5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the system including a personal portfolio for one of the users, the portfolio containing the ticker symbol, the portfolio concurrently displaying with a secure link for direct entry into a trading house system in order to place an order for the financial instrument, the trading house executing the placed order, the one of the users selecting extent of the portfolio data sharing with other system users.
1. A method comprising: maintaining a computerized social networking system having a plurality of users including a first user and a second user; within the system: facilitating receipt of a social networking message from the first user for communication to at least the second user, the message containing a ticker symbol as input by the first user; automatically converting the ticker symbol within the message into a hyperlink; causing to display the communicated message to at least the first user and the second user, the hyperlink appearing as the ticker symbol within the displayed message, the hyperlink operative to initiate a synoptic display of financial data for a financial instrument corresponding to the ticker symbol, the synoptic display is internal to the system.