The following Time Magazine article sheds more light on this interesting twist for life on the web.

“In the 1800s, there was a certain logic–and a cool distance–to the formal calling card. Those who were part of, or sought a place among, the social élite would deliver a card with their name engraved on it to someone’s home to request a visit. But now that you can IM, e-mail or text pretty much anyone immediately, the Victorian practice seems laughably outmoded, right? Not so, according to a growing number of enthusiasts reviving the old-fashioned social-networking tool. “Is it technology fatigue? A colorful way of branding yourself?”

the article continues …

“For young job-hoppers, a calling card offers not only a sense of permanence but also a chance for self-expression. In June, Mitch Stripling, an emergency planner who recently moved to New York City, printed cards with cell-phone, e-mail and descriptor (“neo Victorian calling card thingy”) info for his 10-year college reunion in an effort to reconnect with people he knew he wouldn’t have a chance to speak with at length. “I wanted to get away from the whole status thing at reunions, so a business logo didn’t feel right,” says Stripling, whose card was a buzz-generating hit at Williams College. “Having my own little logo frees me up. It’s a way to be expressive of me outside of whatever job I happen to be doing at the time.”
Perhaps the biggest reason the cards have delighted jaded 21st century types is that they work. Says Stripling: “I can’t say for sure if it was the card or just the effects of a reunion, but I heard from around 30 people from school in the weeks after.” Some are even planning visits.”

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Order your calling cards right now

You social card might have your name and a single web presence link address to Linkedin or Facebook or the like. No cell phone number, no address, just a single point of contact information. A good resource for such a card can be found at SocialCards.

The following is an excerpt from a Los Angeles Times article:

“In the era of LinkedIn, Facebook, vCards and BlackBerrys, the idea of a calling card may seem quaint, and 12 months into a full-on recession it could seem like an exercise in snobbery. But it shouldn’t, says Peter Post, director of the Emily Post Institute and coauthor of “The Etiquette Advantage in Business.” “My instant reaction isn’t: ‘Oh, that’s pretentious,’ ” he said. “It’s: ‘Oh, that’s considerate.’ Someone is providing information to you in a way that makes it easy to take in and utilize — and in a way that’s memorable.”

The sour economy and mounting unemployment actually buttress the case for having a professional-looking, nonbusiness business card. But take note: Whether you’re negotiating a play group or suddenly find yourself unshackled from the font and corporate logo of the man, there’s no excuse for going all Comic Sans typeface in periwinkle ink on the front, with a glossy clown photo on the back — unless you make balloon animals for a living.

At least, that’s what the experts tell us. We polled etiquette gurus, printers and a few card-carrying card carriers for some general guidelines on condensing your personality onto a few square inches of card stock.”

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Click here to order your SocialCards