Re: How important is IM? was RE: How important is the PSTN

[deeann mikula <deeann () telerama com>]

On Tue, 25 Jun 2002, Dan Hollis wrote:

> On Tue, 25 Jun 2002, Christopher J. Wolff wrote:
> > So my question for the group is, do chat programs (IM, IRC, yahoo) serve a
> > substantial network support purpose or are they more of a distraction,
> > allowing staff to communicate with friends, relatives, drifters, interlopers
> > on company time?
>
> We find IRC and IM invaluable. Set up a private irc server behind the
> firewall, and use crypto-hard ICQ like licq. (if you use windoze you are
> probably out of luck though)

I have to second the value of a private, staff-only IRC server.  We
use IRC to communicate with each other while on the phone with
customers, clients, vendors, etc., and to communicate with offsite
workers.  We have 4 info-bots which provide up to the minute
information about our dial-up capacity, new user accounts created, and
as an interface with our "check-up" system to spew error messages to
the channel, and as an interface to qpage for staff to alpha-page
anyone.

Then there is the benefit of pasting code snippets, config file
snippet and error messages while discussing them in real time.

Our staff is chastized for not paying attention to our staff channel.
It's our primary form of office communication.  I can't imagine life
here without it.


Deeann M.M. Mikula

Director of Operations
Telerama Public Access Internet
http://www.telerama.com * 412.688.3200