Displaying complex messaging threads into a single display

1. In a computer messaging system, a computer implemented method for organizing a message thread containing at least two messages, the method comprising:

identifying, by a processor of a computing system, a root message;

identifying at least two reply groupings by the processor that depend from the root message, each reply grouping having at least two child reply messages made in response to a parent message sent by a first user and including a first portion and a second portion in a content area, wherein for only one reply grouping, the parent message is the root message, and at least one of the child reply messages is sent by a second user and includes:

a duplicate of original content of the corresponding parent message;

a first inline response within the duplicate of the original content of the parent message and related to the first portion of the parent message, wherein the first inline response is displayed between the first portion and the second portion in the original content of the parent message with a first header providing information identifying the second user; and

a second inline response related to the second portion of the parent message, wherein the second inline response is displayed after the second portion of the original content of the parent message with a second header providing information identifying the second user and displayed after the second portion;

ordering, by the processor, each of the at least two child reply messages in each reply grouping in chronological order based on the time of each of the at least two child reply messages was sent or received;

hierarchically ordering each of the at least two reply groupings by the processor based on a relationship between each reply grouping and the parent messages from which each reply grouping depends; and

generating, by the processor, data capable of being processed to provide a single display that allows a user to view content of the root message, the parent message, and the at least two child reply messages in accordance with the hierarchical ordering and such that the user can collapse and expand the duplicate of the original content of the parent message included as part of each of the at least two child reply messages.

2. The method as recited in claim 1 , further comprising providing the user with the ability to collapse and expand at least one of the root message, the parent message, or the at least two child reply messages.

3. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein providing a single display that allows a user to view content of the root message, the parent message, and the at least two child reply messages comprises:

displaying the response from the response content area of at least one of the child reply message outside of the original content of the parent message.

4. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein providing a single display that allows a user to view content of the root message, the parent message, and the at least one child reply message comprises at least one of:

displaying the first and second inline responses as collapsed content; or

blocking the at least one child reply message having the first and second inline responses from being displayed outside of the original content of the parent message.

5. The method as recited in claim 1 , further comprising indicating whether at least one of the root message, the parent message, or the at least two child reply messages have been accessed by the user.

6. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein at least one of the root message, the parent message or the at least two child reply messages is an email message.

7. In an email system, a computer implemented method for organizing a message thread to reduce display of duplicate content of messages, the method comprising:

identifying, by a processor of a computing system a parent message from a first user, the parent message comprising a first portion and a second portion;

identifying, by the processor, a first child reply message from a second user made in response to the parent message, the first child reply message including a duplicate of original content of the parent message, a first inline response within the duplicate of the original content of the parent message and related to the first portion of the parent message, and a second inline response related to the second portion of the parent message;

generating, by the processor, data capable of being processed to provide a single display of the message thread including a single appearance of the original content of the parent message, wherein at least a portion of content of the first inline response of the first child reply message is displayed between the first portion and the second portion in the original content of the parent message with a first header providing information identifying the second user and displayed between the first portion and the second portion, wherein at least a portion of content of the second inline response of the first child reply message is displayed after the second portion of the original content of the parent message with a second header providing information identifying the second user and displayed after the second portion, wherein the first and second headers further provide information clarifying that the first inline response and the second inline response are not part of the parent message but are made in response to the parent message.

8. The method as recited in claim 7 , further comprising at least one of:

generating, by the processor, data capable of being processed to display the duplicate of the original content of the parent message located in the first child reply message as collapsed content;

blocking, by the processor, the duplicate of the original content of the parent message located in the first child reply message from being displayed in the single display.

9. The method as recited in claim 7 , further comprising indicating, by the processor, whether at least one of the parent message or the first child reply message has been accessed by the user.

10. The method as recited in claim 7 , further comprising identifying a second child reply message, wherein each of the first and second child reply messages include the duplicate of the original content of the parent message and inline responses in the duplicate of the original content of the parent message, further comprising:

ordering the inline responses of the first and second child reply messages in chronological order by the processor; and

generating, by the processor, data capable of being processed to display at least a portion of content of the inline responses of the first and second child reply messages in the original content of the parent message.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the first child reply message and the second child reply message are made by different users in response to the parent message.

12. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium having a computer program stored thereon for causing a suitably programmed system to process computer-program code on a processor and perform the method of:

identifying a root message;

identifying at least two reply groupings that depend from the root message, each reply grouping having at least two child reply messages made in response to a parent message sent by a first user and including a first portion and a second portion in a content area, wherein for only one reply grouping, the parent message is the root message, and at least one of the two child reply messages is sent by a second user and includes:

a duplicate of original content of the corresponding parent message;

a first inline response within the duplicate of the original content of the parent message and related to the first portion of the parent message, wherein the first inline response is displayed between the first portion and the second portion in the original content of the parent message with a first header providing information identifying the second user; and

a second inline response related to the second portion of the parent message, wherein the second inline response is displayed after the second portion of the original content of the parent message with a second header providing information identifying the second user and displayed after the second portion;

ordering each of the at least two child reply messages in each reply grouping in chronological order based on the time of each of the at least two child reply messages was sent or received;

hierarchically ordering each of the at least two reply groupings by the processor based on a relationship between each reply grouping and the parent messages from which each reply grouping depends; and

generating data capable of being processed to provide a single display that allows a user to view content of the root message, the parent message, and the at least two child reply messages in accordance with the hierarchical ordering and such that the user can collapse and expand the duplicate of the original content of the parent message included as part of each of the at least two child reply messages.

13. A computer system comprising:

a memory device storing instructions; and

a processor executing the instructions for:

identifying a root message;

identifying at least two reply groupings that depend from the root message, each reply grouping having at least two child reply messages made in response to a parent message sent by a first user and including a first portion and a second portion in a content area, wherein for only one reply grouping, the parent message is the root message, and at least one of the two child reply messages is sent by a second user and includes:

a duplicate of original content of the corresponding parent message;

a first inline response within the duplicate of the original content of the parent message and related to the first portion of the parent message, wherein the first inline response is displayed between the first portion and the second portion in the original content of the parent message with a first header providing information identifying the second user; and

a second inline response related to the second portion of the parent message, wherein the second inline response is displayed after the second portion of the original content of the parent message with a second header providing information identifying the second user and displayed after the second portion;

ordering each of the at least two child reply messages in each reply grouping in chronological order based on the time of each of the at least two child reply messages was sent or received;

hierarchically ordering each of the at least two reply groupings by the processor based on a relationship between each reply grouping and the parent messages from which each reply grouping depends; and

generating data capable of being processed to provide a single display that allows a user to view content of the root message, the parent message, and the at least two child reply messages in accordance with the hierarchical ordering and such that the user can collapse and expand the duplicate of the original content of the parent message included as part of each of the at least two child reply messages.

14. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium having a computer program stored thereon for causing a suitably programmed system to process computer-program code on a processor and perform the method of:

identifying a parent message from a first user, the parent message comprising a first portion and a second portion;

identifying a first child reply message from a second user made in response to the parent message, the first child reply message including a duplicate of original content of the parent message, a first inline response within the duplicate of the original content of the parent message and related to the first portion of the parent message, and a second inline response related to the second portion of the parent message;

generating data capable of being processed to provide a single display of the message thread including a single appearance of the original content of the parent message, wherein at least a portion of content of the first inline response of the first child reply message is displayed between the first portion and the second portion in the original content of the parent message with a first header providing information identifying the second user and displayed between the first portion and the second portion, wherein at least a portion of content of the second inline response of the first child reply message is displayed after the second portion of the original content of the parent message with a second header providing information identifying the second user and displayed after the second portion, wherein the first and second headers further provide information clarifying that the first inline response and the second inline response are not part of the parent message but are made in response to the parent message.

15. A computer system comprising:

a memory device storing instructions; and

a processor executing the instructions for:

identifying a parent message from a first user, the parent message comprising a first portion and a second portion;

identifying a first child reply message from a second user made in response to the parent message, the first child reply message including a duplicate of original content of the parent message, a first inline response within the duplicate of the original content of the parent message and related to the first portion of the parent message, and a second inline response related to the second portion of the parent message;

generating data capable of being processed to provide a single display of the message thread including a single appearance of the original content of the parent message, wherein at least a portion of content of the first inline response of the first child reply message is displayed between the first portion and the second portion in the original content of the parent message with a first header providing information identifying the second user and displayed between the first portion and the second portion, wherein at least a portion of content of the second inline response of the first child reply message is displayed after the second portion of the original content of the parent message with a second header providing information identifying the second user and displayed after the second portion, wherein the first and second headers further provide information clarifying that the first inline response and the second inline response are not part of the parent message but are made in response to the parent message.

