Breakup Tips and Coping with Breakup

For alot of us breaking up is hard to do (especially when you have been in a long term relationship), how did you breakup your last relationship? It seems that people breakup with another so impersonally anymore. Alot of people break up using either email, phone or text message. Do you feel this is wrong? Breaking up is hard enough on people's feelings, so do you feel it totally inconsiderate to breakup by any other method than face to face?
I broke off my last relationship via email. It was someone that I would have still like to be friends with (just not his girlfriend). That was a few years ago and although I still see him around, he wont even speak to me. I just wonder if I brokeup with him using another method (being a little more considerate of his feelings instead of just looking for an easy way out), we could have still been friends.