Skipping Dot Net: Why Write a Weblog? Reason 1 of <i>n</i>
"In the old days, before weblogging, before the web, few people ever got to talk -- hold meaningful, long-running conversations -- with the authors they read, or with the leading professionals in their fields.
"With the web, especially with a weblog, it's now much easier and even more useful for both parties to do exactly that."