Abstract: A technique is described herein for providing a personalized notification to a recipient-user. In one approach, the technique involves: receiving an original message sent by a sender-user; selecting a notification type from a set of possible notification types based on at least a portion of the original message; and selecting one or more property values from one or more respective ranges of possible property values. The selected notification type and selected property value(s) define a recipient-instantiated (RI) notification. The technique then displays the RI notification on a user interface presentation of a recipient-user computing device. In one approach, the technique can randomly select the notification type and/or the property value(s). In addition, or alternatively, the technique can make these choices based on context information.

Abstract: A computer-implemented technique is described herein for receiving and responding to a message. In one manner of operation, the technique involves receiving, by a recipient-user, an original message sent by a sender-user. Assume that the sender-user explicitly formulates the original message so that it conforms to a predetermined template. That predetermined template designates a question together with one or more response options. Upon receipt, the technique involves determining whether the original message conforms to the predetermined template. If so, the technique extracts the question and the response option(s) from the original message. The technique then generates a control feature associated with each response option. The technique then displays the question on a user interface presentation of the recipient computing device together with the control feature(s). The recipient-user may respond to the question posed by the original message by selecting an appropriate control feature.

Abstract: A technique is described herein for providing a personalized notification to a recipient-user. In one approach, the technique involves: receiving an original message sent by a sender-user; selecting a notification type from a set of possible notification types based on at least a portion of the original message; and selecting one or more property values from one or more respective ranges of possible property values. The selected notification type and selected property value(s) define a recipient-instantiated (RI) notification. The technique then displays the RI notification on a user interface presentation of a recipient-user computing device. In one approach, the technique can randomly select the notification type and/or the property value(s). In addition, or alternatively, the technique can make these choices based on context information.