The best thing about Social Networking websites is that I can communicate with people without having to talk to them.

I'm not revealing any childhood trauma or deep personal angst by saying that I'm a pretty reserved individual. Over the years I've dealt with this quite well but I still find myself struggling with people I don't know very well and have always found it difficult operating in social groups above three. There may be some of you reading this (and you've no idea how tempting it was to end this sentence just there) who are the same. I'm hardly unique in this backwardness in coming forwardness. Furthermore, I happen to think that shyness is the unwillingness to talk crap. The thing is, if the whole world was shy then what would we have to talk about?

This is why social networking websites are such a tonic for the introverted. It's a great way to spend time with the extroverted without feeling stifled and slowly resenting them for their zest for life, unbound energy and ability to talk crap to anyone about anything.

I started using Social Media about a year and a half ago with MySpace but it was rubbish. I kept getting unwanted e-mails from them and friend requests from half-naked girls. Ordinarily this wouldn't be a problem but I don't think their intentions were based entirely upon friendship. I've still got a Facebook profile which I log into every now and then. That's useful for keeping in touch with old friends. However, the site I use the most is Twitter.

Twitter is a micro-blogging site. You set up a profile; link up with friends/colleagues/complete strangers who look interesting and communicate via a micro-blogging system that only allows you a maximum of 140 characters. This is good for two reasons: It allows you to blog remotely via SMS and it stops you from wittering on for too long and forces you to get to the bloody point. If shyness is the unwillingness to talk crap, then Twitter is ideal for the strong and silent type.

The format has caught on. Plurk is a rival site with a twist that is getting very popular. There is also a video blogging site that works in conjunction with Twitter called 12seconds. Your video posts are restricted to twelve seconds which leaves you no time to prevaricate, give your life story or otherwise bore the pants of anyone watching it. This, in turn, reduces the chances of people pressing the stop button. I work in customer services and spend my working day reading e-mails and listening to people who won't just shut up and tell me what they're after.

Personally I think this form of communication should be compulsory. If what people have to say can't be written in less than 140 characters or said in less than 12 seconds then it's not worth saying.

Present company excepted of course.