The case: Blogs are the soapboxes of the Internet era--independent platforms for everything from personal diatribes to political discourse to tech-gadget reviews. But with their growing popularity, could blogs also become media platforms capable of making money? Two entrepreneurs are trying to find out.

Depending on whom you talk to, Web logs, or blogs, inspire excitement, alarm, or a yawn. They are the personal diaries that now litter the Web, composing a newish online medium that is simplicity itself.