Maintaining conversational cadence in an online social relationship

1. A method for maintaining conversational cadence, comprising:

determining, by a processor, a conversational cadence associated with a user in a social network;

detecting, by the processor, a reduction in the conversational cadence of the user, wherein detecting the reduction in the conversational cadence of the user comprises at least one of detecting a reduction in an average number of messages transmitted by the user over a preset time period during a selected time duration being less than a predetermined limit and detecting an absence of messages from the user for more than a predetermined time period;

providing, by the processor, in response to detecting the reduction in the conversational cadence of the user, a set of fill-in messages to a communications device of another user in the social network that creates an appearance to the other user in the social network of no reduction in the conversational cadence, wherein providing the set of fill-in messages comprises retroactively automatically distributing a portion of the set of fill-in messages to the other user over at least an earlier preset time period corresponding to when the reduction in the conversational cadence occurs, wherein the portion of the set of fill-in messages are retroactively automatically distributed over the earlier preset time period that corresponds to the reduction in conversational cadence of the user by automatically predating the set of fill-in messages by the processor to correlate with the conversational cadence associated with the user and each message of the portion of the set of fill-in messages indicating a time separation that correlates to the conversational cadence associated with the user; and

identifying the fill-in messages as being provided by a system on behalf of the user by including an indication or obvious notification in the fill-in messages that the fill-in messages are provided by a system or machine and not the actual user.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

scheduling transmission of the set of fill-in messages based on the conversational cadence of the user;

transmitting the set of fill-in messages in the social network according to a schedule based on the conversational cadence of the user to create the appearance of no reduction in the conversational cadence; and

discontinuing transmission of the set of fill-in messages in response to one of detecting return of the user to the social network or detecting another action.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein detecting return of the user to the social network comprises detecting an increase in the conversational cadence of the user by the user personally transmitting a series of new messages in the social network.

4. The method of claim 2 , wherein detecting another action comprises receiving a command from the user to cancel transmission of the set of fill-in messages in the social network.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

scheduling transmission of another portion of the set of fill-in messages based on the conversational cadence of the user;

transmitting the other portion of the set of fill-in messages in the social network according to a schedule based on the conversational cadence of the user to create the appearance of no reduction in the conversational cadence; and

discontinuing transmission of the other portion of the set of fill-in messages in response to one of detecting return of the user to the social network or detecting another action by the user.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining the conversational cadence associated with the user comprises recording metrics related to a multiplicity of messages associated with the user.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein determining the conversational cadence associated with the user comprises determining an average number of messages transmitted by the user during a selected time duration, and wherein the conversational cadence correlates to at least the average number of messages transmitted by the user during the selected time duration.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein providing the set of fill-in messages comprises providing the set of fill-in messages in response to detecting the reduction in the conversational cadence of the user and in response to a predetermined event.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the predetermined event comprises another user contacting the user associated with the reduction in the conversational cadence.

10. The method of claim 1 , further comprising allowing the user to select a type of message for the set of fill-in messages, wherein the type of fill-in messages comprises at least one of benign fill-in messages and business fill-in messages.

11. A method for maintaining conversational cadence, comprising:

determining, by a processor, a conversational cadence associated with a user in a social network, wherein the conversational cadence is determined based on statistics related to a plurality of messages previously transmitted by the user;

detecting, by the processor, a reduction in the conversational cadence of the user, wherein detecting the reduction in the conversational cadence of the user comprises at least one of detecting a reduction in an average number of messages transmitted by the user over a preset time period during a selected time duration being less than a predetermined limit and detecting an absence of messages from the user for more than a predetermined time period;

providing, by the processor, in response to detecting the reduction in the conversational cadence of the user, a set of fill-in messages to a communications device of another user in the social network that creates an appearance to the other user in the social network of no reduction in the conversational cadence, wherein providing the set of fill-in messages comprises retroactively automatically distributing a portion of the set of fill-in messages to the other user over at least an earlier preset time period corresponding to when the reduction in the conversational cadence occurs, wherein the portion of the set of fill-in messages are retroactively automatically distributed over the earlier preset time period that corresponds to the reduction in conversational cadence of the user by automatically predating the set of fill-in messages by the processor to correlate with the conversational cadence associated with the user and each message of the portion of the set of fill-in messages indicating a time separation that correlates to the conversational cadence associated with the user;

determining a schedule for transmission of the set of fill-in messages; and

identifying the fill-in messages as being provided by a system on behalf of the user by including an indication or obvious notification in the fill-in messages that the fill-in messages are provided by a system or machine and not the actual user.

12. The method of claim 11 , further comprising transmitting the set of fill-in messages according to the schedule.

13. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:

determining a schedule for transmission of another portion of the set of fill-in messages based on the conversational cadence of the user; and

transmitting the other portion of the set of fill-in messages in the social network according to a schedule based on the conversational cadence of the user to create the appearance of no reduction in the conversational cadence.

14. The method of claim 13 , further comprising discontinuing transmission of the other portion of the set of fill-in messages in response to one of detecting return of the user to the social network or detecting another action by the user.

15. A method for maintaining conversational cadence, comprising:

determining, by a processor, a conversational cadence associated with a user in a social network, wherein the conversational cadence is determined based on statistics related to a plurality of messages previously transmitted by the user;

detecting, by the processor, a reduction in the conversational cadence of the user, wherein detecting the reduction in the conversational cadence of the user comprises at least one of detecting a reduction in an average number of messages transmitted by the user over a preset time period during a selected time duration being less than a predetermined limit and detecting an absence of messages from the user for more than a predetermined time period;

providing, by the processor, in response to detecting the reduction in the conversational cadence of the user, a set of fill-in messages to a communications device of another user in the social network that creates an appearance to the other user in the social network of no reduction in the conversational cadence, wherein providing the set of fill-in messages comprises retroactively automatically distributing a portion of the set of fill-in messages to the other user over at least an earlier preset time period corresponding to when the reduction in the conversational cadence occurs, wherein the portion of the set of fill-in messages are retroactively automatically distributed over the earlier preset time period that corresponds to the reduction in conversational cadence of the user by automatically predating the set of fill-in messages by the processor to correlate with the conversational cadence associated with the user and each message of the portion of the set of fill-in messages indicating a time separation that correlates to the conversational cadence associated with the user; and

identifying the fill-in messages as being provided by a system on behalf of the user by including an indication or obvious notification in the fill-in messages that the fill-in messages are provided by a system or machine and not the actual user.

16. The method of claim 15 , further comprising:

determining a schedule for transmission of another portion of the set of fill-in messages based on the conversational cadence of the user; and

transmitting the other portion of the set of fill-in messages in the social network according to a schedule based on the conversational cadence of the user to create the appearance of no reduction in the conversational cadence.