In (Weblogs and) The Mass Amateurisation of (Nearly) Everything... [plasticbag.org]Tom Coates has summarized the new potential that the change from the publishing a webpage to the publishing of a weblog involves.

He concludes by saying,

This flexibility of publishing creates a fluid and living form of self-representation, the 'homepage (as a place)' has become the 'weblog(as a person)' that can articulate a voice. And when there are a multiiplicity of voices in space, then the possiblity arises of conversations. And where there is conversation there is the sharing of information. And conversation about what? Well everything from music and movies and animation and medical information. Weblogs are becoming the bridge between the individual and the community in cyberspace - a place where one can self-publicise and self-describe but also learn, debate and engage in community. In other words, weblogs are [...] becoming enmeshed in the very structures of information retrieval, community interaction and media distribution themselves.[underlines mine, Spike Hall]

Lets see if we can find the stuff to translate this potential into higher quality community life for all, not just that of articulate technophiles.

Without working at it hard and well-- its a powerful tool for good or ill --, we could be simply adding to the noise pollution of our increasingly urban, corporate landscape.