Ephemeral gallery of ephemeral messages with opt-in permanence

Abstract

A server has a processor and a memory storing instructions executed by the processor to maintain an ephemeral gallery of ephemeral messages, where each ephemeral message is a photograph or a video. An ephemeral message is posted to the ephemeral gallery. The ephemeral message has an associated message duration parameter and a gallery participation parameter. An ephemeral message is removed from the ephemeral gallery in response to the identification of an expired gallery participation parameter. The ephemeral gallery is eliminated upon expiration of either a gallery timer or upon expiration of the gallery participation parameter of a last message posted to the ephemeral gallery. The ephemeral gallery is preserved in response to a gesture applied to an indicium to save the ephemeral gallery to produce a preserved gallery.

1 - 20 . (canceled) 
     
     
         21 . A system comprising:
 one or more computer processor devices; and   memory storing instructions that, when executed by the one or more computer processor devices, configure the one or more computer processor devices to perform operations comprising:
 maintaining at a server system for an online messaging service a plurality of composite stories, each of which comprises a respective set of ephemeral messages, each composite story being viewable online by, responsive to a view request from a requesting device, causing automated display on the requesting device of the respective set of ephemeral messages non-synchronously one after another in sequence on the requesting device; 
 associating with each ephemeral message a respective predefined message expiry time at which that ephemeral message is automatically made unavailable for viewing as part of its associated composite story; 
 associating with each composite story a story expiry time at which that composite story is automatically to be made unavailable for online viewing by followers in the online messaging service of a creator user of the associated composite story; 
 causing display, on a user device associated with the creator user of a particular one of the plurality of composite stories, of a user interface that includes a selective preservation mechanism that enables receipt of user input to command selective preservation of at least one ephemeral message from the particular composite story; 
 receiving via the selective preservation mechanism user input that selects one or more ephemeral messages in the particular composite story for preservation; and 
 responsive to the user input, at the server system, permanently preserving each selected message for access via the online messaging service, each preserved message thus being available to the followers of the associated creator user beyond the associated message expiry time. 
   
     
     
         22 . The system of  claim 21 , wherein the user input indicates selection of the particular composite story, and wherein the instructions configure the one or more computer processor devices to, responsive to the user input selecting the particular composite story, preserve the set of ephemeral messages of the particular composite story. 
     
     
         23 . The system of  claim 22 , wherein the instructions configure the one or more computer processor devices such that the selective preservation mechanism includes a save indicium associated with the particular composite story, reception of the user input for preservation of the particular composite story being responsive to user-selection of the respective save indicium of the particular composite story. 
     
     
         24 . The system of  claim 22 , wherein the instructions configure the one or more computer processor devices such that preserving the set of ephemeral messages comprises preserving the particular composite story in its original form. 
     
     
         25 . The system of  claim 22 , wherein the instructions configure the one or more computer processor devices to perform further operations comprising:
 allowing editing of the particular composite story subsequent to its selection for preservation; and
 responsive to receiving user edits to the particular composite story to produce an edited form of the particular composite story, preserving the particular composite story in its edited form. 
   
     
     
         26 . The system of  claim 22 , wherein the user input indicates selection for preservation of an individual one of the set of ephemeral messages of the particular composite story. 
     
     
         27 . The system of  claim 21 , wherein the instructions configure the one or more computer processor devices such that the selective preservation mechanism includes a respective save indicium associated with at least one ephemeral message displayed in the user interface, reception of the user input for preservation of a particular ephemeral message being responsive to user-selection of the respective save indicium of the selected message. 
     
