A new study from the social media/creation site Gather.com identifies some trends in the way people collect and share information online.

There are demographic differences in the methods, but the nature of the practice is basically the same: People not only consume, but comment and share.

Steve Smith writes about the study at minOnline and suggests there isn't the same brand loyalty for online publishing --- 80% of those surveyed who consume news online will click into unknown sites.

Older people tend to email stories, middle-aged people tend to put them on Facebook, while younger people will use Twitter or Facebook. And a surprising number (80%) say they comment on stories.

Nearly two-thirds of online news readers focus on topics specifically suited to their interests, while more than one-third will go to search engines for multiple sources on the same matter.