The Closest Knit Community Online

I'm not talking about the tech blogosphere, who've shown a decided preference for infighting and attempting to eat their young. I'm talking about parents.

We exist in all forms online: in the tech blogosphere, in MMOs, on forums, and as mommy bloggers, but no matter what area we find ourselves spending most of our time in, we are a tightknit group of loosely connected people. Yes, if you make the mistake of mentioning something like circumcision or the decision to formula-feed, you'll see a pile-up with everyone bound and determined to convinced you that you are completely wrong, but that's only a symptom of the greater purpose: sharing information.

As Erin Kotecki Vest, better known as Queen of Spain, noted on FriendFeed, if a parent doesn't know the answer, they darn well know where to find it. We've been there and we've done that, and we'd like to spare others some of the worry that's kept us awake at night. When Louis Gray updated his Gtalk status with news that one of his twins is going to be staying in the hospital longer than anticipated, we both had links to two other bloggers who've been through very similar circumstances.

While Web 2.0 may think that it invented social media, the reality is that parents were looking to share worries and advice even before Web 1.0. Bulletin boards and email lists have been around as long as there has been an Internet to facilitate communication. I still moderate an email list, and spent time on sites like BabyCenter.com moderating chats and boards.

There's no official handshake for the club, but post a question anywhere online using any social media avenue you like, and I guarantee you'll receive more advice than you know what to do with.