Time for some philosophy...

of weblogs, that is. The best-written commentary and explanation on blogs I've ever read comes from plasticbag.org.

Weblogs allow people to find new and interesting links on the internet. They let people read the soap operas (small and large) of real people's lives. They give you access to the news stories from the people who were actually there on the ground.

As for explodingchef, it's an (unconscious) attempt to merge the idea of a weblog and a journal (a j-blog?). A soap opera? Probably. The journalist in me loves the idea of you being able access news on the ground through my site, but that's something I'll maybe have to work on.