Multi-community instant messaging system and device

摘要

This relates to a mobile instant messaging device for communicating instant messages with different instant messaging communities. The device includes a display that displays community-specific icons, each icon specifying a different one of the instant messaging communities. A database stores characteristics of each of the communities. An instant messaging application is configured to communicate instant messages, with a member of the community of any of the icons selected by a user of the device, in conformity with the characteristics stored in the database for that community.