As I write this, snow is falling outside my window and I consider the outdoor activities of the season  shoveling (a rather distant relation to my beloved digging, at least it gets me outside) and xcountry skiing -- as mere placeholders til gardening season starts. I dip into NE Gardening on GW about every other day in the cold months. I constantly admire the cheerleaders of posting for trying to get us slugs to respond. I do read blogs, mostly garden blogs, but a few every day, and I have been doing this for years. I have favorites, and I try dipping into links to these. Some become keepers, others one would never want to visit again. A blog is an experience of one individual  when you read blogs consistently, you get to know the person (gardener) and his/her garden and style. Photos are also an integral part of blogs. I have given some thought to why I read the blogs I do, and it really comes down to how good the writing is, and mostly because I share some of the same sensibilities as the blogger. Also reading blogs allows you to follow the continuity of something. One thing that I have noticed is that all the blogs I read are in cold climates more like our own -- there is a big garden blogging community in TX, but I havenÂt been tempted to follow anyone there, or in California either. But on GW, one feels like a contributor, not an audience. And itÂs fun to see how all of us different people respond to the same topic. Sharing and gathering Info, yes, but giving commentary and experience too. Sometimes I just want to know what others more or less around here have to say about a particular thing. We are a community too IÂm not on FB (and never will be) nor on Twitter  I personally think this is more of a generational thing. At Xmas also, I saw my 20-something daughter discreetly check her Blackberry periodically. I read the New York Times every day but in my department at work it is only us fifty-somethings who actually read the paper version. My assistant, like my daughter, both read it online. I think the internet is so big that there is room for discussion forums and social networking and blogs and research sources of all kinds. And then there is browsing for shopping. I adore going thru my catalogs, but I have found unique websites of very specialized nurseries whose catalogs I would never have received in the mail  actually they probably donÂt mail catalogs out. And now all we have to do is wait til awful winter is over, and the ground calls to us.

My dd will sometimes text while we are having a conversation - that is really irritating! I tell her to put the phone away, and she does, but I am surprised she does this at all because she is normally very polite. I think texting while talking is common and acceptable in her circle of friends. She pays her own bill with her babysitting money, but still, I would not hesitate to take her phone away if her grades dropped or if it was causing trouble (other than the occasional abovementioned rudeness). I think kids have been finding ways to connect with their friends on the sly for years. When I was a teenager, we wrote long notes to each other during school and passed them in class, and talked on the phone for hours (in bed, while we were supposed to be sleeping). I snuck out of my window to meet up with boys. So, as long as dd keeps her grades up and is polite to me, I don't have a problem with her texting her friends - seems like a different way of doing the same thing teenages have done for decades. I did want to point out, stargazzer, that I feel better about her IM'ing/emailing her friends rather than texting them. I told dd that her IM conversations are logged, and that I probably would never read them, but reserved the right to if necessary. I know her email password and could monitor who she is in touch with if I wanted to. I'm not sure how easy it would be to monitor who she is texting (haven't bothered, because so far it is just her friends and occasionally, the boy who lives next door). I have read about options to get an alert when your child receives a call from someone not on your "approved list" - seem like more work/expense to set this up though.

Texting, like phones, instant messaging and email has its place but for me it's not much I need it. The last few nights it's been rather late and a couple people wanted me to call them. I am very, well often overly-courteous/cautious, depending on how you look at it about calling people at what for them would be odd hours. I know some people for whom 3pm would be interrupting their sleep. Anyway, I sent a text to them and asked if it was a good time to call. One sent back immediately and I called. But I usually use Yahoo Instant Messenger and the computer to send my text messages rather than a phone. First because it's free and my phone isn't and secondly I can use a standard keyboard. Texting while driving is bad, no doubt, but there's also another one that's never mentioned and that's GPS units. Punching in stuff on that is as bad as texting. I like instant messaging and email. It's far less rude than anything to do with a phone. And I take issue with anyone saying that it's less disruptive than a phone call. First there's the ring like a phone, then people instinctively grab it immediately - they can't wait, after all, someone sent them a text!!! and of course bring it up, read it and often there has to be an answer. Just the other night a friend from work got a new apartment and was kind of excited. His first place on his own and he's new to town and wanted to show it off. So I went downtown, spent nearly 40 minutes driving around trying to find a parking spot since the place has no assigned parking. Then when I parked about 1/3 mile from it and walked to his place, and believe me, these days with my legs, that's not easy. Well I got there and we were talking and it was less than 20 minutes before his *$#m phone started chiming away. A friend was having problems and wanted to "chat". I finally said why don't you just give him a call and I'll leave. And I did. What a waste of time. For all of us. However there's been a time or two I send a text with some quick info with no response needed. I tell people not to respond unless required if it comes from my phone, since I get charged. Don't care if it's while I'm on instant messenger. So it has its place but like most anything, it gets abused and when it's misused, it can be dangerous.

There's a time and place for all of them. I really like email. Any time I can take business away from the post office I'm thrilled. Instant messaging is very handy for chatting with people you don't see too often who happen to be online when you are but it's also a good way to leave a quick message. Texting is a little quicker in some respects since the person usually has the phone on them. I really think it's rude when you're with someone talking, dining or whatever and in comes the signal and they drop everything to look at the text message. Then they usually have to give a quick text back. Then there's usually at least one or two more repeats. It's like the ones who constantly answer the cell for unimportant calls. I've started getting up and walking off and say obviously they're/that's more important than what we're doing so finish that up and let me know. I really find it hard to justify all these kids of all ages having expensive cell phones so they can be notified of terrorists! Isn't that going a bit overboard? No wonder the kids aren't learning! I have a prepaid cell and will not give out the number to too many since I know I'd be bombarded with spam. Cute little quotes, 150 "hi!" messages and other worthless garbage. I give out a forwarding number so they can't text me when I want them to be able to call me. I use Yahoo Instant Messenger to text people. It's great. I have the keyboard, a decent size monitor and it doesn't cost anything. There's 154 character limit to a text so sometimes you need to abbreviate. There's nothing wrong with that in my bood. I do get annoyed with some of the more obscure phrases and it bugs the daylights out of me when people have to use instant messenger abbreviations on forums. There was one guy in another forum who insisted on all abbreviations. "u ppl sh And I don't have picture messaging and don't want it. Email me the pictures if you want to send them or transfer them by instant messenger. There's definitely purposes for it, I agree. I think it's good for history to have the hanging of Saddam Hussein recorded, even as poorly as it was and I find it no more offensive than the Zapruder film. The pictures of Whacko Jacko on the stretcher, and even the shots of David Carradine to show that what was being said wasn't true, are some valid uses. But there's abuse too. The more technology, the more chance for abuse. I do find it hilarious when people can't make a phone call when the power goes out because they have only cordless phones or rely on cell service and are in a dead spot. But then again I laughed so hard I nearly drove off the road when I saw a tow truck on the side of the road with its hood up! I thought about stopping and offering to help for about $250. But that wouldn't be nice, would it?