We tried a few thing (I work for a company that is its self small but spans the globe). So what has survived is what has worked.

We had a go with Google docs, but that did not take off because it had everything we needed but the thing we really needed – which was a structure and search engine. So, we got one of our suppliers to set up a private instance of Media Wiki (Wikipedia’s engine). I so wish that had been my idea – because it SO WORKED. Now all our technical insource and outsource documentation is going that way.

IM wise, we have use a lot of Skype/txt but not much Skye calling. The calling works fine until you have people from different continents on the same call, then it all falls appart.

When we don’t have everyone on Skype – my little web IM system ‘insta-chat’ works fine. I don’t run the server 24/7 any more because of the phone bills :( – but it works just fine when I do.

Then it is email. Which has been a pain in the posterior for me until I finally got around to using the Evolution/Exchange connector. Now my Evolution on Ubuntu acts as a concentrator for all my email.

As I say – the reason I think it is worth saying all this is that these solutions have won over the alternatives in the school of hard kicks.

Man – oh – man – please keep up the hard work, I just love your questions :)

AJ

nice list on digital channels. But you missed out on a very important one: face2face! Talking to people is often the most impressing way of communicating. It works best in small groups obviously.
But it may be suitable for bigger ones. We are based in London and have our office around the corner of speakers corner at Hyde Park. You can still reach a pretty big croud there just by taking a megaphone stepping on a small stage and bring across your message. Or think about live-earth or things like that.
Yeah, your topic is about digital relationships (though you have put paper as well), but talking can be combined very efficiently with blogging, or writing in forums. We have a nice open office (no cubicle-style things) and if you see sth interesting on a blog you just shout over to everybody, or if you want s.o. to respond or comment or if you have a question… easy.

Apart from that a great post. And fun reading as well. Thanks and cheers

Mario

First off through Social networks , Twitter and Facebook I am able to communicate with the likes of yourself or Robert Scoble without having to have their email address. Its a great access and firewall mechanism for each other.

Then I have found my clients use Skype to drop in quick questions and notifications into chat.

Email for many has become the notification mechanism between me and my suppliers

I find twitter and facebook are where I am having conversations.

The conversations can now have context which email has divested them of.