Effective daily standups for distributed teams

I've tried this a few times, and while it 'works' for some teams, it means you aren't actually talking about the user stories you are working on. If you just want to pick up from a list of documented requirements and build from them, then this will work for you. But then a question is what use do daily stand-ups actually have for you?

If you have a team how are engaged in problem solving and delivering value together then talking is key. If you need to pick the right time, place or style for that regular communication then that is perfect. But this isn't communication it, in my experience this just causes silos and means people discuss and collaborate even less.