     
         28 . A method comprising:
 maintaining at a server system for an online messaging service a plurality of composite stories, each of which comprises a respective set of ephemeral messages, each composite story being viewable online by, responsive to a view request from a requesting device, causing automated display on the requesting device of the respective set of ephemeral messages non-synchronously one after another in sequence on the requesting device;   associating with each ephemeral message a respective predefined message expiry time at which that ephemeral message is automatically made unavailable for viewing as part of its associated composite story;   associating with each composite story a story expiry time at which that composite story is automatically to be made unavailable for online viewing by followers in the online messaging service of a creator user of the associated composite story;   causing display, on a user device associated with the creator user of a particular one of the plurality of composite stories, of a user interface that includes a selective preservation mechanism that enables receipt of user input to command selective preservation of at least one ephemeral message from the particular composite story;   receiving via the selective preservation mechanism user input that selects one or more ephemeral messages in the particular composite story for preservation; and   responsive to the user input, at the server system, permanently preserving each selected message for access via the online messaging service, each preserved message thus being available to the followers of the associated creator user beyond the associated message expiry time.   
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 28 , wherein:
 the user input indicates selection of the particular composite story; and   wherein, responsive to the user input selecting the particular composite story, preserving the set of ephemeral messages of the particular composite story.   
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 29 , wherein:
 the selective preservation mechanism includes a save indicium associated with the particular composite story; and   wherein reception of the user input for preservation of the particular composite story is responsive to user-selection of the respective save indicium of the particular composite story.   
     
     
         31 . The method of  claim 29 , wherein preserving the set of ephemeral messages comprises preserving the particular composite story in its original form. 
     
     
         32 . The method of  claim 29 , further comprising:
 allowing editing of the particular composite story subsequent to its selection for preservation; and   responsive to receiving user edits to the particular composite story to produce an edited form of the particular composite story, preserving the particular composite story in its edited form.   
     
     
         33 . The method of  claim 29 , wherein the user input indicates selection for preservation of an individual one of the set of ephemeral messages of the particular composite story. 
     
     
         34 . The method of  claim 28 , wherein:
 the selective preservation mechanism includes a respective save indicium associated with at least one ephemeral message displayed in the user interface; and   wherein reception of the user input for preservation of a particular ephemeral message is responsive to user-selection of the respective save indicium of the selected message.   
     
     
         35 . A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having stored thereon instructions that, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to perform operations comprising:
 maintaining at a server system for an online messaging service a plurality of composite stories, each of which comprises a respective set of ephemeral messages, each composite story being viewable online by, responsive to a view request from a requesting device, causing automated display on the requesting device of the respective set of ephemeral messages non-synchronously one after another in sequence on the requesting device;   associating with each ephemeral message a respective predefined message expiry time at which that ephemeral message is automatically made unavailable for viewing as part of its associated composite story;   associating with each composite story a story expiry time at which that composite story is automatically to be made unavailable for online viewing by followers in the online messaging service of a creator user of the associated composite story;   causing display, on a user device associated with the creator user of a particular one of the plurality of composite stories, of a user interface that includes a selective preservation mechanism that enables receipt of user input to command selective preservation of at least one ephemeral message from the particular composite story;   receiving via the selective preservation mechanism user input that selects one or more ephemeral messages in the particular composite story for preservation; and   responsive to the user input, at the server system, permanently preserving each selected message for access via the online messaging service, each preserved message thus being available to the followers of the associated creator user beyond the associated message expiry time.   
     
     
         36 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 35 , wherein:
 the user input indicates selection of the particular composite story; and   wherein, responsive to the user input selecting the particular composite story, preserving the set of ephemeral messages of the particular composite story.   
     
     
         37 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 36 , wherein:
 the selective preservation mechanism includes a save indicium associated with the particular composite story; and   wherein reception of the user input for preservation of the particular composite story is responsive to user-selection of the respective save indicium of the particular composite story.   
     
     
         38 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 36 , wherein the instructions further configure the computer to:
 allow editing of the particular composite story subsequent to its selection for preservation; and   responsive to receiving user edits to the particular composite story to produce an edited form of the particular composite story, preserve the particular composite story in its edited form.   
     
     
         39 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 36 , wherein the user input indicates selection for preservation of an individual one of the set of ephemeral messages of the particular composite story. 
     
     
         40 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 35 , wherein:
 the selective preservation mechanism includes a respective save indicium associated with at least one ephemeral message displayed in the user interface; and   wherein reception of the user input for preservation of a particular ephemeral message is responsive to user-selection of the respective save indicium of the selected message.