At woboq here we are both using IRC with an IRC channel for the two of us. As IRC client we use Quassel which is an IRC client that keeps you connected on IRC a

At woboq here we are both using IRC with an IRC channel for the two of us. As IRC client we use Quassel which is an IRC client that keeps you connected on IRC and you can attach/detach from it. This means you never lose any message and can read the backlog. We also use a private Wiki together if some information needs to be more persistant than a chat log. This worked well for the periods when we are not in one office (the periods had a maximum length of 3 weeks so far). It also helps to have this when working at the same place: You can keep distractions low by just writing what you want instead of always using real verbal communication.