Chris Garrett at Performancing asks the question, "Does Blogging Have a Future"?

My short answer is "yes".

This question gets blogged a hundred times a day on a hundred blogs, so it's a very OLD question.

But my long answer is as follows:

The truth is that the web constantly evolves, and blogging is an evolution up from personal websites (GeoCities) and hosting your own forum (EZBoard). Perhaps blogging will progress into another form.

What often causes these changes are innovations in hardware and software. Remember that Windows 95 integrated the web browser into the operating system, and brought web browsing to the masses. The fact that everybody's buying up iPods is what made it feasible to do podcasting. And it's said that Windows Vista will incorporate RSS, perhaps laying the groundwork for more innovations in RSS technology.

Why not blogging via text-messaging? Devices like the Treo 700 combined with broadband via EVDO can make that happen. However, one problem is that most folks still don't know what RSS is. Enter Windows Vista to bring RSS to the masses.

As a commercial medium, RSS definitely has its place. I'm not interested in any products from Kraft Foods or Proctor and Gamble, but I am interested in knowing what Harley Davidson is up to (being a biker). I'll definitely subscribe to their RSS feed, even if every other post is a commercial plug.

Or how about this. Imagine watching American Idol, and getting live feeds from the judges, being able to read their notes as some schmuck from Corntown, Nebraska wails out his best Marty Robbins. Then the show could bring in some comedian like Dennis Miller or Jerry Seinfeld to do live off-camera podcasts as the contestant wails away. Wouldn't you subscribe to that?

Blogging definitely has a future, but not like anything you see today.