We've just started using 37signals Campfire collaboration software for a client. They wanted a private chatroom where a group of individuals could have online discussions and upload files to share. It was a fairly corporate organisation, and so needed to be fairly straightforward - no fancy avatars or smileys are necessary. Campfire seemed to fit the bill very well, so we signed up and the discussions got going.

It's been an interesting experience. As ever with new stuff, there's good and bad points. So, how did it go?

Set-up
It's all web-based so setting up an account is easy enough. I asked some support questions by email and within 8 hours a helpful response came back. No technical skill is required.

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External link: http://campfirenow.com/

Let's assume you're using Windows XP, and, like us monkeys at Pinkeye Graphics, you also use Googlemail or Gmail for email.

If so, you might well want to have a convenient shortcut to Gmail on your desktop - you know, just like the one that used to go to Outlook Express, all those years ago? In fact, for those changing over to Gmail from Outlook or a similar POP email client, having an email icon in the quick launch bar is a nice bit of comfort. Even if it just opens up a browser it still retains some of that offline look and feel which is reassuring and easy to use.

Find out below how to make this happen in a few brief clicks of the mouse.

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This really annoys me. When installing a new program, you get language options. The default is always something called "US English". Well, clearly that isn't me. So invariably I take the trouble to change the default to the only other English option: something called "International English".

International English? I'm not sure what that is. Nobody would ever describe themselves as an International English speaker - I certainly don't. The word 'international' is actually being used here as a euphemism for 'foreign'. US English is foreign to me, but I wouldn't be inconsiderate enough to make any US English-speakers describe themselves as foreign.

Perhaps we should just call International English 'English'. And make it the default. If anyone wants to specify a country they're welcome to do so, but if not, just leave it plain and unqualified.

I've used Copernic Desktop Search for years at home as my local search tool of choice. It's always done well, and has the killer feature that it will search network drives, so my little NAS under the desk, where most of my letters and family snapshots live, can also be indexed. Fantastic.

But then - along comes Copernic Desktop Search 3. A free downloadable update, and like a mug I just downloaded it.

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External link: http://www.copernic.com/en/products/desktop-search/cds-compare.html

VRML, Virtual Reality Markup Language (or Virtual Reality Modelling Language, if you prefer), is a veritable format which enjoyed a brief period of popularity in the 1990s. Rather like video telephony, it turned out that just because something was technically possible, it didn't mean that people actually wanted to use it. But the format persists, although largely superseded by other, only slightly more popular formats.

Still, whilst dusting off my disco glitter flares I finally found a use for VRML, when I discovered Virtual Insects, a website last updated in 1999, featuring VRML insects, and a spider!

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External link: http://www.mediamachines.com/developer.php