Every couple of weeks or so a journalist or, heaven forbid, a blogger pops up with a story that is unflattering or even down right negative about the use of blogging as a business tool. (More often than not the party in question is simply practicing a “go against the flow” tactic to garner publicity)

This publicity usually comes at the hands of irate bloggers who quickly post dramatic and often silly sounding defenses of their beloved blogging. Many times these responses resort to name calling and renewed pledges to boycott this person or publication’s writing forever.

Here’s the ironic thing about this activity. Every time bloggers post these emotional responses, they actually hurt the reputation of blogging as a business tool. Look, blogging is an effective marketing tool, anyone who has used it as such knows that, but, it ain’t a religion, it doesn’t need to be defended. Cruelty to animals, now there’s a cause you should go to bat for, but blogging, just go lead by doing and the business world will follow.

Business folks are still cautious about mixing blogs with other marketing tools, partly due to the overhype blogs received and partly due to the lingering perception of blathering lunatics.

Just go out and blog and stop contributing to the blathering lunaticness. The sooner business people see that the “blogosphere” is not an exclusive club with some secret code of rules, the easier it will become for them to rationally determine how to use it as marketing tool.