" . . . a serious flaw . . . "

An old friend of mine recently started reading the blog on a regular basis. When I started blogging, I didn't think it would work as an old friend re-collection system, but that's not the first time it's happened. Anyway, Brian sent me the following email, which I found quite thought-provoking:

I've discovered a serious flaw in the whole "blogging" concept.
(No, really.)

Perhaps it only affects a small enough portion of the population that nothing will ever be done, but . . .

Whenever my brain goes "I wonder what Nicholas is up to?", I get the feeling that we've just recently spoken (/e-mailed/whatever) and this week I realized why . . . I've been reading your damn blog. (I use the term advisedly. The first time I checked it out — a couple of weeks ago — I started clicking on interesting links. The next thing I knew it was 3 AM and NOT when I had planned on going to bed. ;-) )

Anyway, Quotulatiousness is my current home page for Mozilla, which means you've been dropping random comments into my sphere whether you're aware of it or not. Hence the disconnect w.r.t. feeling like we've talked recently.

It's actually quite odd. It's given me lots to think about regarding the anthropological aspects of blogging. (I've always been intrigued by the effects of technology, especially the internet and web, on society/community/communication.)

Anyone else find this happening? I suspect that a lot of fractured conversations happen among active bloggers: instead of responding to a post on your blog, the blogger posts something on his or her own blog instead . . . which may or may not come to the attention of the original poster.

This comment is from a later email:

I spend a lot of time considering how socialization among young people (especially, but not only) has changed as a result of technology. Everything from IM, to cell phones, to text messaging. Watching my kids, comparing it to others', remembering my own experiences. Fascinating contrasts.

The thing about younger folks is seeing what they take for granted or assume as a minimum of acceptable connectedness. It reminds me of a comedian I saw a few months ago on TV: "I remember when the telephone was ON A WALL, in the KITCHEN, with a cord >THAT< long. And if it rang after 11? Oh my god, Nana's dead!"