The Weblog

Adam Kotsko recently argued that blogs should not, are not and probably will not mutate into viable academic venues. He cites various reasons why and then states:

So I would say that blogging is a great way for academics to socialize and should be encouraged -- it's especially great for academics who would otherwise be quite isolated from other academics of similar interests. But what goes along with that is a tacit agreement -- nothing can exceed the level of rigor of a conversation at the pub after class.

After some of my own recent encounters with "scholars," I wonder if the community aspect is even viable.