Moving to a one-size-fits-all discussion medium is a step backwards if we all have to go that way. A friend of mine often says “The right conversation at the wrong time is the wrong conversation”. Likewise, the right conversation over the wrong medium is the wrong conversation.
Terry Frazier has highlighted some movement away from weblogs to threaded discussion groups. Discussion, percussion, concussion all come from the same root. And that’s what many discussion threads are to me. Violent in the speed at which they move and destructive in the chopping off of the idea flow. Conversely, weblogging is more languid in its approach. Ideas get passed around and commented upon. People have time to reflect and generate new ideas. Posts are longer because they are considered. Not the automatic gunfire response of many discussion threads.
Throwing email, instant messaging, coffee and the phone into the mix shows that what matters most is the ability of an individual to select the most appropriate medium for the conversation they wish to have.