Patent ID: 8250154

Claim:
In a data processing system having a messaging application that provides an instant messaging interface, a method comprising: utilizing a display device, the data processing system displaying in the instant messaging interface a plurality of messages including at least one message transmitted by the data processing system to a remote messaging system via a network and at least one message received by the data processing system from the remote messaging system via the network, wherein the displaying includes displaying an initial presentation of the plurality of messages in an initial presentation order in which a second message of the plurality of messages is intermediate first and third messages among the plurality of messages; after displaying the initial presentation and in response to receipt of a local user input at the data processing system defining membership of a message thread: the data processing system modifying the initial presentation of the plurality of messages by presenting a message linking indicator visually indicating an association of the first and third messages as members of the message thread and excluding the second message from the message thread, wherein, prior to receipt of the local user input, the first and third messages are not associated with the message thread by the data processing system; and the data processing system transmitting to the remote messaging system a linking message indicating the association of the first and third messages as members of the message thread.