Types of Blogging

I have noticed that more types of blogs are becoming popular. Not only do we have the traditional social blog on sites like livejournal, or all purpose blog on Blogger, but we have microblogging via Twitter and Pownce, along with photo blogging, and on the verge of becoming popular, I suspect, are blogs of the tumblelog sort. Tumblelogs can be a mix of links, pictures, and short blurbs, basically a form of microblogging that mixes in different kinds of content. The easier we make it to share our every thought, the more people do so. Mobile technologies, SMS and beyond, are increasing our mobility and connectedness. This helps us keep more weak ties. A study I read about recently showed that we have fewer close bonds than people used to. It's a popular topic of debate whether this dilution of our real life social ties network is good or bad. It may be better for networking to have a lot of contacts, but what about having close and meaningful friendships? It's been difficult for me moving to a new state for graduate school and having very little free time in which to generate new meaningful friendships with people I can be around often. While it's easier to maintain my ties over distance than it would have been pre-Facebook, I do miss my friends dearly.

I wonder if the generally more diluted nature of our social networks is also a common reason for shyness in making new deep friendships. I think for me it may be.