Abstract: An instant messaging software architecture and method for implementing scalable and portable community-motivated communications is disclosed herein. Aspects of the invention can be used to enhance a user's instant messaging experience through the ability to involve a large number of users in a variety of different interactive environments while maintaining inter-user responsiveness. The scalability aspect of the invention utilizes scalable messaging interfaces and object oriented programming to extend user limits beyond current boundaries. The portability of this implementation and programming language also enables users of different devices such as PDAs, personal computers and mobile phones to use the same software and architecture to communicate with other users. Aspects of the invention further enable content providers to advertise, poll and otherwise interact with a large audience in a real-time instant messaging environment.