BusinessWeek recently reported that blogs are growing at an exploding rate and I for one am happy about it ( Article ). Nevertheless I think that there is an underlining issue that's starting to rise similiar to the one that eventually lead to the bust of the Internet bubble.

Blogs are a new entry into the world of publishing and online publishing. It's cheap, sometimes free, and because of the underlining RSS/XML technology, has an reach that can quickly outpace newspapers and even television. The appeal of blogs is that it's gritty and one feels as though they are getting information from the front line. Also most blogs are free of advertisement and therefore the reader tends to feel that the news and the reports are not schewed by some desire to appeal to an advertiser. In the end those element causes people to trust blog.

The issue for me is that blogs can not reach it's full potential alone and must in the end partner with the very medium most blogs protest against..the existing media and journalism as it stand now. Blogs will also need to start keeping an eye on technology such as PDA, Cellphones and the like. Why? Because the long term appeal and viability of blogs will be their place in this new JIT ( Just In Time )/EndUser-Centric society we are racing towards. More and more technology is coming forth that at their core is solely concerned and aimed at creating a world around the end user where everything they need comes to them in one way or another. In this mold must blogs fit.

Therefore it's my opinion that blog growth may stall until companies like Palm, Nokia, Sony and the like start incorporating blog and RSS support into their appliances. Also blog will need to partner with journalism and journalism will need to partner with blogs as well. This relationship will exist as each medium lends to other it's strength.
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Soho360 Networks, Inc
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Soho360,

I agree that blogs have to team up with newspaper companies and other traditional media, but I disagree that Palm and those other companies you mentioned have to include blogs in their products. The technology is still growing. Give it some more time and more people will use blogs. So many people will be using the blogs that Palm will have to include it its products.

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