I am afraid I don't do Twitter! I have not got into that yet and I am not sure I will. I still enjoy visiting blogs but I have noticed that a lot have been shutting down lately! I guess everyone is moving on to better things. I myself don't like a lot of change, to stuck in the old ways. I guess I will stick with blogging a while longer. I also don't have an iPhone and don't do well with cell phone, I guess I am techno chalanged.

That's the great thing about the internet and pages like twitter and facebook, you can stay in touch with just a few minutes work, even if its just a tweets worth. I have not joined twitter yet, as of right now im hooked on facebook, and i've already friended you there so i can keep up with your wonderful writing there.
so its never goodbye, just till later.
It's been nice getting to know you, (anyone else her julie andrews??) sorry, couldnt help myself.
So until later......
jody

Hi Diana,
I'm not on Facebook and I don't Twitter, but I'm sure I'll be seeing you around somewhere.

I'll never understand the pull of Twitter, but I'm totally addicted to Facebook! I'll come find you. Good luck with your future projects!

As long as there is the internet, there will always be a way to keep in touch. Of course, they also make phones, and writing conferences, and the like. ;)

But, just to share my two cents on blogging -- it's not so much going away, as it is evolving. I've seen this over and over as online venues have changed in the 20 years I have been online, and it will happen again -- Twitter and FB are popular now, but they won't be hot forever. Something else will evolve out of them, eventually. eHarlequin and messageboards have flickered in and out of existence for years, I think because they tend to attract a group and form a certain community, but no doubt corporate sponsored messageboards like eHarl will have much more stability than a private one, IMO.

Blogging is much the same. It started out as a lot of people saying not much, and then it took on a new life as more people with things to say -- about entertainment, various industries, etc -- started chiming in. Now, it's moving to the next level, becoming more professionalized and formalized -- basically, the best bloggers are experts in their fields, and people want to hear what they have to say. They are being subsumed by publications, corporations, marketing firms, etc and paid to do their blogs. I know this because when I put on my freelance editing hat M-F, half of what I edit are professional trade blogs. These guys get paid to write their blogs (and paid very nicely, as well) because of their expertise. Sites like the Examiner pubs are taking this to the next level as well, publishing content from what are essentially local bloggers (also paid). I think it's a natural evolution, and that as you find more professional blogs, the more amateur and non-corporate blogs will probably fall by the wayside.

Now, here, we are professionals, and we do have things to say about the publishing industry, but that wasn't what our blog was about, and we weren't being paid for that opinion. ;) However, we met people, networked, promoted, all as side effects of just having fun and talking with friends -- not so shabby. :) I enjoyed it, for the time I've done it, and it had many, many benefits other than money, but the hundreds of hours I've put into it really do have to go to other things now, including the work I'm paid to do. I think this is probably true for a lot of bloggers.

Personally, I think blogging has some huge benefits over Twitter or Facebook -- we can have real sustained conversations here that we can't there. But that's also why we have email. I certainly wouldn't want Twitter or FB, as much as I enjoy them, to become the limit of my contact with people, because it's too public, and too limited (interesting opposition).

Blogging may never go away completely -- messageboards, online environments like MOOs and MUDS, etc and even IM, chatspaces, etc - are still out there, but the big wave of online communication is always moving, and it will be interesting to see what comes in the next phase.

Sam

About a year ago I finally joined FB. I have really enjoyed that - mostly catching up with people I wouldn't otherwise. Extended family around the world and college & high school friends most specifically.

I have not yet seen light in regards to Twitter, LOL. One major social networking site is more than enough for me. For now....I'm sure someday I'll move up to the next thing. What will come after Twitter, I wonder??

Hi, Diana! So blogging is the old way now? Yikes! I'm finally on Facebook, but don't Twitter (yet--I shouldn't rule it out completely!) I still enjoy hanging out with authors at blogs, although it's true that the energy there varies :) I do admit that it's a rare occasion when I pick up a pen and paper to KIT* these days (*Keep In Touch--was I the only one to sign yearbooks this way? ;)) "See" you around!!