My Virtual Life

I've been wondering lately about the boom and success of blogging, social networking and Twitter.

I love it all.

I use my Google Reader almost to a fault (there's no human way I could read all the posts I am subscribed to daily), I blog and Twitter myself and I've had a Facebook account since my second year of college.

What's the deal?

Flapjack Sally directed me to an interesting article by poet Kenneth Goldsmith from 2005 in which he wonders "if it doesn't exist on the internet, it doesn't exist".

It is our obligation as educators and intellectuals to make sure that the bulk of our production ends up there, preferably with free and unfettered access to all.

EFH and I had a conversation when her friend started a blog about the novels on the Modern Library Top 100 List. As EFH said, it's important because Widmerpool is essentially performing a public service. And EB had the same sentiment about my movie review because, as she said, it might be useful to someone one day.

But what about the oversharing of our day to day? Many blogs I read are incredibly informative and make me feel smarter for having read them, but others just feed egos. Twitter is a perfect example of that in most of its existence.

So what are the benefits? Or, more importantly who benefits?

For celebrities, I think the answer is simple. Fans are allowed a few moments of insight into the behind-the-scenes of a movie or studio recording session (or home life!) and it makes them feel closer to the process, therefore more likely to see the film or buy the album.

So, for a company, it's the same kind of thing: if customers or clients have access to inner workings they feel closer to the company and therefore more loyal.

It's all about honesty and bringing us one step closer. It's so easy to feel anonymous and the world of social networking and blogging connects worlds.

And, of course, there's just the curiosity and voyeurism of it all. We get a free view into someone else's life.

But it's working really well.

Any ideas?