Ticker for internet client

A method of displaying information on a client device connected to a data access network using an Internet client application, the method comprising:

• a) the Internet client application activating on the client device, the Internet client application operating concurrently with other applications including an Internet browser;
• b) the Internet client application initially establishing a communication channel to the data access network with an online service provider to obtain Internet access for the client device;
• c) the Internet client application displaying a client window on a display coupled with or included in the client device, the client window remaining fully visible and on top of all other windows so long as the communication channel remains open;
• d) the Internet client application activating a ticker display area of the client window;
• e) the Internet client application receiving plural ticker message units including ticker data from the online service provider via the data access network, the ticker data for display in the ticker display area, wherein the ticker data includes advertisements and at least one selected from the group including stock information, sports information, news information, wherein some of the ticker message units include click-through instructions including a uniform resource locator (URL) of a web page associated with the ticker data;
• f) the Internet client application scrolling the ticker data through the ticker display area;
• g) the Internet client application receiving user selection of one of the ticker data in the ticker display area;
• h) in response to the receiving the Internet client application receiving the user selection of one of the ticker data in the ticker display area, the Internet client application causing the web page identified by the URL to be displayed in a browser window of the Internet browser on the client device concurrently while the Internet client application continues displaying the client window including the ticker data in the ticker display area such that both the web page and the client window are visible.