Revisiting the WHY of Blogging

I was in and out of airports all weekend. Nauseated, angry, sleepy, exhausted, dizzy, frustrated, sweaty - basically the most uncomfortable circumstances that a human can feel without the threat of violence - airports can bring out the worst in me.

Beyond the fatigue, I overheard two gentlemen about to board US Airways with me. Crumbled up in a sweatshirt, I tried to hide the fact that I was eavesdropping:

Suited Man 1: I mean, I can't even tell you what a blog even is.

Suited Man 2: Me neither, I don't read that crap.

1: Really, why would you? Why would I spend any amount of time reading someone else's stream of consciousness?

2: Seriously! I agree, that's why I don't know one thing that is going on in the blogosphere. I don't want to know.

1: Why, why spend any time reading some random person's thoughts?

2: I mean, even if they're an academic, I wouldn't read -

1: Especially if they're an academic!

2: I just don't see why people read that stuff.

So, here are my question as I revisit my own purposes for reading and writing in this globe of madness we call the blogosphere:
Is there a time to begin and end your presence in the blogosphere? What's the next step for bloggers after controversy and heat? (IS there even a next step, or is THIS - online dialogue - it?) Why are you here in the blogosphere? What would you say to these two men if you had the nerve to butt into their conversation because, clearly, I could not? Would you even WANT to convince anyone these days to read the feminist blogosphere? (Ok, I just broke my vow that I was going to stop blogging about this issue...)