Patent ID: 7856469

Claim:
A method comprising: responsive to a first input to a computer by a first user of an instant messaging service configured for sending and receiving a plurality of text messages in real time between the first user and a second user, determining, by a processor of the computer based only on the first input, that a topic tag is to be inserted into a text message of an instant messaging session, wherein the instant messaging service is configured to accept the first input before the instant messaging session begins, during the instant messaging session, and after the instant messaging session; responsive to a second input to the computer by the second user, determining by the processor, one of a first acceptance and a rejection of the topic tag by the second user; responsive to the first acceptance, automatically inserting the topic tag, by the processor, into the text of the instant messaging session when a turn is identified by the processor, wherein a turn means a shift in a textual communication during the instant messaging session indicated by a plurality of successive statements; responsive to the rejection, continuing the instant messaging session without an insertion of the topic tag; responsive to a third input to the computer by the first user, determining by the processor of the computer that a sub-topic tag is to be inserted into a segment of the text corresponding to the sub-topic, wherein the instant messaging service is configured to accept the third input before the instant messaging session begins, during the instant messaging session, and after the instant messaging session; responsive to a fourth input to the computer, determining by the processor, a second acceptance of the sub-topic tag by the second user; responsive to the second acceptance, automatically placing the sub-topic tag, by the processor, into the segment of the text when a change from a topic shift occurs in the instant messaging session; displaying a graphical user interface that has a first area for displaying the chat transcript of the instant messaging session and that displays a topic list at an end of the chat transcript, a first sub-topic tab, and a second sub-topic tab; and wherein upon activation of a selected topic in the topic list, the selected topic is displayed with a first corresponding transcript segment in a second area of the graphical user interface, upon activation of the first sub-topic tab, the first sub-topic is displayed with a second corresponding transcript segment in a third area of the graphical user interface, and upon activation of the second sub-topic tab, the second sub-topic is displayed with a third corresponding transcript segment in a fourth area of the graphical user interface.