> > > 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 run an internal Jabber server which all employees log into. This eliminates the reliance on an outside server (AOL/Yahoo/etc) as well as the security concerns of same outside servers. Of course it's still cleartext over TCP, so it's not 100% secure but it's localized traffic. We find it invaluable especially since our department has become geographically diverse. To be able to pop "Can you look at TT#XYZ?" vs an email or phone call is quite nice. -Scott > > -- Scott Call Router Geek, ATGi, home of $6.95 Prime Rib "...Everything's going to be just great again!"