Abstract: A method is proposed for exchanging messages among users of computers. The method includes the steps on the computer (100) of each user of: activating a window (225), the active window having a frame (305) and a workspace (310) within the frame, receiving messages in succession from the computers of other users, and displaying a conversation element (230) including an indication of a focused one of the received messages, wherein the conversation element is displayed in correspondence of the frame of the active window.

Abstract: A method for sending messages in a data processing system (100) includes the steps of: providing a plurality of emotion images (240) each one including a digital graphic representation of an emotional state, the emotion images being partitioned into a plurality of categories, providing a plurality of category images (230) each one including a digital graphic representation of an emotional category, displaying at least part of the category images (225), selecting one of the displayed category images (230s), displaying at least part of the emotion images associated with the selected category image (235), selecting one of the displayed emotion images (240s), and inserting the selected emotion image into a new message (215).

Abstract: An embodiment of a method for searching users in a distributed data processing system is proposed. The system includes a plurality of messaging servers each one for providing a corresponding messaging service and a plurality of clients each one for exploiting at least one of the messaging services.

Abstract: A method of managing a messaging service is proposed for use in a data processing system with distributed architecture including at least one server computer and a plurality of client computers, the service being provided by the at least one server computer for a plurality of users each one associated with a corresponding client computer, wherein the method includes the steps for each user of: providing personal information of the user to the at least one server computer, determining, under the control of the at least one server computer and for each other user, an affinity value indicating a level of affinity of the user with the other user according to a comparison between the personal information of the user and the personal information of the other user, transmitting each affinity value from the at least one server computer to the client computer of the user, and providing an indication of each affinity value to the user by means of the corresponding client computer.