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Ah, Will, people have been twittering to various gods for millennia - addressing the marginalia (as you put it) of their lives to some notionally hyper-connected pixie. This is just an extension of the phenomenon. Indeed, one might argue that the non-existence of god/gods is evidenced by the fact that people are not routinely struck by lightning or hit by meteorites, as a frustrated god liquidates the irritating tweeters like we swat flies.

Splat! :-)

-H

I'm waiting for the first novel to chart a love affair from start to end using only Facebook and Twitter posts, emails etc.

As for biographers, their job will become much harder as few nowadays write letters and much information, such as photos is kept online, not in diaries, albums etc and is protected by data protection laws, user IDs etc.

Mind you, if someone's estate could give permission for a biographer to have access to data about every bank transaction, cash withdrawal, phone-call record, Internet usage etc they could track your movements, actions and thoughts for just about every-day of your life. That is a scary thought.

Fellow Gilbert and Sullivan fans must be irresistibly reminded of the following:

On a tree by a river, a little tom-tit
Sang "Willow, tit-willow, tit-willow!"
And I said to him, "Dicky-bird, why do you sit
Singing 'Willow, tit-willow, tit-willow'?"
"Is it weakness of intellect, birdie?" I cried,
"Or a rather tough worm in your little inside?"
With a shake of his poor little head, he replied,
"Oh, willow, tit-willow, tit-willow!"

He slapped at his chest, as he sat on that bough,
Singing "Willow, tit-willow, tit-willow!"
And a cold perspiration bespangled his brow,
Oh, willow, tit-willow, tit-willow!
He sobbed and he sighed, and a gurgle he gave,
Then he plunged himself into the billowy wave,
And an echo arose from the suicide's grave--
"Oh, willow, tit-willow, tit-willow!"

Now I feel just as sure as I'm sure that my name
Isn't Willow, tit-willow, tit-willow,
That 'twas blighted affection that made him exclaim
"Oh, willow, tit-willow, tit-willow!"
And if you remain callous and obdurate, I
Shall perish as he did, and you will know why,
Though I probably shall not exclaim as I die,
"Oh, willow, tit-willow, tit-willow!"

Is tit-willow anything to do with pussy-willow?

I have to say, with Twitter, who needs church anymore? Spiritual sharing is tweeted here and tweeted there, from person to person, wisdom passed along in little modern-day proverbs, just like First Century Church. It could be said that, by refusing to attend church and signing up for Twitter instead, I more closely resemble the original Christianity than either the Catholic or Protestant mainstream churches. :-)

John

I sort of want to agree with you, but... in 'cyber' land, nobody really knows anyone, and there is no one, no not one, who is actually committed to another, for no one actually has to be.