A multicast system is described in which a mechanism for suppressing feedback involves the receivers using an optimized timer function for selecting a backoff delay time before sending feedback, and canceling their feedback if in the meantime they detect that another receiver has sent a duplicate feedback message. The timer function is optimised, taking into account both the expected number of feedback messages and the extra latency which is introduced by the feedback mechanism, by minimizing an...

A communication system including a multiplicity of communications terminals connectable to a communications network for enabling users to communicate with a user not necessarily identified with a given communications terminal. The system also includes apparatus for monitoring whether the user is connected to the network, and apparatus for annunciating network connection status information relating to other users who are in a set of sought users.

An instant messaging application intelligently infers a user's unavailability from one or more indicia which include the user's electronic calendar. Preferably, the instant messaging application may report not only that a user is unavailable, but also give a reason for inferring unavailability, in order to provide other users with additional potentially useful information. Preferably, the user may specify which indicia and which parameters may be used to infer his unavailability in an editable p...

An automated agent, such as an instant message robot, is be used to facilitate introduction of a chat participant to a small group of other chat participants in a chat room. To do so, for example, a BOT may present a chat participant who desires to be introduced to a small group of chat participants in a chat room with a series of multiple-choice questions, identify a subset of chat participants based on responses to the multiple-choice questions, and provide introductions among the chat partici...

Techniques for conducting a meeting using a meeting management system are provided. A connection from a user to a connection interface is received for a meeting being offered by the meeting management system. An input is received that provides contact information for a user. The user may choose to be a virtual participant in the meeting. A meeting interface is provided during the meeting using the meeting management system where the interface includes an option to contact the user. The user is l...

An interactive, computer network based system presents consumers with multimedia brand information via a browser-based interface called the GraffitiWall.RTM.. Consumers can use the GraffitiWall.RTM. to modify and display a sponsor's brand information in any way desired, including use of avatars. Consumer modifications are immediately communicated to the other member consumers and the advertiser/sponsor. Consumers can rate the GraffitiWall.RTM., or portions thereof, and email the GraffitiWall.RTM...

The present invention is a system which allows a personal computer system to be split into a local portion and a remote portion. The local portion of the split personal computer system is located in conjunction with the TV system located at homes or hotels. The remote portion of the split personal computer system is located in a remote location and normally maintained by a network service provider. The local portion includes a television display unit, and a television accessory unit in communica...

A system for and method of sharing and executing inaccessible dynamic processes in replicated architecture networks to ensure that local activities are executed concurrently at remote workstations in a shared server-client network without the need for application modification in the system. The invention provides for sharing and executing inaccessible dynamic existing processes for replica consistency among multiple applications in the shared network. The invention provides for use at each works...

A remote conferencing system. Prior to a conference, visual images are distributed to computers of conference participants. Also, conference participants are supplied with pictures of all other participants. During the conference, one participant, a leader, periodically issues selection signals to all computers, causing them all to select one of the distributed images, and display it. In addition, the participants hold a telephone conference while viewing the images. The selection signals and th...

A method for customizing color in an email message based on cultural perspective of each recipient is provided. At least one existing color used in an email message is determined, and a domain name and/or information for each recipient of the email message is analyzed to determine a region corresponding to each recipient. A color mapping database is searched to correlate any existing color in the email to at least one approved color corresponding to each region. The existing color used in the em...