'Twilight' author takes a break from social media

It makes for an instructive little tale about the uses and abuses of social media networking. The internet is full of reports that Stephenie Meyer, author of the mega-successful "Twilight" series, has dumped her MySpace page.

What's a little bit sad about that news is that once upon a time, before "Twilight" became the behemoth that it is today, Meyer is credited with having made excellent use of her MySpace account. She was said to have been very responsive to fans, and some even credit the runaway success of her novels to her personal, friendly responses to readers who contacted her online.

Today, however, it all seems to have become too much.  "[I'm] taking down my bloated MySpace page," she is reported to have written on her official website. "It was a lot of fun while it lasted, and I really miss the early days when I could hang out with people online. Many of you are hilarious and insightful, and I wish it was easier for me to talk to everyone the way I used to."

Apparently online imitators posed as Meyer and were able to deceive some of her fans. But no longer.  Meyer's notice to fans: "I do not have a Facebook page, and I have never had one. I don't do Twitter. So if you're communicating with someone online that you think is me, it's not."

On her MySpace page, there's now a simple announcement: "Stephenie Meyer is taking a break."