Patent ID: 7107316

Claim:
A method for controlling throughput of a message request in a messaging system, said method comprising the steps of: receiving a message request from a sending user at a messaging server facilitating a chat room between said sending user and a receiving user comprising a plurality of entries, wherein said message request comprises a request for an additional entry to said chat room, wherein said sending user assigns a priority value to said message request; determining a priority requirement for said message request according to priority settings designated by said receiving user for whom said message request is intended; responsive to said priority value exceeding said priority requirement, selecting a particular graphical treatment from among a plurality of separate graphical treatments each assigned a separate treatment priority setting, wherein a particular treatment priority setting for said particular graphical treatment matches said priority value; adjusting output of said message request to said receiving user as specified by said particular graphical treatment, such that throughput of said message request to said receiving user is controlled; and responsive to said priority value not exceeding said priority requirement, blocking only said message request within said chat room, wherein only those message requests from said sending user with a priority value exceeding said priority requirement for said chat room are displayed to said receiving user.