Patent ID: 8554861

Claim:
A method, comprising: at a computing device with a display: displaying a communication session window on the display, the communication session window partitioned to display instant messages from a first participant in speech balloons in a right region of the communication session window and instant messages from a second participant in speech balloons in a left region of the communication session window during an instant messaging session between the first participant and the second participant, wherein instant messages in the instant messaging session are displayed vertically in the communication session window based on a time order in which the instant messages are received; receiving a signal indicating the second participant is preparing an instant message; in response to receiving the signal indicating the second participant is preparing an instant message, displaying a thought bubble in the left region of the communication session window, wherein a vertical position of the thought bubble in the left region is based on a time that the thought bubble was created; while displaying the thought bubble in the left region of the communication session window, receiving an instant message from the first participant; in response to receiving the instant message from the first participant, displaying a speech balloon containing the instant message from the first participant in the right region of the communication session window, wherein the vertical position of the speech balloon containing the instant message from the first participant in the right region is below the vertical position of the thought bubble in the left region; while displaying the thought bubble in the left region and the speech balloon containing the instant message from the first participant in the right region, receiving the instant message prepared by the second participant that corresponds to the thought bubble in the left region; and, in response to receiving the instant message prepared by the second participant that corresponds to the thought bubble in the left region: ceasing to display the thought bubble in the left region; and displaying a speech balloon containing the instant message prepared by the second participant in the left region of the communication session window, wherein the vertical position of the speech balloon containing the instant message from the first participant in the right region is above the vertical position of the speech balloon containing the instant message prepared by the second participant in the left region.