Patent ID: 8458278

Claim:
A method, comprising: at a computing device with a display: displaying a communication session window on the display, the communication session window being configured to display instant messages from a first participant and instant messages from a second participant during an instant messaging session between the first participant and the second participant, the communication session window being partitioned into a right region and a left region, the right region being associated with the first participant and the left region being associated with the second participant, wherein: the right region includes: a portion that begins at the right edge of the communications session window and is free from overlapping the left region; and a portion that partially overlaps with the left region such that an instant message from the first participant extends from the right region partially into the left region; and the left region includes: a portion that begins at the left edge of the communications session window and is free from overlapping the right region; and a portion that partially overlaps with the right region such that an instant message from the second participant extends from the left region partially into the right region; receiving instant messages from the first participant and instant messages from the second participant during the instant messaging session between the first participant and the second participant; for each respective instant message in the instant messaging session between the first participant and the second participant: determining whether the respective instant message is from the first participant or the second participant; based on a determination that the respective instant message is from the first participant, displaying the respective instant message in a speech balloon in the right region of the communication session window that is associated with the first participant, and based on a determination that the respective instant message is from the second participant, displaying the respective instant message in a speech balloon in the left region of the communication session window that is associated with the second participant.