John A. Walsh wrote:
>>
>> I suggest that we try some of these things in a small group and report
>> our findings to the list.
>>
>> I will volunteer to be part of this and suggest that we collect
>> another two or three (including sb from the US) and start discuss
>> things among this group.
> 
> 
> I have an iSight (video camera) and various IM accounts (ICQ, AIM,  
> Yahoo, iChat), so I'd be happy to be part of the test group.

I too use instant messaging (Aim/Yahoo/MSN/Jabber/etc.) and IRC on a daily basis.

As the most mature of these protocols could I suggest IRC.  The client I use (Linux/Windows) is Gaim  (gaim.sourceforge.net) since it is a multi-protocol client and talks to all of these and more.   But there are IRC clients for almost every operating system...

When I'm online at the moment I tend to sit in a channel #dm-exec on the irc.freenode.net server for my work with digital medievalist.  However I've just created a channel #tei-c and will simultaneously sit in that channel any time I'm online. (I'm set to auto-join, so no more difficult...Of course that is just in case anyone wants to chat, we would arrange a time if actually meeting ;-))  
And since I'm at a conference at the moment I really won't be online that much ths week!  

When I've suggested this before, I believe one of the objections was that it might damage Syd's wrists even more attempting to keep up.

This is my suggestion, but I'm happy to trial in whatever way people want.

Best,
-James