Mikey did a post about how IM is overtaking email as the communication medium of the internet. Last year I did a big long post about IM, but not about how I use it really. Back then I had 281 people on my list, and at last count I have 326, so it’s obviously growing for me.
A web developer recently told me that his organization blocked IM, so that he couldn’t use it. I couldn’t imagine being a web developer and not being able to collaborate with other people in real time. Or having any job in which you work online.
People hear how many people I have on my list, and assume I must spend ALL my time chatting. but I really don’t. Maybe 10 conversations per day, and they’re either short, or so drawn out that it doesn’t matter that there’s no communication for an hour or so.
My wife stays on all day, and we stay in almost constant communication. I don’t mean we’re talking all the time, I just mean it’s more like we’re both in the same room, and CAN talk to the other when needs be.
I have more to think about in this regard, but not the time to post it.
Not that I know many people who use it regularly but Skype can work arround port methods of content control, because it operates as a p2p connection. You have the ablility to choose what port you are using for incoming and change that port number to what every you want.
~jlb~