If Google, AOL, poss Yahoo and then prob MSN have weblog services, there is a possibility that the weblog space will Balkanize, if the precedent set by the various instant messaging systems is anything to go by.
Such an outcome would threaten any standards for weblog API’s and syndication far more than internecine struggles within the existing weblog community ever could. It would also prevent analysis tools or weblog search engines such as Technorati and Feedster from providing comprehensive coverage.
Increasingly it is becoming apparent that what makes a publishing system or search/analysis tool a weblog tool is the ability to be part of an open system enabling publishing, syndication and real-time search results. As such, if such Balkanization does occur, then I would suggest that systems that don’t allow this shouldn’t really call themselves weblog services. To enable this means defining publicly what a weblog service is, perhaps now is a good time to do this.