Method and system for exchanging messages among established contacts

Abstract

Techniques for exchanging messages among established contacts are disclosed. Through a server or system, a registered user can post messages from his/her cellular phones or personal data assistants as a mobile blog. Depending on preference set by the user, the messages may be posted privately or publically. When the messages are private, the user can use the messages to create his/her journal. When the messages are public, the user allows his established contacts to comment on the messages originated by the user to create a message exchanging environment among the contacts, where the contacts are already established with the user.

I claim: 
     
         1 . A method for exchanging messages among established contacts using cellular phones, the method comprising:
 receiving in a server a message from a cellular phone associated with a user, the message transported to the server using an identifier of the server, wherein the identifier is not an email address;   determining whether the user desires to post the message publicly or privately;   when the user desires to post the message publicly,
 publishing the message to a group of contacts, wherein the user has already established an electronic link with each of the contacts; 
 allowing each of the users to comment on the message; and 
 forwarding any comments from the each of the users to the user so that the user knows how many comments have been received on the message originally posted by the user; 
   when the user desires to post the message privately,
 creating a private journal including the message, wherein the private journal is only visible by the user and annotated further by the user. 
   
     
     
         2 . The method as recited in  claim 1 , wherein said publishing the message to a group of contacts comprises pushing the message to a group of cellular phones respectively associated with the contacts. 
     
     
         3 . The method as recited in  claim 2 , wherein said pushing the message to a group of cellular phones is performed by the server based on respective identifiers of accounts associated with the contacts. 
     
     
         4 . The method as recited in  claim 3 , wherein each of the identifiers is not an email address. 
     
     
         5 . The method as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the message records a time when the message is created. 
     
     
         6 . The method as recited in  claim 5 , wherein the message records a place where the message is created. 
     
     
         7 . The method as recited in  claim 1 , further comprising: causing the cellular phone to display a list of the contacts, at least one of the contacts is shown to be associated with a photo or a cartoon figure, and a brief indicator, wherein the brief indicator includes a name or a nickname of the one of the contacts. 
     
     
         8 . The method as recited in  claim 1 , further comprising sending by the server an invitation to each of the contacts to establish the electronic link with the user. 
     
     
         9 . The method as recited in  claim 8 , further comprising providing an interface by the server to allow the user to determine whether the message is posted publicly or privately.