Dell, the poster child for a big company embracing social media, has launched a new blog. Dell’s chief blogger, Lionel Menchaca, announced “Your Blog” on Direct2Dell, the customer service-focused blog launched during some of the company’s darkest days.

“YourBlog” will focus on the uses to which people put their computers. Lionel thinks of it as “a little bit Community + Lifehacker + ReadWriteWeb + Gamespy.” Dell employees will contribute to the blog, which features an idea submission field: The blog will steer toward topics about which people want to read.

So far, only an inaugural post with two paltry comments appears on the blog. The welcome message comes from John Pope, who writes:

It is our hope that by providing such a venue, the hyper-connected power of social media ??? primarily its infinite potential for stoking two-way dialogue ??? will help you get more out of your passions. Things like photography, gaming, music, film, fashion, social media ?? and all things computer related. For Dell, it???s another opportunity to listen, learn and ultimately act in mutual self-interest.

Support for conversations with customers seems to be unconditional at Dell. Lynn Tyson, the company’s investor relations chief, said (in an FIR interview) that she encountered no resistence to starting DellShares, one of the few IR-focused blogs. Even the lawyers have seen the results. Dell also gets that it’s people, not the corporation, that have conversations.

“Your Blog” could be a potent extension of Dell’s existing efforts. If it becomes a home for people looking to soak up all they can about their passions, as Pope puts it, then those people will have a regular positive brand experience. That will require some hefty blogging to compete draw the attention of people inclined to follow Lifehacker, ReadeWriteWeb, Gamespy and the like. If anybody can pull it off, though, it’s Lionel and his colleagues.

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