Messaging Personalization

Abstract

Participants in a communication are rendered by determining whether each entry in a list of participants in the communication satisfies criteria specified by a user participating in the communication. The criteria are used to identify a first subset of participants that is to be rendered in a first style that differentiates the first subset from remaining participants in the list. The first subset of participants is formatted in the first style.

1 - 20 . (canceled) 
     
     
         21 . A method for formatting recipient identifiers in an electronic communication, the method comprising:
 identifying, by a messaging server, a subset of recipients in a list of recipients of the electronic communication based on criteria specified by a user; and   formatting recipient identifiers associated with the subset of recipients for display in a style defined by the user,   wherein the style defined by the user is different from styles used to format recipient identifiers of recipients not associated with the subset of recipients.   
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 21  wherein the criteria specified by the user indicates that team members of the user are to be included in the subset of recipients. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 21  wherein the criteria specified by the user indicates that users in a chain of command including the user are to be included in the subset of recipients. 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 21  wherein the identifying comprises:
 comparing recipient information to the criteria specified by the user, 
 wherein the recipient information is retrieved from data field entries of a directory database and the criteria specified by the user is retrieved from a central network server. 
 
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 21  wherein the user is one of the recipients in the list of recipients. 
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 21  further comprising:
 rendering recipient identifiers of the subset of recipients in the style defined by the user. 
 
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 21  wherein the electronic communication comprises one of an e-mail communication, a teleconference, and an electronic chat exchange. 
     
     
         28 . An apparatus for formatting recipient identifiers in an electronic communication, the apparatus comprising:
 a processor; and   a memory to store computer program instructions, the computer program instructions when executed on the processor cause the processor to perform operations comprising:   identifying a subset of recipients in a list of recipients of the electronic communication based on criteria specified by a user; and   formatting recipient identifiers associated with the subset of recipients for display in a style defined by the user,   wherein the style defined by the user is different from styles used to format recipient identifiers of recipients not associated with the subset of recipients.   
     
     
         29 . The apparatus of  claim 28  wherein the criteria specified by the user indicates that team members of the user are to be included in the subset of recipients. 
     
     
         30 . The apparatus of  claim 28  wherein the criteria specified by the user indicates that users in a chain of command including the user are to be included in the subset of recipients. 
     
     
         31 . The apparatus of  claim 28  wherein the identifying comprises:
 comparing recipient information to the criteria specified by the user, 
 wherein the recipient information is retrieved from data field entries of a directory database and the criteria specified by the user is retrieved from a central network server. 
 
     
     
         32 . The apparatus of  claim 28  wherein the user is one of the recipients in the list of recipients. 
     
     
         33 . The apparatus of  claim 28 , the operations further comprising:
 rendering recipient identifiers of the subset of recipients in the style defined by the user.   
     
     
         34 . The apparatus of  claim 28  wherein the electronic communication comprises one of an e-mail communication, a teleconference, and an electronic chat exchange. 
     
     
         35 . A computer readable medium storing computer program instructions for formatting recipient identifiers in an electronic communication, which, when executed on a processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:
 identifying, by a messaging server, a subset of recipients in a list of recipients of the electronic communication based on criteria specified by a user; and   formatting recipient identifiers associated with the subset of recipients for display in a style defined by the user,   wherein the style defined by the user is different from styles used to format recipient identifiers of recipients not associated with the subset of recipients.   
     
     
         36 . The computer readable medium of  claim 35  wherein the criteria specified by the user indicates that team members of the user are to be included in the subset of recipients. 
     
     
         37 . The computer readable medium of  claim 35  wherein the criteria specified by the user indicates that users in a chain of command including the user are to be included in the subset of recipients. 
     
     
         38 . The computer readable medium of  claim 35  wherein the identifying comprises:
 comparing recipient information to the criteria specified by the user, 
 wherein the recipient information is retrieved from data field entries of a directory database and the criteria specified by the user is retrieved from a central network server. 
 
     
     
         39 . The computer readable medium of  claim 35  wherein the user is one of the recipients in the list of recipients. 
     
     
         40 . The computer readable medium of  claim 35 , the operations further comprising:
 rendering recipient identifiers of the subset of recipients in the style defined by the user.