Some mornings, when I check Twitter, I feel like a rat pressing on a lever. Will this be the push that delivers a fine hit of recognition and praise -- or will I instead feel like the nerd on the edge of the playground?

It's embarrassing, this sensation. It makes me feel ludicrous, immature and depressed. And even worse is the fact that people often recognize quality online -- so if you aren't noticed and re-tweeted, it really might mean you suck. Or your work does.

The odd mix of professional and personal adds to my queasiness. Am I commodifying my relationships? When people don't respond, do they not like me -- or do they not like my writing?

Or -- far, far more likely -- is it simply random, nothing to do with my narcissistic needs? None of these thoughts leads anywhere good.

Recently, however, I attended a wonderful panel on social media convened by the oddly-named but excellent SWINY. Speakers Nancy Shute, David Dobbs and Dave Mosher all made excellent points that touched on these questions. Dobbs pointed out that Twitter is the most life-like of social networks, oddly replicating the gossip and status-seeking that accompanies all human group activity.