Quoting Epeus' epigone

Kevin Marks on blogging:
The great thing about weblogs is when you discover someone. Someone who makes sense to you, or someone who surprises you with a viewpoint you hadn't thought of. Once you have found them you can subscribe to their feeds and see how they can keep inspiring or surprising you.
You can even start a blog, link to them, and join the conversation,
The continuity of viewpoint within a blog is key - you can see more about them than just the one comment, and you can keep discovering and growing with them. Conversely, being aware that what you are writing is 'on your permanent record' means that you write more carefully for a blog than for an email.

This is my goal. I've read some perfectly fine blogs that don't really do much more than fill you in on what the blogger has been doing lately (like my Blogger blog). The blogs that I really enjoy reading, Doc Searls, Kevin Marks, Joi Ito, all have something to say that makes me sit back and think for a while. They also make me want to come here and put up my own take on the subject. That goes beyond entertainment, much the same way a well written biography takes me beyond the simple joy of reading and forces me to start looking for more references, a deeper insight. Well written and well considered blogs should start a small fire of interest in the reader's mind, and quickly blossom into a bonfire that only the waters of greater knowledge will quench.