Patent ID: 8073474

Claim:
A method for distributing messages to a group of users, said method comprising: attaching a message to a user selected marker at a first device, said attaching being under control of a first user at said first device; associating with said marker addresses of one or more target users; causing said marker, together with said attached message, to be digitally sent to an electronic network for delivery by said electronic network to all of said target users, each said target user being located at a respective device remote from said first device; displaying a received marker to a user of a device at which a marker has been received indicating that said marker has been received; under selective control of said user, making available to said user any message attached to said marker by a sending user; at said marker receiving device, allowing said marker receiving user to create an answer message in association with said received marker; and at said marker receiving device, using said marker, to control digitally sending said answer message to an electronic network for delivery by said electronic network to all of said target users in addition to said user at said first device.