A blog about blogging...

I was thinking about how we've change our form of communication over the years. Think back to the pre-home PC era. Paper letters were mailed, phone calls were made and people got together in person. Then came the home PC before the Internet was all the rage. Letters were typed and printed, phone calls were made and people got together in person. Then dial-up became popular for people with computers who knew other people with computers. Emails were sent, fewer phone calls were made and people got together in person less often. Now it seems almost everyone has Internet connectivity- even my grandfather. Emails and instant messages take the place of phone calls, and frequently in-person encounters as well.

But it doesn't stop there. Look at blogs as the next evolution. Rather than send email upon email to eager friends and family about my well being, I can refer them to my blog. Here, they can catch up on whatever is on my mind. Those who know me read my blogs as if I'm talking or reading to them using their inner narrative. That inner narrative can take the place of a phone call or delay the need for a personal visit. And it's thousands of people doing this, not just me. A friend, Rachel Clark, recently started her blog to document her trip to Boston. Here, she can update all of her friends and family with the same information simultaneously.

So, has blogging replaced emails? What was once thought of as a cold, impersonal form of communication now seems warmer. At least an email sent to me is addressed to me and customized based on previous correspondance. Blogs are like newsletters about someone's life. They are easy to produce and update, but don't connect with the reader.