Has old diplomacy as such become irrelevant in the 21st century information age?

Traditional or “bilateral” diplomacy goes way back in the history.-ancient Greek states, Renaissance Italy or the first written negotiation from the Middle East. Traditional diplomacy is highly emphasizing the role of embassies and diplomats which seem to be in decline in the Globalization era. It has to be agreed that diplomacy has been transformed by globalization however I don’t think that traditional diplomacy have become outdated. The founding ideas of representation, image, building relationships are continuing to be a vital part of diplomacy. Presumably the personal contacts are even more important now than ever before. With the increasing interaction through the technology only (whether it is telephone or the internet), personal meetings should get higher attention. Therefore I think that the widely mentioned virtual diplomacy can simply not be an option, however it can be a tool towards a more up to date diplomacy.
As far as the secret negotiations between two parties are concerned, I think that even though the media is releasing much of the information, the existence of it is still beneficial. A very prime example of this is the negotiation with Israel in the Middle East, the point raised by Steven in the seminar. Middle Eastern countries have to continue secret negotiations with Israel order to avoid public anger. Although there are some cases where bilateral negotiations are needed, the majority of these negotiations are much more open to the public than before (through NGOs, pressure groups, multinational corporations). This can be beneficial as well as unprofitable. While there is a certain pressure on diplomats to show results rather than promises it can also lead to decisions which are not entirely thought through.
Technological development, globalization should be tools towards a more successful diplomacy, not to replace the system itself. Most elements of the so called Old diplomacy, in my opinion can be found in new diplomacy as well. Therefore it is false to assume that it became outdated. Diplomacy as such is not only about technology, information gathering (these things have definitely changed) but relationships, representation upon which are foreign policies are formed, agreements are signed, wars are avoided.