Patent ID: 8200762

Claim:
In a computer messaging system, a computer implemented method for organizing a message thread containing at least two messages, the method comprising: identifying, by a processor of a computing system, a root message; identifying at least two reply groupings by the processor that depend from the root message, each reply grouping having at least two child reply messages made in response to a parent message sent by a first user and including a first portion and a second portion in a content area, wherein for only one reply grouping, the parent message is the root message, and at least one of the child reply messages is sent by a second user and includes: a duplicate of original content of the corresponding parent message; a first inline response within the duplicate of the original content of the parent message and related to the first portion of the parent message, wherein the first inline response is displayed between the first portion and the second portion in the original content of the parent message with a first header providing information identifying the second user; and a second inline response related to the second portion of the parent message, wherein the second inline response is displayed after the second portion of the original content of the parent message with a second header providing information identifying the second user and displayed after the second portion; ordering, by the processor, each of the at least two child reply messages in each reply grouping in chronological order based on the time of each of the at least two child reply messages was sent or received; hierarchically ordering each of the at least two reply groupings by the processor based on a relationship between each reply grouping and the parent messages from which each reply grouping depends; and generating, by the processor, data capable of being processed to provide a single display that allows a user to view content of the root message, the parent message, and the at least two child reply messages in accordance with the hierarchical ordering and such that the user can collapse and expand the duplicate of the original content of the parent message included as part of each of the at least two child reply messages.