Welcome to Shorelines.com.

A major feature of our new Web site is the relatively new canvas of communication called blogs. The world of blogs — call it what you may, Blogmania, Blogosphere — is often described to neophytes as “a whole new world.”

It’s part of what we in the journalism business call “new media.” Far beyond the printed pages and even e-mails, blogs allow for ceaseless public interaction that’s visible by all.

Care to join in the fray of a certain “conversation” online that’s caught your eye? Feel welcome to do so at any time. Care to exit the fray? Feel welcome to do so at any time. That’s the beauty of it all.
Adding Shorelines.com to the thousands of Web Sites and blogs out there gives us here at the Beaches, a community already defined by our geographic boundaries (we’re an island, after all!) and our lifestyle a good place to talk.

We have specific places on the site for experts of any type to share their knowledge with their coastal neighbors. Is there a coastal engineer or a landscape architect who can advise us on the effects of northeaster storms? Is there a hydrologist who can tell us about our myriad bodies of water? Is there a pediatrician or general practitioner who can clue us in about local maladies? Home builders? Tree surgeons? Auto mechanics? Can you enlighten us?

But there’s also a place on the site for anyone to sound off at anytime. Have you heard about a great local deal on tires? Is a certain not-to-be-missed musician or other artist or entertainer scheduled at a local venue? Will a certain surf break be clean and fun in a few days?

Care to comment about any of the Beaches governments? (No doubt about that! There’s never been a shortage of people who have thoughts about how their tax dollars are being spent.)

Visitors to the site can start the own blogs or check out those of Shorelines staffers or others who have checked in.

Again, welcome to the new Shorelines.com. This should be fun.