Patent ID: 8060887

Claim:
A method for supporting multiple-party communications between a plurality of client computers in communication with a server in a computer network, the method comprising: receiving an input message at the server, said input message representing user input received at one of the plurality of client computers; producing an output message representing said user input provided by said input message; determining a message type associated with said input message; transmitting said output message to: a) each of the plurality of client computers when said input message is associated with a persistent message type, wherein messages of said persistent message type represent user input that is operable to produce a persistent change to multiple-party communication content; and b) ones of the plurality of client computers that meet a criterion when said input message is associated with a non-persistent message type, said criterion being met when all previously received messages of said persistent message type have been transmitted to said ones of the plurality of client computers during the multiple-party communication and wherein messages of said non-persistent message type represent user input that produces a cursor movement at said one of said plurality of client computers, and wherein said cursor movement does not produce a persistent change to the multiple-party communication content.