Just as new music forms and styles influence and change older ones, it’s safe to say that online connection methods evolve in response to new variations as they are introduced.

If you recall and have communicated online via “bulletin boards,” I’m guessing you are over thirty, or, maybe even over forty. Bulletin Boards lead to “news groups” (today called discussion lists and far easier to access) and forums.

Just a couple of years ago, instant messaging was hotter than email, at least among teens and twenty-somethings, before SMS and MMS. Today you can instantly and privately message others while attending an online meeting, but I don’t see too many really young people using IM anymore.

A year ago, all my kids, who range from 20-ish to 30-ish, were spending most of their online time jumping back and forth from their MySpace page to Facebook.

Meanwhile, I was tiptoeing into Twitter, LinkedIn and Stumbleupon, striving to keep up with a variety of blogs, and churning out fresh content for my (at the time) one and only blog. Whenever I mentioned any of THOSE pursuits to my offspring and their SO’s, they stared at me blankly.

So, during the last twelve months, I admit I have tried MySpace and Facebook, but have decided to take a pass on them. On the other hand, I have added another blog to my retinue, and Brightkite has become one of my daily stops.

Since January 2008, I’ve detected a trend involving mommies and young marrieds migrating from MySpace and Facebook to family album-style blogging. Could it be we’re all going to use the same tools? No more long-winded explanations of the technology you’re using to stay in touch and why?

Maybe not. While out with my 20-year-old yesterday, I paused at lunch to send an update on my whereabouts using my Blackberry (ok, I should have been focused on my SON, but to be fair, we had just gone kayaking together for a couple of hours, minus phones).

My son asked what I was doing, and I said, “Just sending a quick note to Brightkite and Twitter.” He just stared at me as I tried to explain the what and why, and then went back to reading the sports page.