It's time to let your fingers do the talking. He uses ICQ, which notifies him when other, specified users are online and lets him communicate instantly with them. You can summon a person quickly. Lots of people use real-time chat for formal, structured conversations. Gallagher prefers impromptu sessions.
People can refine their thoughts online rather than announce ideas to everyone.
But this isn't just passing notes behind the teacher's back. I also use it to communicate with people on the other side of the table. Recently, for example, Gallagher was discussing technical details during a conference call with a business partner. Engineers for the other company were reluctant to reveal a sensitive piece of information. Thanks to ICQ, Gallagher noticed that the head of the company was online.