For me, it started out in the journaling world, back when the word “weblogs” were more common than the shortened “blogs”. The social nature of online confessional writing intrigued me. I was able to connect with strangers as we shared stories and secrets, which provided a strong sense of identity. I detailed my day, my feelings, my thoughts. I also connected with others’ writings & profiles and joined special-interest groups.

It’s not that different today, but I’m no longer a great content producer. No more lengthy journal formats. I’ve become more of a micro-blogger, a Facebook-status or Twitter 140-character writer. Other social aspects I crave are neatly packaged in Facebook — the maintenance of online identity, the browsing of others’ profiles, the messaging. And yet that’s not enough. Add Livejournal, CouchSurfing, LinkedIn and that’s at least 5 active social networking accounts I maintain. Top that off with the more direct channel: AIM/G-chat, e-mail, call/text, and that’s at least 8 ways to communicate.

At some point, I’ve realized I’ve become overloaded. Sure it’s easy to reach someone, but how meaningful is that one Facebook wall post as opposed to a phone call? Welcome to Communication 2.0.