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.
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. 7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the system including a plurality of profiles for the users, at least one of the profiles having a snapshot visual element operative to cause display of a graphical financial performance representation of the financial instrument for a selected time period.