Patent ID: 7711784

Claim:
In an e-mail system, used within an organization, a method for allowing normal users of the e-mail system who are authorized to send and receive e-mail messages to voluntarily select certain of their e-mail messages that they send for autonomic processing, and to thereafter process those selected e-mail messages autonomically, the method comprising the steps of: (a) providing means for a plurality of senders of e-mail messages within an organization to designate selected e-mail messages of theirs and responses thereto for autonomic processing; (b) designating, via a selection made by a first sender, at least a first e-mail message for autonomic processing; (c) identifying a plurality of intended recipients in an address portion of such first e-mail message, and entering information in a note portion of such first e-mail message; (d) identifying the first e-mail message designated for autonomic processing within the e-mail system with a unique sending identification number; (e) providing means for each intended recipient of such first e-mail message to indicate that an autonomic response is being sent in response thereto; (f) identifying each autonomic response to such first e-mail message with a responding identification number that in combination with the unique sending identification number for such first e-mail message forms a combination identification number that is unique within the e-mail system; (g) providing means to enable the sender of such first e-mail message to indicate that the processing of the first e-mail message has been completed; and (h) after the sender indicates that the processing of the first e-mail message has been completed, informing at least a plurality of the intended recipients that the processing of such first e-mail message has been completed.