Displaying text conversations with contextual images

Abstract

A social networking system provides a user interface for a sending user to send messages to a recipient user in association with a content item posted by the recipient user in the social networking system. The sending user views a content item posted by the recipient user, such as a photograph. The sending user posts a direct message to the recipient user related to the content item. The direct message is displayed to the sending user superimposed over the content item. Subsequent direct messages in the conversation are also displayed superimposed over the content item.

1 . A method comprising:
 generating, by an online system, a feed for a first user, the feed comprising a content item posted by a second user;   sending, from the online system to a device of the first user, the feed for display to the first user;   receiving, by the online system, a selection of the content item by the first user through the feed;   responsive to receiving the selection of the content item by the first user, generating, by the online system, a messaging interface between the first user and the second user, the messaging interface displaying at least a portion of the posted content item;   sending the messaging interface to devices of the first and second users;   receiving, by the online system from via the messaging interface, one or more messages from at least one of the first user and the second user; and   updating the messaging interface for the first and second users to display the received messages in an active messaging thread, the active messaging thread displayed in the messaging interface to scroll over the content item.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the online system is a social networking system, and the feed is a newsfeed of content items describing actions of other users with whom the first user has established a connection in the social networking system. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the messaging interface between the first user and the second user is generated in a messaging application. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , further comprising:
 causing the device of the first user to launch the messaging application in response to receiving the selection of the content item by the first user.   
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the message and the response are direct messages viewable only by the first user and the second user. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the displayed at least a portion of the posted content item comprises a thumbnail of an image in the posted content item. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein each of the one or more messages are displayed in the messaging interface as text within a message bubble. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the message bubble is at least partially transparent over the content item. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the received messages in the active messaging thread scroll towards a boarder of the messaging interface. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the received messages in the active messaging thread become partially transparent as they scroll past a fade line in the messaging interface. 
     
     
         11 . A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium containing computer program code for:
 generating, by an online system, a feed for a first user, the feed comprising a content item posted by a second user;   sending, from the online system to a device of the first user, the feed for display to the first user;   receiving, by the online system, a selection of the content item by the first user through the feed;   responsive to receiving the selection of the content item by the first user, generating, by the online system, a messaging interface between the first user and the second user, the messaging interface displaying at least a portion of the posted content item;   sending the messaging interface to devices of the first and second users;   receiving, by the online system from via the messaging interface, one or more messages from at least one of the first user and the second user; and   updating the messaging interface for the first and second users to display the received messages in an active messaging thread, the active messaging thread displayed in the messaging interface to scroll over the content item.   
     
     
         12 . The computer program product of  claim 11 , wherein the online system is a social networking system, and the feed is a newsfeed of content items describing actions of other users with whom the first user has established a connection in the social networking system. 
     
     
         13 . The computer program product of  claim 11 , wherein the messaging interface between the first user and the second user is generated in a messaging application. 
     
     
         14 . The computer program product of  claim 13 , wherein the non-transitory computer-readable storage medium further contains computer program code for:
 causing the device of the first user to launch the messaging application in response to receiving the selection of the content item by the first user.   
     
     
         15 . The computer program product of  claim 11 , wherein the message and the response are direct messages viewable only by the first user and the second user. 
     
     
         16 . The computer program product of  claim 11 , wherein the displayed at least a portion of the posted content item comprises a thumbnail of an image in the posted content item. 
     
     
         17 . The computer program product of  claim 11 , wherein each of the one or more messages are displayed in the messaging interface as text within a message bubble. 
     
     
         18 . The computer program product of  claim 17 , wherein the message bubble is at least partially transparent over the content item. 
     
     
         19 . The computer program product of  claim 11 , wherein the received messages in the active messaging thread scroll towards a boarder of the messaging interface. 
     
     
         20 . The computer program product of  claim 11 , wherein the received messages in the active messaging thread become partially transparent as they scroll past a fade line in the messaging interface.