Communication application for conducting conversations including multiple media types in either a real-time mode or a time-shifted mode

Computer code embedded in a non-transitory computer readable medium and intended to run on a communication device connected to a network, comprising:

• code configured to support a conversation conducted over the network among participants, the conversation including a bi-directional exchange between the participants of incoming and outgoing messages that include voice media, the code further configured to:
• (i) progressively store the incoming and outgoing messages of the conversation on the communication device:
• (a) as the voice media of the outgoing messages is created with the communication device;
• and
• (b) as the voice media of the incoming messages is received over the network from a remote participant of the conversation;
• (ii) display on the communication device the message history of the conversation, the message history including visual representations corresponding to the incoming and outgoing messages respectively;
• (iii) provide rendering options on the communication device to progressively render the incoming messages of the conversation in real-time as the voice media of the incoming messages is received over the network and out of storage;
• and
• (iv) selectively transition participation in the conversation between a near real-time mode when rendering the voice media of the incoming messages in near real-time as the voice media is received over the network and in a time-shifted messaging mode when rendering the voice media of the incoming messages out of storage.