Patent ID: 7543033

Claim:
A method of instant messaging comprising: sending a message by an instant messaging originating device and destined for reception by an instant messaging recipient device; displaying the message in a conversation log at the instant messaging originating device; displaying the message in another conversation log at the instant messaging recipient device; correcting the message previously sent from the instant messaging originating device during an ongoing instant messaging conversation between the instant messaging originating device and the instant messaging recipient device by selecting a message to be corrected from the conversation log at the instant messaging originating device and editing the previously sent message directly in the conversation log; determining, with the instant messaging originating device, that a message correction of the previously sent message requires sending a message correction specification; prior to sending the message correction specification, the instant messaging originating device sending a query to an instant message manager on an instant messaging server as to whether the instant messaging server requires a message correction specification comprising a complete message resend or whether the instant messaging server requires a message correction specification comprising an optimized message correction; the instant messaging originating device receiving, from the instant message manager, a response to the query; sending from the instant messaging originating device to the instant message manager on the instant messaging server the message correction specification that specifies a correction of the previously sent message, wherein the message correction specification comprises one of: the complete message resend and the optimized message correction, based on the response to the query; sending the message correction specification from the instant message manager on the instant messaging server to the instant messaging recipient device; and updating the other conversation log at the instant messaging recipient device with the corrected message.