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You seem to think that weblogs (and webloggers) will come in for a hard landing… and I’m not denying that some will. That said, the people who *WON’T* be hurt by it and won’t stop self-publishing in one form or another are the very people you criticize the most — the people who post their cat pictures and their recipe for pumpkin bread. Their weblogs will still serve a purpose, both to them and to their friends who read them.

In the first days of the telephone, the experts came forward and said that this amazing device would be linked between businesses, with some large businesses having two or even three telephones, used to help connect the heads of major companies.

In 1977, Ken Olson of Digital Equipment said “There is no reason for anyone to have a computer in his home.”

Personally, I’m putting my money behind the vanity blogs. They are our future.

The fact is, though, folks with the talent to turn their hand to a trade column, well enough to craft a living, can polish that craft so it suits other sides of their thought and perceptions. Essays, pamphlets [in the classic sense], are a time-honored manner of expression shoved aside during the growth of the television generations.

Growing up in the 40′s and 50′s, workingclass and middle class families still belonged to book clubs. People read and listened to the radio, using their imaginations. Movies were only a once a week or once a month experience. Television became “how many hours a day?”.

Mostly, though, the Web makes us read. Blogging, almost exclusively, makes us read. Maybe even think about what we’re reading.

Bloggers, like you, John, are free to write about whatever they wish. Someone is going to turn out to be another Emerson.

The site is mostly a short bio and book site for Dawkins’ work in zoology. He is, after all, one of the leading Darwinians. I thought the Google ad algorithm was something that might easily be altered via feedback from the folks who own the website. Unh-unh. Turns out, in Dawkins’ case, the advertising portion belongs to their webhosting firm, Netfirms.

They’ll gladly sort the problem with all the religious wingie-dingie ads showing up on the site — for a price. Can you see an additional profit center, here? Build a website for the Red Sox and populate it with NY Yankees ads. Host a website for a Roman Catholic parish and populate it with ads for condoms! And only charge a nominal “fee” to sort out the problem with your “free” website.

If you think they’re weird for you, wander over to Richard Dawkins’ website. He’s the world class biologist — best noted for his application of Darwinian science to contemporary questions of science and philosophy.

His site managers hadn’t especially paid attention to their Google Adverts until I recently pointed out that half or better were for creationist and other superstition websites — like how to cure War [or was it warts?] with the power of prayer!

congrats on making the leap. looking forward to reading your ideas.

Have fun, and remember, doing this is for you, and not anybody else… Many people lose sight of that, and then their blog dies because they stop posting. Blog for you.

I am a long time reader of yours and wish you all the very best with the blog. I stumbled upon this place when I was trying to dig up some comments of yours about the futility of watching video on cell phone screens.

I am going to link to you in my blog…if you like mine, would love a link on yours.