Is anyone else's email inbox getting overwhelmed lately by mail from people who've not been in touch for ages, wanting you to join their online contacts community?I seem to be getting lots of them, and it's really a sad scenario. The automatically-generated email says something like:

Bob would like to invite you to e-contacts, the exciting new contacts community for those who can't be arsed to write an email or make a phonecall to you, someone they supposedly call a friend. Just click here to enter all your contact details, so Bob will always know how to get in touch, even though you'll probably never hear from him again after this!

It then appears that you can enter things like your address, phone number, email address and so on, for Bob (or whoever) to have an easy online record of your contact details. Fair enough, but to do that you have to register on the online community, and give all sorts of bits of info, which others might then be able to access.

I get enough unknown emails already, usually offering me penis enlargements and degrees from American colleges, without wanting more emails from strangers who think they know someone who knows someone who knows someone who once met Bob in a pub.

Just because this is the age of the internet, it doesn't mean we can't surrender personal contact on a one to one level, and conduct our friendships via the medium of a faceless website… does it?

I'd be keen for your thoughts… but not your community invites, thanks very much.