I started The Blog of Doug Cloud in May of 2008 with more than a little trepidation. Although I had read other people’s blogs regularly, both at home and at work, I was never interested in blogging myself.

To be honest, I’m not a very sociable person, and the thought of coming up with a blog post on a daily basis was a bit too much. Heck, I feel put upon to speak more than ten words in a conversation. And grunts, nods, and waving my hands about wouldn’t work too well on a blog (they don’t usually work too well in conversations, either).

But then, that’s the amazing thing about the Web; even a complete introvert such as myself can pass for a social mogul on the Internet.

When I came aboard the Big WWW back in 1998 and started attempting to cull this new field for clients I quickly realized the biggest selling feature is networking. This was a tad difficult for me because of my anti-social nature. Now you wouldn’t think this would be a problem, considering the fact that on the internet one doesn’t really have to go anywhere or meet anyone face-to-face.

Now spin the hands on the ‘ol egg-timer ahead to 2009 and we now have what is termed the social network. Sites like Facebook, StumbleUpon, Technorati, Digg, and Twitter are all the rage. Just check out these stats. Everywhere I went people were talking about these new sites. And I kept seeing little signs on people’s web pages – little social icons or text links (Follow Me On Twitter!).

Ok, so I’m always the last one to jump on the ‘ol fad wagon, but after some time it started to make an impression on me, like a stone slowly sinking into thick mud.

Eventually I decided to take a small step forward. Signed up for a Twitter account. I was a bit nervous. I was reminded of something Bilbo said in The Fellowship of the Ring, “It’s a dangerous business, Frodo, going out your front door. You step onto the road, and if you don’t keep your feet, there’s no knowing where you might be swept off to.”

So it is. I got swept up. The funny part (as in funny-bad) is that Twitter, like so many other social applications, is too easy. Now I’m not knocking these applications, but keep in mind that the social Web is no substitute for actual personal interaction. I keep to myself. I’m pretty much a homebody. But don’t emulate me or my lifestyle. Please. Going out your front door to interact with the rest of the world is a good thing. A healthy thing.

I’ve been a third-shifter most of my life, a contributing factor in my introversion. I like nights and the peace that comes from having no people around. For me this new social sensation on the Web has provided me with a life, of sorts. At the very least it has opened up an avenue to improve my communication skills, which is the first step towards any meaningful social interaction. Grunts and waving my hands aside.

So what about you? Have you stepped out your front door into the new social Web? If so what benefits have you personally experienced? Has it helped your business or enterprise in any way?

Oh, and if you want, you can “Follow Me On Twitter!”

I promise not to grunt.

About the author: Doug Cloud is a freelance graphic artist from Michigan specializing in branding, character design, graphic design, illustration, and personal identity development. Visit him at Doug Draws and follow him on Twitter.