Tracking interactive text-message communications

1. A computer implemented method for selectively synchronizing and tracking networked or internet real-time interactive communication message items, the method comprising executing on a processing unit the steps of:

presenting a real-time interactive communication system message entry interface to a first user that displays in real-time a plurality of chat or instant message text messages of a conversation with a second user comprising outgoing messages from the first user and incoming messages from a second user in reply to the outgoing text messages by displaying each new message immediately after a most recent previous outgoing or incoming message in one chat or instant message window, wherein each of the messages comprise a plurality of discrete message text items;

in response to detecting an entry of a character combination text string comprising a unique text item term by the first user via a text entry routine into a portion of one of the outgoing messages from the first user, creating a question tracking thread for the outgoing message portion, the question tracking thread comprising the character combination text string, a query message timestamp, question text, second user identification data, an answered status initialized to unanswered, and a reply message answer field, and sending the outgoing message portion comprising the character combination text string to the second user through a communication medium; and

updating the created question tracking thread by entering answer text into the reply message answer field and setting the answered status to answered in response to receiving a reply text message comprising a text dialog box entry of the answer text that is sent back to the first user by the second user and that is linked by to the outgoing message portion comprising the character combination text string sent to the second user.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

integrating computer-readable program code into a computer system comprising the processing unit, a computer readable memory in circuit communication with the processing unit, and a computer readable storage medium in circuit communication with the processing unit; and

wherein the processor executes program code instructions stored on the computer-readable storage medium via the computer readable memory and thereby performs the steps of presenting the real-time interactive communication system message entry interface to a first user that displays in real-time the plurality of chat or instant message text messages of the conversation with the second user comprising the outgoing messages from the first user and the incoming messages from the second user in reply to the outgoing text messages, creating the question tracking thread for the outgoing message portion in response to detecting the entry of the character combination text string comprising the unique text item term by the first user via the text entry routine into the portion of one of the outgoing messages from the first user, and updating the created question tracking thread by entering the answer text into the reply message answer field and setting the answered status to answered in response to receiving the reply text message comprising the text dialog box entry of the answer text that is sent back to the first user by the second user and that is linked by to the outgoing message portion comprising the character combination text string sent to the second user.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising executing on the processing unit the step of:

in response to the updating of the created question tracking thread answered status to answered, visually distinguishing a display of the answer text entered into the reply message answer field in association with the outgoing message comprising the character combination text string to the first user from a display of a remainder of the plurality of chat or instant message text messages within the one chat or instant message display window.

4. The method of claim 3 , further comprising executing on the processing unit the step of:

in response to the first user entering the character combination text string input into the one of the outgoing messages, visually distinguishing the outgoing message comprising the character combination text string in the display window from a remainder of the plurality of chat or instant message text messages that do not comprise the character combination text string input.

5. The method of claim 4 , further comprising executing on the processing unit the steps of:

organizing and presenting each of a plurality of unanswered outgoing message portions comprising the character combination text string in association with different users that receive each of the plurality of unanswered outgoing message portions sent by the first user.

6. The method of claim 5 , further comprising executing on the processing unit the steps of:

enabling the first user to resend an unanswered outgoing message portion comprising the character combination text string to the second user by selecting a displayed unanswered outgoing message portion comprising the character combination text string and entering a resend prompt into the message entry interface;

enabling the first user to save an unanswered outgoing message portion comprising the character combination text string to an off-line storage means by selecting a displayed unanswered outgoing message portion comprising the character combination text string and entering a save prompt into the message entry interface; and

enabling the first user to delete an unanswered outgoing message portion comprising the character combination text string by selecting a displayed unanswered outgoing message portion comprising the character combination text string and entering a delete prompt into the message entry interface.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the outgoing message portion comprising the special text string is smaller than an entire message comprising the message portion;

wherein the real-time interactive communication system message entry interface is an internet relay chat, an instant messaging, a chat-room or an ICQ application interface; and

wherein the real-time interactive communication system message entry interface is not a web log, a web blog, a bulletin board, or an email application interface.

8. The method of claim 7 , further comprising executing on the processing unit the step of:

pushing older messages out of the display window to make room for newly received or sent text messages.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the character combination text string input comprises an initial character combination text string and an ending character combination text string that bracket the outgoing message portion, and wherein the initial character combination text string is different from the ending character combination text string.

10. An article of manufacture, comprising:

a computer readable tangible storage medium having computer readable program code embodied therewith, wherein the computer readable storage medium is not a transitory signal per se, the computer readable program code comprising instructions for execution by a processing unit that cause the processing unit to:

present a real-time interactive communication system message entry interface to a first user that displays in real-time a plurality of chat or instant message text messages of a conversation with a second user comprising outgoing messages from the first user and incoming messages from a second user in reply to the outgoing text messages by displaying each new message immediately after a most recent previous outgoing or incoming message in one chat or instant message window, wherein each of the messages comprise a plurality of discrete message text items;

in response to detecting an entry of a character combination text string comprising a unique text item term by the first user via a text entry routine into a portion of one of the outgoing messages from the first user, create a question tracking thread for the outgoing message portion, the question tracking thread comprising the character combination text string, a query message timestamp, question text, second user identification data, an answered status initialized to unanswered, and a reply message answer field, and send the outgoing message portion comprising the character combination text string to the second user through a communication medium; and

update the created question tracking thread by entering answer text into the reply message answer field and setting the answered status to answered in response to receiving a reply text message comprising a text dialog box entry of the answer text that is sent back to the first user by the second user and that is linked by to the outgoing message portion comprising the character combination text string sent to the second user.

