Digital Gossip

Some while ago, I was surfing through different Persian blogs and then I popped up in a blog which was like a community that apparently people could sign in and register to be a member. All the members were ladies and all they could talk or write about was their in-laws and especially their mother-in laws. most of them were writing about all the cruel words and deeds that their in-laws said or did to them and for every one it was like a duty to sympathize through some words with each individual post. The words were somehow similar to these things: "Poor thing, you should have said on and on" Or "If I were you I would cut them off" Or "You should be happy that your husband obeys you and takes your side"...
I don't know if this is a new custom in which people have transfered these kinds of gossips from their neighborhoods that used to be the popular places for such things in past times to the web? I think in terms of these things that I call them "typical disagreements" which are taking place in ANY family but with different shapes, people have the right to consult with a shrink if they're willing to solve their problems or in some cases I think it might be fine to talk with a best friend or a family member that wouldn't intend to deal emotionally and could have a different point of view to help the person to become open-minded and unbiased about the matter and at the end of the day could make peace with the uneasiness.
Not a useless gossip which is good to flourish the flame of anger more and makes the person feel like some sort of victim that should be defended against these evil monster in-laws! I wonder if this approach to the whole in-laws relationships and this "web-therapy" with this quility that I found out are another Iranian typical social behavior or were they only a part of an international habit community?!