I’ve added a little gizmo to my right sidebar here that indicates whether or not I’m currently logged into my Skype account.
For geographically distributed teams, I see this form of instant messaging (real-time voice and/or text chat) as the equivalent of showing up at an office, hanging your coat on a rack near your workspace, and turning on the lights — all little cues to your colleagues that “I’m here. I’m around. I’m available to talk/collaborate/socialize.”
