Writing is a solitary occupation. If you freelance, you’re even more isolated than most, since you miss being part of a communications team. (OK, maybe you don’t miss it, but you can still get lonely at times.) And if you’re a freelance speechwriter … well, you’re the closest thing to one of those holy hermits who lived in remote caves in the desert during early Christian times.

Happily, there is hope. Ragan Communications, which sponsors this blog, has a new web site called, MyRagan.com (http://www.myragan.com).

MyRagan.com functions as a sort of cyber water cooler for communicators who want to share ideas and keep abreast of new developments in the communications world. There’s also a useful jobs board and a place to post your resume.

So far, over 5,000 communicators have signed up –- from abroad as well as from the U.S. – so this site looks promising. Ragan had been promoting it by offering free educational and training materials, which I think is a first for them.

So have a look. It might be that this site will become the preferred cyber water cooler for communications professionals –- both domestic and international.