1. A method for presenting hierarchical categorized directory information via a plurality of arranged visual elements on a computer-enabled user interface, wherein visual elements represent directory system entities and the arrangement of elements represents the interrelationships of the corresponding directory system entities, the method comprising: displaying a plurality of elements representing one or more directory system entities in a first area using a first thread; receiving a user selection of a plurality of the displayed elements; retrieving data associated with the selected displayed elements to be displayed in a second area different from the first area, by using at least a second thread, the display of the data associated with the selected displayed elements being performed independently so that others of the displayed plurality of arranged visual elements remain responsive to user interaction and initiation of further data retrieval while the data associated with the selected displayed elements is being retrieved; displaying status information of the retrieving to a user while the data is being retrieved, the status information including either displaying an incomplete tree having a placeholder as a node in the tree in the first area or displaying a written status message in the second area indicating a status of the retrieving; and associating respective priorities with the retrieving of the selected displayed elements, wherein the associating respective priorities includes assigning a highest priority to a last-selected one of the selected displayed elements and boosting the priority of one of the selected displayed elements in response to an implicit request to boost the priority, the implicit request to boost the priority including selecting the last-selected one of the selected displayed elements.