THE ORNATE halls of the Palais du Luxembourg in Paris — once at the heart the French Revolution — were echoing to talk of another revolution this week.

More than 200 people from around the world, guests of the French Senate, were discussing weblogs, and the myriad technologies that have sprung up around these diary-like websites.

Once regarded by some as little more than the playthings of geeks and teenage girls, blogs are now being seen more widely as something much more significant. Popular political bloggers have gained huge visibility — especially in the United States — since the 9/11 terrorist attacks, highlighting political and journalistic scandals and racking up multi-million audiences that many a traditional media site would envy.

Blogs lie at the heart of a movement that many of its participants hope will open up previously closed processes in politics, the media, and the wider business world. And while the fevered American enthusiasm for them has yet to be replicated elsewhere, the prestigious setting for this week's conference demonstrates how far weblogs have moved in the last few years.

No longer is every blog operation run on a shoestring. Some sites, powered by the same free or ultra low-cost software as the amateurs, are raking in six-figure sums from advertisers keen on reaching the large niche audiences they serve.

The blog bandwagon is also rolling into the business communication arena with conviction, with early adopters warning the impact here will be just as keenly felt as in politics and journalism. Microsoft chairman Bill Gates recently told U.S. technology magazine AlwaysOn: "Eventually most businesses will use blogs to communicate with customers, suppliers and employees, because it's two-way and more satisfying."

So why are they getting so excited? Blogs are, after all, merely another form of website, albeit one with easy-to-use software sitting behind it.

The key lies in the impact of this software. Because it is easy to use, you tend to write less formally, and more often. Blogs lend themselves to a more confessional style of writing, and early business bloggers say these unfiltered, unspun voices will make business communication more transparent and, ultimately, possibly even make the businesses themselves more profitable. Ultimately, honesty and transparency will be demanded by customers, they say, and the demand will be fulfilled by this kind of site.

That is the experience of Paul Woodhouse, one of Britain's earliest and best business bloggers. Mr. Woodhouse runs the Tinbasher blog, a site about Planters Direct — a supplier of stainless steel planters — and its parent company, Butler Sheetmetal.

The site was named small business blog of the year in a worldwide poll. After launching the blog, he says he "saw an immediate increase in traffic" to the company's websites.

"Whereas the existing Butler Sheetmetal site saw maybe 10-20 visitors a day, I soon found this had quadrupled in the first week with the blog stats as well. I also saw an increase in bookmarks."

- Guardian Newspapers Limited 2004

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