The question is a good one. The answer is simple. Technology has made blogging necessary for productive writers. Writers today view blogging as a method of building relationships. Internet communications, especially back and forth conversations, are the personal relationships of today. When you comment on what someone has posted, you are saying that you want to build a relationship with them. For good or for bad, the once sacred forms of personal, face-to-face story telling have been replaced by conference calling, Internet meetings, twittering, cell phones and text messaging.
However, Internet communications just for the sake of using the Internet are a waste of time. The smart blogger works to collect a group of like-minded colleagues, forming a mutually beneficial platform of knowledgeable sources. If I am looking to publish in a sports magazine, I need a go-to-guy or gal to spin me in the right direction. If I am lucky enough to be offered a book contract, I need a go-to-guy or gal to review the agreement. This blog is a new enterprise. We hope it grows into a platform of sources.