Social networking vs. blogging (redux)…

So, I made an oblique reference to the emergence of a "social networking vs. blogging" meme. Here’s the thing, though: I don’t think there’s anything to it. It’s fun to rip apart something that’s been over-hyped, like blogging, SecondLife, or Paris Hilton. Especially Paris Hilton. In reality, these things never go away (though I hold out hope about Paris Hilton). More specifically, these types of things never go away.

Anna Nicole Smith might be gone, but troubled starlets remain.

And while new media have come into existence throughout history, very few old media have disappeared because of the new. Yes, they compete for share – and frequently lose more often than they gain. But DVD’s and video on demand haven’t killed television (though really bad television is giving it a go). Likewise, television didn’t kill movies, movies didn’t kill theater, and theater didn’t kill telling ghost stories around a campfire. Individual media might die. But the classes of media live on. SecondLife may be doomed, but virtual worlds probably aren’t. I can’t guarantee Facebook’s survival – despite Sam Decker’s ringing endorsement – but social networking’s got legs. And individual blogs could go belly up. But I bet some of us will keep the flame for this "old" medium.