METHOD AND SYSTEM OF COLLABORATIVE BROWSING

A dynamic collaborative-browsing system (100) enables client programs (105a-d) connected to a computer network (120) to join and leave groups or sessions, to collaboratively browse together as a session, to communicate with other client programs (105a-d) in the session. Each client program in the session may act as a session leader, or may just follow a session leader as it browses network sites of the computer network (120). The system (100) includes client programs, executing on client computers, server software and one or more main servers. The main server (115) groups into server-defined cells. One or more client programs interact with the server software to cause the server (110a-d) to create a session, to cause the client program to connect to a network site, to notify the server software of the network site's location or URL, and to notify other client programs in the session of the network site's location or URL so that other client programs in the session become connected to the same network site. The server software facilitates the formation of client programs into sessions and allows the client programs to communicate, to connect to and view a same network site, and to perform other collaborative activities. The server software also groups sessions currently connected to network sites in a same cell, and notifies each session and the client programs of the sessions of all of the other sessions and client programs in the same cell. The server software also facilitates communication between the sessions and client programs connected to network sites in the same cell.