11. The article of manufacture of claim 10 , the program code further comprising instructions for execution by the processing unit that cause the processing unit to, in response to the update of the created question tracking thread answered status to answered, visually distinguish a display of the answer text entered into the reply message answer field in association with the outgoing message comprising the character combination text string to the first user from a remainder of the plurality of chat or instant message text messages within the one chat or instant message display window.

12. The article of manufacture of claim 11 , the program code further comprising instructions for execution by the processing unit that cause the processing unit to, in response to the first user entering the character combination text string input into the one of the outgoing messages, visually distinguish the outgoing message comprising the character combination text string in the display window from a remainder of the plurality of chat or instant message text messages that do not comprise the character combination text string input.

13. The article of manufacture of claim 12 , the program code further comprising instructions for execution by the processing unit that cause the processing unit to:

resend an unanswered outgoing message portion comprising the character combination text string to the second user in response to the first user selecting a displayed unanswered outgoing message portion comprising the character combination text string and entering a resend prompt into the message entry interface;

save an unanswered outgoing message portion comprising the character combination text string to an off-line storage means in response to the first user selecting a displayed unanswered outgoing message portion comprising the character combination text string and entering a save prompt into the message entry interface; and

delete an unanswered outgoing message portion comprising the character combination text string in response to the first user selecting a displayed unanswered outgoing message portion comprising the character combination text string and entering a delete prompt into the message entry interface.

14. A system, comprising:

a processing unit;

a memory in circuit communication with the processing unit;

a computer-readable storage medium in circuit communication with the processing unit; and

a network interface in circuit communication with the processing unit;

wherein the processing unit executes program instructions stored on the computer-readable storage medium via the computer readable memory and thereby:

presents a real-time interactive communication system message entry interface to a first user that displays in real-time a plurality of chat or instant message text messages of a conversation with a second user comprising outgoing messages from the first user and incoming messages from a second user in reply to the outgoing text messages by displaying each new message immediately after a most recent previous outgoing or incoming message in one chat or instant message window, wherein each of the messages comprise a plurality of discrete message text items;

in response to detecting an entry of a character combination text string comprising a unique text item term by the first user via a text entry routine into a portion of one of the outgoing messages from the first user, creates a question tracking thread for the outgoing message portion, the question tracking thread comprising the character combination text string, a query message timestamp, question text, second user identification data, an answered status initialized to unanswered, and a reply message answer field, and sends the outgoing message portion comprising the character combination text string to the second user through a communication medium; and

updates the created question tracking thread by entering answer text into the reply message answer field and setting the answered status to answered in response to receiving a reply text message comprising a text dialog box entry of the answer text that is sent back to the first user by the second user and that is linked by to the outgoing message portion comprising the character combination text string sent to the second user.

15. The system of claim 14 , wherein the processing unit executes the program instructions stored on the computer-readable storage medium via the computer readable memory and thereby further, in response to the update of the created question tracking thread answered status to answered, visually distinguishes a display of the answer text entered into the reply message answer field in association with the outgoing message comprising the character combination text string to the first user from a remainder of the plurality of chat or instant message text messages within the one chat or instant message display window.

16. The system of claim 15 , wherein the processing unit executes the program instructions stored on the computer-readable storage medium via the computer readable memory and thereby further, in response to the first user entering the character combination text string input into the one of the outgoing messages, visually distinguishes the outgoing message comprising the character combination text string in the display window from a remainder of the plurality of chat or instant message text messages that do not comprise the character combination text string input.

17. The system of claim 16 , wherein the processing unit executes the program instructions stored on the computer-readable storage medium via the computer readable memory and thereby further organizes and presents each of a plurality of unanswered outgoing message portions comprising the character combination text string in association with different users that receive each of the plurality of unanswered outgoing message portions sent by the first user.

18. The system of claim 17 , wherein the processing unit executes the program instructions stored on the computer-readable storage medium via the computer readable memory and thereby further:

resends an unanswered outgoing message portion comprising the character combination text string to the second user in response to the first user selecting a displayed unanswered outgoing message portion comprising the character combination text string and entering a resend prompt into the message entry interface;

saves an unanswered outgoing message portion comprising the character combination text string to an off-line storage means in response to the first user selecting a displayed unanswered outgoing message portion comprising the character combination text string and entering a save prompt into the message entry interface; and

deletes an unanswered outgoing message portion comprising the character combination text string in response to the first user selecting a displayed unanswered outgoing message portion comprising the character combination text string and entering a delete prompt into the message entry interface.

19. The system of claim 18 , wherein the outgoing message portion comprising the special text string is smaller than an entire message comprising the message portion;

wherein the real-time interactive communication system message entry interface is an internet relay chat, an instant messaging, a chat-room or an ICQ application interface; and

wherein the real-time interactive communication system message entry interface is not a web log, a web blog, a bulletin board, or an email application interface.

20. The system of claim 19 , wherein the character combination text string input comprises an initial character combination text string and an ending character combination text string that bracket the outgoing message portion, and wherein the initial character combination text string is different from the ending character combination text string.