Google has bought Pyra (Blogger.com).  This article from Executive Summary Consulting

Regardless of how Google chooses to develop the Blogger.com service itself, a major player in the online media space has made a serious bet that blogs are going to be something worthwhile for the long term. And that in itself is what’s most important in this news. Blogs have arrived. They’ve reached the tipping point, crossed the chasm, whatever you want to call it.

I’ve been pushing the idea of Weblogs as “Community Building Tools” to every Church related technology shop I have talked with about their “need for me”.  And,  as this indicates,  to any non-Church , any-kind-of business.  The idea that there is value in “providing blog space” and “blog tools” is springing up everywhere.  (I read a few items just recetnly about Lycos doing the same ,  tied in with their GeoCities.    Usually,  as it was with the Web,  Church organizations follow somewhat closely behind in “catching on” (though not quickly enough behind).