Abstract: A process for managing an instant messaging or chat room session provides an automated real-time status of the activity of a participant currently disengaged from the messaging session. Throughout the messaging session, the status a participant is continuously determined, and a status indicator indicating the current action of the participant is sent to the other participant. The instant messaging application, other system applications and all interconnected hardware are monitored for user activity. Detected user activity is interpreted into a status indicator, which is transmitted to the other participant and displayed on the recipient's computer in a preferred format.

Abstract: When the number of characters typed in an instant message window reaches a preset length parameter, the partially typed message is automatically sent to the message recipient with an ellipsis appended to the end of the partial message to inform the message recipient they have received only a portion of the message. While the partial message is transmitted, the message sender continues to type the message without interruption, and if the number of characters input into the message window since the last transmission reaches the preset length parameter, the latest partially typed message is automatically transmitted. The process repeats as the message sender continues to type the message, causing portions of the message to be automatically transmitted to the recipient during the composition process, until the sender selects send and the entire composed message, comprising a concatenation of all transmitted partial messages and any remaining typed characters, is sent to the recipient.