This week's exercises (especially reading Web 2.0: Where will the next generation of the web take libraries? and its comment on how nearly everything we do will be able to be done via computer) has given me a chilling view of a possible future (rather like that featured in many sci-fi novels) where people will spend their lives in blogland, living in isolated rooms, rather than conversing over coffee with friends, or dinner with family, or writing texts, emails, letters, or making phonecalls to people they know and love.

I hope my colleague's comment to me the other day proves to be true in this case - that usually the pendulum swings too far - into blogland this time - and then eventually settles back into a happy middle place, where it has its uses but doesn't overwhelm.

However blogs do have an obvious relevance for small businesses as a way of getting their message out there quickly and cheaply.

I can also see that for libraries - management and staff - web 2.0 can be an exciting networking tool for sharing ideas and information worldwide.

As far as a specific library's patrons are concerned, though, my feeling is that face-to-face communication in the library is more relevant. I like the idea of a physical 'blog' on a huge scroll around the library walls where patrons can write their thoughts and ideas and perhaps get together to bring these ideas together with library staff and do some more brainstorming.