Maybe I am a minority, but if I discover some new online company, I tend to check their blog to have a glimpse about what they are up to, how their thinking is in general and whether they are able to communicate in an intelligent way. To sum it up, I personally like it when company has a blog, and I see it as a bonus, even if they speak only about themselves.
I do the same. In fact, if it's a relatively young company and I find that the blog hasn't been updated for months, that will influence my decision on buying their product. The blog may or may not be a good indicator of company health, I don't know. But in the absence of other indicators, I'll treat it as a heartbeat signal.
Yeah, I don't think Joel is saying you shouldn't blog about yourself. You should, for just that reason. He's just saying it's not an ideal lead generation tool for most people, and I think he's correct.
I can confidently say reading company blogs has never factored into my purchase decisions. I also don't read company press releases, most company copy, or most ads before buying. What's the point? That time is better spent reading independent reviews and such.
