Abstract: A service that is capable of tracking conversations related to documents, surfaces these documents appropriately to users and enables user-friendly notification of new communications associated with the discussed documents while respecting existing user experience, security, and privacy models of the various document and communication modalities. Conversations about particular content are made available within the context of that content through user interface elements that not only provide access to various communication modes, but also present discussion context in summary or detailed versions.

Abstract: A system and method for retrieving, storing and displaying featured content. In one embodiment, featured content is queried from a database storing a list of featured content items. The featured content items stored in the database may include any type of data, such as text data, hyperlink text data, markup document data, computer code, or other types or combinations of data related to a particular topic. Responsive to the query, a set of featured content items is stored in a cache file. A predetermined number of featured content items stored in the cache file are selected and stored in a system registry. Upon receipt of a display command, featured content items are read from the system registry and displayed on an interface. The displayed featured content items can be used to display hyperlinks, announcements, or other information, without inhibiting the efficiency of the boot process of a software application.

Abstract: A user may provide feedback about content to express satisfaction or dissatisfaction with an application. Data associated with the user's location, the feedback, and the content is processed to provide a content author with information about how the content may be improved to increase customer satisfaction. The content author reviews the information and may modify the content or develop new content based on the information.

Abstract: An integrated help content viewer (user interface) is provided that gives a consistent user interface across multiple applications and that smoothly transitions between offline and online help content sources. A single client-side help content viewer is provided that is displayed over or adjacent to a given application user interface (e.g., word processor work space) for allowing a query of offline or online help content associated with a given topic. The help content viewer may be pinned to a user interface associated with a given application so that the help content viewer remains in a position above the user interface even if a user interface of a different application is launched.