16. A system for organizing an electronic message thread to reduce display of duplicate content of electronic messages, comprising:

a computer system comprising a memory and a processor;

a client module stored in the memory and configured to be executed by the processor which allows a user to send and receive messages over a network; and

a thread-organization module stored in the memory and configured to be executed by the processor and in electronic communication with the client module, the thread-organization module configured to cause a message thread to be presented to the user, the message thread including a parent message comprising a first portion and a second portion and a first child reply message and a second child reply message made in response to the parent message, the first child reply message and the second child reply message each including a duplicate of original content of the parent message and a first inline response included in the duplicate of the original content of the parent message, the thread-organization module configured to cause a single display of the message thread to be presented to the user including a single appearance of the original content of the parent message, wherein at least a portion of the content of the first inline response of each of the first child reply message and the second child reply message is positioned between the first portion and the second portion in the original content of the parent message and includes a header positioned between the first portion and the second portion and identifying the sender of the corresponding response such that the header clarifies that the inline responses are made in response to the parent message and are not part of the parent message.

17. The system of claim 16 , wherein the thread-organization module is further configured to prevent the display of the duplicate of the original content of the parent message located in the first child reply message.

18. The system of claim 16 , wherein the thread-organization module is further configured to present to the user an indication of whether at least one of the parent message or the first child reply message has been accessed by the user.

19. The system of claim 16 , wherein the parent message comprises a third portion and the first child reply message includes a second inline response in the duplicate of original content of the parent message, wherein the thread-organization module is further configured to cause at least a portion of content of the second inline response to be presented to the user positioned between the second portion and the third portion in the original content of the parent message.

20. The method of claim 16 , wherein the first child reply message and the second child reply message are made by different users in response to the parent message.

21. A computer implemented method for organizing a message thread containing at least two messages, the method comprising:

identifying, by a processor of a computing system, a root message;

identifying at least two reply groupings that depend from the root message, each reply grouping having at least two child reply messages made in response to a parent message having a first portion and a second portion, wherein for only one reply grouping, the parent message is the root message, each of the at least two child reply messages including, in a response content area of the child reply message, a duplicate of original content of the corresponding parent message and one of the at least two child reply messages including a first inline response related to the first portion of the parent message and a second inline response related to the second portion of the parent message;

hierarchically ordering each of the at least two reply groupings based on a relationship between each reply grouping and the parent messages from which each reply grouping depends, wherein the hierarchical ordering is performed according to a flow of a conversation determined based on at least the first portion, the second portion, the first inline response, and the second inline response, the hierarchical ordering being performed independent of a chronological order based on a time each of the at least two child reply messages was sent or received;

generating, by the processor, data capable of being processed to provide a single display that allows a first user to view content of the root message, the parent message, and the at least two child reply messages in accordance with the hierarchical ordering and allows the first user to collapse and expand the duplicate of the original content of the parent message included as part of each of the at least two child reply messages,

wherein when the original content of the parent message is expanded the expanded view includes a single appearance of the original content of the parent message including:

the first inline response between the first portion and the second portion in the original content of the parent message;

a first header providing information identifying a second user providing the one child reply message, the first header being displayed between the first portion and the second portion;

the second inline response being displayed after the second portion; and

a second header providing information identifying the second user and displayed after the second portion, the first header and the second header indicating that the first inline response and the second inline response are not part of the parent message but are made in response to the first portion and the second portion of the parent message.

22. The method as recited in claim 21 , further comprising providing the first user with the ability to collapse and expand at least one of the root message or the at least two child reply messages.

23. The method as recited in claim 21 , further comprising providing the first user with the ability to collapse and expand at least one of the first inline response or the second inline response.

24. The method as recited in claim 21 , further comprising blocking the one child reply message having the first inline response and the second inline response from being displayed outside of the original content of the parent message.

25. The method as recited in claim 21 , further comprising indicating whether at least one of the root message, the parent message, or the at least two child reply messages have been accessed by the first user.

26. The method as recited in claim 21 , wherein at least one of the root message, the parent message or the at least two child reply messages is an email message.

27. The method as recited in claim 21 , further comprising generating, by the processor, data capable of being processed to display the duplicate of the original content of the parent message located in the one child reply message as collapsed content.