The need to connect

I recently have been playing with a new online connective tool meant to better bring together individuals who are working together but who are not in relative geographic proximity. It's called a Wiki - an online collaborative work page, essentially. A web page that can be edited by multiple persons at nearly the same time from any location (where there's a computer).

Yet another attempt at closing the relational gap made prevalent (originally) by the internal combustion engine that made it possible for all humans (along with drivable roads) to travel impossible distances with relative safety, ease and comfort. Strange, then, isn't it, that we use so much of this electronic world (e-mails, facebook, skype, wikis, blogs, etc.) to reconnect with our fellow human beings. Is it a case of valuing our freedom to travel and be wherever we want without the inherent labour involved in having to live in close proximity with the people near to us?