Patent ID: 7818680

Claim:
A computer-implemented method for deleting electronic messages from an electronic message system comprising: presenting a user with a list of electronic messages and one or more delete options via a graphical user interface of a display device; enabling a user to select an electronic message from the list of electronic messages via an input device; determining, with a processor, a message thread comprising a plurality of electronic messages, the plurality of electronic messages including the user-selected electronic message and one or more related electronic messages that are related to the user-selected electronic message, and wherein at least one of the one or more related electronic messages comprises content from the user-selected electronic message such that the message thread comprises redundant content; and in response to the user selecting a delete option, deleting all of the determined related electronic messages in the message thread from the electronic message system, except for the user-selected electronic message, wherein the determined related messages are otherwise not selected by the user, to remove redundant content in the message thread.