About a year ago, the blogosphere was all-a-twitter about a clever parody service named Flutter that shortened micro-blogging down to 26 characters.

But now, in one of those funny twists of Web 2.0, we’re getting a real service named Flutter – but rather than shrinking Twitter messages even further, it simply tells you who from your social networks is physically close by.

Launched by Mashed-In, Flutter connects with your Twitter, Facebook and Linked-In friends and, using geo-aware tech in mobile phones, lets you know whenever they check in or update something from nearby.

While this naturally sounds like the perfect tool for stalkers looking to break their restraining order, Flutter instead suggests this about their service: “Say you’re in a strange town, or at a conference where you don’t know anybody. Flutter might reveal that you have common friends with two or three people nearby. Hey – you’re not as lonely as you thought you were.”

You hear that stalkers? You’re not as lonely as you think you are!