A handy four-letter word

Boston.com reports on the advantages of venture capital firms to maintain blogs in the sea of new technologies flooding the web.

Blogging can boost a venture firm's reputation and demonstrate its "marketing savvy," notwithstanding that - according to venture capitalist Fred Wilson - "its the best VC tool that I've seen, and I've in this business for twenty years."

Wilson uses his blog not merely to meet more start-ups, but also to unearth companies that are "more targeted and more relevant" to his areas of interest. Wilson also likes the opportunity for discussion with readers, relishing discussions with them and gleaning new information about companies he may not currently be aware of.

Indeed, one post may draw 25 or 30 comments. "You can't buy that kind of education," he writes, "and I get it every day for free."

Blog-happy VCs are reportedly also more receptive to trying new technologies themselves. Bijan Sabet at Spark Capital has a "growing tower" of software widgets on the right-hand side of his blog. Tooling with them, and letting other users interact, tells him whether a certain technology is "meaningful or not."