network so that only said user can view messages sent and received by said user;
• displaying said messages in an open format so that content of said messages is viewable without selection;
• immediately making said messages available for viewing by said user whenever said user is online by dynamically generating HTML representations of the messages;
• whenever a user sends a message to N other users, allocating a message family of 2×N message records, N of which have respective ones of the other users as the owner and the other N of which have the first user as the owner, all of the 2×N messages having the same sender, subject and thread id, respective pairs of the 2×N messages listing as the recipient a respective one of the other users, the sending user and other users being thread participants;
• and
• when a first user sends a first level message to a second set of users:
• allocating the family (first level family) of message records for the first level message;
• generating a unique thread id and associate the unique thread id with each of the first level family;
• updating each member of the first level family with the sender, recipient, owner and subject information for a respective thread participant;
• issuing a message alert to each of the other users;
• transmitting a representation of a respective message record to each of the second set of users who agrees to delivery of the message;
• and
• holding in abeyance transmission of a representation of a respective message record to each of the second set of users who does not agree to delivery of the message.

A system for threaded messaging of a message representation between participants including a sender and at least one recipient using a network of computers, comprising:

• a memory configured to store a message table and a plurality of messages;
• the message table including threading information for each message comprising parent, child, thread level and thread ID fields;
• each message including respective threading information and a plurality of participants;
• a delivery structure configured to deliver a representation of the message to the designated recipients, the delivery structure further configured to instantly display the representations in an open format wherein the messages do not need to be selected to be read by dynamically generating HTML representations of the messages;
• and
• a server computer and a server mechanism executable in the server, the message table further comprising message records, each of which is associated with an owner, a subject, the sender and the recipient;
• such that, whenever the sender sends a message to N other recipients the server mechanism allocates 2×N message records, N of which have respective ones of the recipients as the owner and the other N of which have the sender as the owner, all of the 2×N messages having the same sender and subject, respective pairs of the 2×N messages listing as the recipient a respective one of the recipients;
• and
• the display structure being additionally configured to display for each of the N+1 participants only those message for which he is owner, and wherein the server mechanism enables each of the participants to manipulate only those messages for which he is the owner.

A system for open display bulletin boards for use by a plurality of participants in a network of computers, comprising:

• a computer configured to provide a bulletin board system
• a memory configured to store a plurality of messages;
• the messages include threading information for each message comprising parent, child, thread level and thread ID fields;
• the messages include a plurality of participants;
• the participants include a sender and at least one recipient;
• a delivery structure configured to deliver the messages, the delivery structure further configured to instantly display the representations in an open format wherein the messages do not need to be selected to be read by dynamically generating HTML representations of the messages;
• and
• a message table including message records, each of which is associated with a message having a sender, recipient, owner and subject;
• such that, whenever the sender sends a message to N recipients, the computer allocates 2×N message records, N of which have respective ones of the recipients as the owner and the other N of which have the sender as the owner, all of the 2×N messages having the same sender and subject, respective pairs of the 2×N messages listing as the recipient a respective one of the other participants;
• the computer being additionally configured to display for each of the N+1 participants only those message for which he is owner, and wherein the computer enables each of the participants to manipulate only messages of which he is the owner.