16. A system comprising: a computer processor; and an application configured to execute on the processor, the application implementing a method, the method comprising: maintaining a social networking service having a plurality of users including a first user and a second user; within the service: 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 service.
16. A system comprising: a computer processor; and an application configured to execute on the processor, the application implementing a method, the method comprising: maintaining a social networking service having a plurality of users including a first user and a second user; within the service: 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 service. 17. The system of claim 16 , wherein the message is selected from the group consisting of an intra-service chat message, an intra-service forum post message and an intra-service mail message.