Patent ID: 8020105

Claim:
A method performed by a processor implemented on a semiconductor chip within a computing system, comprising: rendering an email inbox in a first section of a graphical user interface; detecting that a first user has selected an email message listed within the email inbox; rendering the selected email message as an email message in a second section of the graphical user interface, the rendered selected email message showing the text of the email message; detecting whether a second user that wrote the email message is available for instant messaging; and in response to the second user that wrote the email message being deemed available for instant messaging from the detecting and without the first user affirmatively confirming that the first user intends to respond to the email, rendering on said graphical user interface an indication that the second user is available for instant messaging, and, changing the state of an instant messaging start feature from not visible on said graphical user interface to visible on said graphical user interface, the instant messaging start feature to allow the first user to choose to send instant messaging content and not email content to the second user from a computer system that is performing the method; in response to a detected selection of the instant messaging start feature, rendering a third section of the graphical user interface in which content of an instant message to be sent to the second user is to be typed by the first user; causing said instant message to be sent to said second user; receiving a response instant message from said second user; and, rendering in a fourth section of said graphical user interface an instant messaging conversation between the first and second users, the instant messaging conversation containing the instant message sent by the first user to the second user and the instant message sent by the second user to the first user.