Highly recommended is a web based service called Campfire.
Read the description below … or do what I do. Simply watch the 5-minute video demo. It’s a much more efficient use of your time.
Campfire is a web-based group chat tool that lets you set up password-protected chat rooms in just seconds. Invite a client, colleague, or vendor to chat, collaborate, and make decisions. Link to a room on your intranet for internal communications.
… Chatting, file sharing, image previewing, decision making, etc. Up to 60 people can chat at once. You can even browse previous chats by person, room, or date.
Instant messaging is great for one-on-one chats, but it’s not ideal for groups of three or more. Further, instant messaging is network dependent — if you are on AIM, and your co-worker is on MSN or Skype, you can’t instant message. Campfire is network-agnostic, optimized for groups, and only requires a web browser.
I want to try it the next time I am involved in a group project.
Rick McCharles 