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social messaging - medieval style

relevant to about 1190, before twitter and farcebook - nothing changes

'Letter writing in the late twelfth-century northern Europe was a vigorous habit, and letters were sent with the expectation that they would be widely circulated and play their part in shaping public opinion. "There were no private letters in the modern sense of the term". Until the Middle Ages, secret messages were transmitted by word of mouth....'
[quoted from Church, King John, p. 46

The writings of these dignified ancients could be every bit as scurrilous and libelous as anything you find on the web in this allegedly modern world.

King John: England, Magna Carta and the Making of a Tyrant
by Stephen Church