Blogging, "Micro-blogging", and Facebook

What's the difference between having a blog and keeping your Facebook status updated (or Twitter, or MySpace, etc.)? Isn't it the same thing?

I've been a Facebook fan for some time now and recently added my 300th friend. That may seem like a lot to some, depending on how long you've been on Facebook and your age. Others may find this quite a small number - usually younger people or those who friend at random anyone they've ever met. But I digress.

For a little while now I have been much better at keeping my Facebook status updated but have allowed the blog here to languish. Part of this is the assumption that most of the people I know are Facebook friends and can "follow" me there. Recently, however, I have begun updating my status a lot less frequently. I started updating my status only when I felt that I had something more significant to share than "heading to work again" or "staying up late tonight". I weary of reading some of my Facebook friends' updates that are constantly filled with trivia. It's not that I don't want to know what they are up to, but there is a point when the trivia becomes trivial. (For instance, there is the new habit some of my friends have gotten into where they post lines from a song as a status update. Sorry, guys, but I just don't care unless there is something in those lines of particular significance to you. If so, then explain it. Otherwise you may end up in my "hidden" list of status updates.)

The benefit of blogging is that there is the opportunity to expand on a thought and really flesh out items of more significance. No, I won't be giving up Facebook, which I think is a wonderful way to keep in touch, network, etc. But I think a nice balance of blogging is a great way to keep my communication skills sharp (as Seth Godin pointed out in my blog post yesterday.) Also, as these blog posts get highlighted in my Facebook status updates, there will be opportunity for interaction via the Facebook comments rather than on this site. Hopefully I can share some helpful, interesting, thought-provoking, or simply entertaining things on the blog and we can discuss together via Facebook. Let me know what you think.