There's an interesting article about use/abuse of email in the NY Times today:
I Freed Myself From E-Mail’s GripFWIW, I think ECF is doing it's
part on this problem, by providing multiple ways for Eclipse users to easily, cheaply, and openly communicate and collaborate.
Also, for those interested, there is a longstanding proposal to add an
XMPP server at Eclipse Foundation in order to help teams build and maintain community.