Croatoan

Layne, of Plain Layne, has mysteriously evaporated from the Blogosphere, taking her entire site with her and leaving only the cryptic message "Take very good care of you." Layne is one of the most expressive writers out there. I've only been reading her blog for a few months, and our only direct contact has been to e-mail and comment back and forth a few times. Yet it's like a close friend has suddenly vanished.

Several people written about this, including Gudy and Daintily Dirty. DD's post is especially thoughtful, pondering on why we blog and the strangeness of feeling connected to someone you only know from a few electrons flying through the ether:

Maybe taking down her blog was what she needed to do. Does she owe us anything? Do we owe each other anything as bloggers? I guess that depends on what you want back from your readers. Are we friends? If so, I would never disappear without saying good-bye and letting people know why I was leaving. It feels like a betrayal of a friendship to do otherwise. If Layne comes back, I will be less likely to invest much of myself into that relationship, and maybe that's what she wants, readers less invested in her life.

[...]

Maybe I shouldn't care that a blogger I came to consider a friend has disappeared, but I do. I wish her well and hope the decision she's made is one that will bring her more happiness and a fulfilling life.

I'll add my voice to the chorus in wishing her well and hoping that she's ok.