Wired ran a piece today on how Instant Messenging is gaining traction in Hollywood as a way to find work — freelancers change their IM status to reflect when they're ending a gig and are looking for new work, and hiring producers can tell at a glance who's available right in their buddy list window. It has its pitfalls, namely the difficulties in accurately conveying and interpreting tone in a "flat" text-based medium, but usage of chat at work overall is steadily increasing. I fall squarely into the IM at work category, and I love the efficiency, the searchability, and the ease with which I can multitask 10 or more conversations simultaneously. I'm also a big fan of the way IM mediates presence — my "presence" there doesn't require my full, undivided attention the way a phone call does, yet I can be instantly available for real-time discussion as needed (a clear advantage over e-mail). How many of you use IM as a regular staple in your work? What are the similarities/differences versus other forms of collaborative media? Are folks using it also as a tool to secure new work or look for potential hires or collaborators?