A real-time computer chat or discussion system includes a social
accounting system that persistently maintains summary information
regarding user participation in the chat system and displays the
information at user computers as a social accounting pane. In one
implementation, the social accounting pane is rendered simultaneously
adjacent a discussion message pane in which discussion messages are
rendered. The social accounting pane displays identifying information
about each member of a discussion such as, for example, a user name and
an email address. Members currently involved in or logged into the
discussion are indicated with an attendance field. An entered field and
an exit field indicate when each member last entered the discussion and,
if not present, when the member last exited the discussion. The social
accounting pane may also list a session field indicating the number of
sessions or times each member has entered the discussion. Thread,
question, answer and comment fields may indicate the numbers of thread,
question, answer and comment messages the member has posted.