Cory Doctorow writes the most compelling essay about blogging I've read, and for me the effect of the message is amplified incredibly because it reaches me at an excellent moment.

There’s a version of the “why writers should blog” story that is tawdry and mercenary: “Blog,” the story goes, “and you will build a brand and a platformthat you can use to promote your work.”

Virtually every sentence that contains the word “brand” is bullshit, and that one is no exception.