Abstract: A system and method for controlling the flow of reply messages cooperative with a multi-party Instant Messaging or chat service including a multi-party IM/chat group primary message having a text portion, a primary author indication portion, a blind-copy recipient list, wherein the blind-copy recipient list contains a plurality of recipients for the primary message; a demultiplexer for converting the primary message into a plurality of reduced multi-party messages, wherein each of the reduced multi-party messages are addressed to a sub-group of the blind-copy recipient list; a message submitter for submitting the reduced multi-party messages to an IM/chat service; a multiplexer which receives a plurality of reduced multi-party reply messages from the IM/chat service; and a reply message generator for extracting reply message text from the received reduced-party reply messages, and for generating a unitary simulated multi-party reply message containing the extracted reply message text for display to the primar

Abstract: Under the present invention, a method, system, chat interface, and program product for comparing free time between instant message chat members in order to schedule an upcoming event are provided. The method includes: storing individual calendars corresponding to each member of the chat; initiating a free time comparison; and combining the individual calendars corresponding to each member of the chat into a free time summary calendar, wherein the free time summary calendar indicates at least one of free time periods that are simultaneously available to all of the members of the chat and conflict time periods during which at least two chat members simultaneously have an event scheduled. The free time summary calendar may be viewed in day, week, and month view formats.