Weblogs Are Here, But Where Are They Headed?

Thanks to James Carberry for pointing me to this article on the slightlly academic, but consistently readable and relevant, Knowledge@Wharton journal.

Blogs, Everyone? Weblogs Are Here to Stay, but Where Are They Headed? wonders about the future of blogging. What's the end goal, and is there a business model in blogging?

We know it can be interesting:

Robert Scoble, a Microsoft employee who operates Scobleizer, a blog about Microsoft products and developments, maintains one of the more interesting blogs around. Scoble, whose official title is "technical evangelist," sounds like many employees at large companies. He has his share of gripes, but will also defend his employer. The key is that he is balanced, says Brown. "This Microsoft employee has to maintain credibility by remaining transparent. By being negative once in a while, it's more credible when he's positive."

Is there a business model? Probably not:

What happens when bloggers try to make money off their sites? "It's not a matter of when bloggers want to be paid, but when do readers want to pay for content," says Fader. "The mainstream media hasn't had the guts or savvy to start charging. It will be difficult for bloggers."

So where does that leave bloggers? For now at least, you'd better enjoy the ride.