Dynamically updating content in e-mail

1. A method comprising:

generating, by a server machine having a memory and at least one processor, an e-mail message comprising existing content viewable within an e-mail client, the e-mail message being configured to initiate a modification of the existing content within the e-mail message by the e-mail client subsequent to the e-mail message being downloaded by the e-mail client, the modification of the existing content being viewable within the e-mail client, and the e-mail message being further configured to cause, prior to the e-mail message being opened, the e-mail client to obtain new content from a remote server for use in the modification of the existing content within the e-mail message, the e-mail message being further configured to perform periodic modifications to the modified existing content within the e-mail message, the e-mail message causing the e-mail client to repeatedly retrieve periodic new content at periodic intervals to use in the periodic modifications;

sending, by the server machine, the generated e-mail message to an e-mail account from which a user can view the e-mail message within the e-mail client;

determining a stop time at which to finish the periodic modifications to the modified existing content; and

causing the termination of the periodic modifications to the modified existing content.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the e-mail message comprises an IFrame element configured to cause the e-mail client to obtain the new content from the remote server.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising including a meta element in the new content, wherein the meta element is configured to cause the e-mail client to load a specified Uniform Resource Locator (URL) and to obtain subsequent new content from the specified URL for a subsequent modification of the modified existing content within the e-mail message.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the meta element is further configured to cause the e-mail client to load the specified URL at a specified time.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the new content comprises information from a social networking website.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the existing content comprises a selectable graphical user interface element configured to initiate an action.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the selectable graphical user interface element is configured to cause, in response to its selection, a loading of a page from which the action can be performed.

8. A system comprising:

a server machine having a memory and at least one processor coupled to the memory; and

a dynamic content module, executable by the at least one processor, configured to:

generate an e-mail message comprising existing content viewable within an e-mail client, the e-mail message being configured to initiate a modification of the existing content within the e-mail message by the e-mail client subsequent to the e-mail message being downloaded by the e-mail client, the modification of the existing content being viewable within the e-mail client, and the e-mail message being further configured to cause, prior to the e-mail message being opened, the e-mail client to obtain new content from a remote server for use in the modification of the existing content within the e-mail message, the e-mail message being further configured to perform periodic modifications to the modified existing content within the e-mail message, the e-mail message causing the e-mail client to repeatedly retrieve periodic new content at periodic intervals to use in the periodic modifications;

send the generated e-mail message to an e-mail account from which a user can view the e-mail message within the e-mail client;

determine a stop time at which to finish the periodic modifications to the modified existing content; and

cause the termination of the periodic modifications to the modified existing content.

9. The system of claim 8 , wherein the e-mail message comprises an IFrame element configured to cause the e-mail client to obtain the new content from the remote server.

10. The system of claim 8 , wherein the dynamic content module is further configured to include a meta element in the new content, wherein the meta element is configured to cause the e-mail client to load a specified Uniform Resource Locator (URL) and to obtain subsequent new content from the specified URL for a subsequent modification of the modified existing content within the e-mail message.

11. The system of claim 10 , wherein the meta element is further configured to cause the e-mail client to load the specified URL at a specified time.

12. The system of claim 8 , wherein the new content comprises information from a social networking website.

13. A non-transitory machine-readable medium embodying a set of instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations, the operations comprising:

generating an e-mail message comprising existing content viewable within an e-mail client, the e-mail message being configured to initiate a modification of the existing content within the e-mail message by the e-mail client subsequent to the e-mail message being downloaded by the e-mail client, the modification of the existing content being viewable within the e-mail client, and the e-mail message being further configured to cause, prior to the e-mail message being opened, the e-mail client to obtain new content from a remote server for use in the modification of the existing content within the e-mail message, the e-mail message being further configured to perform periodic modifications to the modified existing content within the e-mail message, the e-mail message causing the e-mail client to repeatedly retrieve periodic new content at periodic intervals to use in the periodic modifications;

sending the generated e-mail message to an e-mail account from which a user can view the e-mail message within the e-mail client;

determining a stop time at which to finish the periodic modifications to the modified existing content; and

causing the termination of the periodic modifications to the modified existing content.