Mobile devices stoke ‘micro-blogging’ fervor

SAN FRANCISCO (AFP) - Mobile Internet devices and online communities are merging to a new kind of web diary: “micro-blogging,” where people fire off terse missives about what they are doing or thinking at any given moment.

The postings are bare-bones, on-the-go versions of online journals in which people share their lives and dreams — hence the name micro-blogging.

“Blogging has evolved and become more formalized,” said Design Pattern Library curator Christian Crumlish, author of social networking book “The Tower of Many.”

“A beautiful blog entry is an art form, and it takes time. So, micro-blogging fits into your life where you take a minute or two to see what’s going on and go back to work.”

Hot website Twitter has attracted a large following since launching slightly more than two years ago as a way to share Haiku-like text message updates with unlimited numbers of friends instantly via mobile telephones.

The service entices users with its signature line, “What are you doing?”