Taking Chat to exotic places

Make the best of your second (or third) monitor

If you have the luxury of a second monitor, one of the best uses for your secondary monitor is to put Chat on it. This signals your brain that it is there when you need it, but not the main thing you are working on. If you do, some tips:

• Use the Chat desktop application.

• Make it as narrow as you can. After some point, it will hide the conversation list - that is too narrow.

• Set the zoom level smaller so you can see more chats. I use 80%. Chrome remembers zoom settings for each site.

Use Gmail to store distractions in one tab

I find chatting in Gmail distracting. For me, Gmail is a tool with a job, not a place to be in, so I do not want to get drawn back into it constantly.

Another way to look at the Gmail integration is that you can now package all your interactions into one window: Email, chatting and calendar (via the side panel). If your work requires shutting off noise and interruptions (for programmers or while writing proposals), this is brilliant.

Keep Chat always open, but in a corner

When I am on my laptop only, this is my setup. I still want Chat open all the time and I want it in a reliable, fixed spot that my brain can relate to. And did I tell you I love the desktop application?

• I will move Chat to the right, because it distracts me less there

• It will keep its 80% zoom.

Open multiple windows during crazy times

I do not actually do this, but maybe you will. You can open as many tabs and as many desktop clients as you like. So if you ever find yourself in a crazy huddle situation but are really not a fan of the Gmail integration, why not open a lot of separate Chat windows?

• Keep one line open to your boss

• Keep the big team room open, where all the frantic action is

• Keep another window open to jump around and respond to pings as they come in.