It has really come to my attention how powerful blogs can be. The ability has been around since the beginning of the web, but the ubiquity of friendly web software (which makes it feasible for otherwise full-time workers and players to pore out their gray matter regularly) is only a phenomena of the past couple years or so. Now many have blogs… and even if you know nothing about writing xhtml or a server side language like php, cfml, asp, or jsp… you can still have a blog by going to places like Blogger or MySpace or a host of others.
Blogs are the great equalizer. Some can get kicked around by everyone and their dog during their tempestuous day… but by night they can brandish a glass of wine and a computer keyboard and go to town on their oppressors right back. This is even happening to the point of people getting fired and lawsuits being filed over right to privacy, freedom of speech, and right to anonymity. Dooce.com is a famous example… she mouthed off to about her employers… they “dooced” her… and now her blog is so well read it generates bigger paychecks than before… leaving her crying all the way to the bank! [I love that story] Granted, hers is an exception, but it’s a good example of what can happen when someone with clear thoughts gets noticed by the masses on the electric ether.
Tucker Max, some young womanizing jerk (his words… not mine :-)), runs a site dedicated to his stories of drunken debauchery… literally (hence, I don’t have the heart to link it). His site became known in blog circles when he got sued by a two-time Miss Vermont for posting their wacky relationship on his blog, including details of embarrassing social and sexual events (her lawyers later dropped the suit). Now he’s also crying to the bank… as he just finished his book tour to promote I Hope They Serve Beer In Hell [news link], a collection of some of his wildest stories. I think I just saw on Drudge a few days ago that he’s getting sued again. More tears… anybody got a Kleenex?
I can go without that kind of notoriety, but it is fun to see a website rise in the rankings… I think I’m somewhere in the 300,000’s of all web domains on the planet. I thought that was terrible until I saw that there are in the 3,000,000’s of them… many of which don’t get enough traffic to even be trackable. So I’ll take a top 10% any day… and feel blessed, or lucky, depending on who you pray to.
Speaking of… here’s my Sunday brunch Chinese buffet fortune:
Of all the lucky people, you are the chosen one.
Good stuff. 
Web designer and developer. Loud discerner. Software engineer and 
Yeah, I’d...
I hate to start off by saying “I read somewhere” and not give a source, as it loses all credibility. But I honestly cannot remember where I read the following tidbit of information. I want to say that I read it in Leo Laporte’s Technology Almanac. If that’s not the right source, then My best friend’s sister’s boyfriend’s brother’s girlfriend heard from this guy who knows this kid who’s going with the girl who saw Ferris pass out at 31 Flavors last night. I guess it’s pretty serious.
Anyway, to the point:
Blogs, even in their infancy, had a major part in the political arena and have actually affected the results of the recent elections, when those voters “on the fence” were swayed by what they read in blogs. And with Podcasts becoming readily available, information is being spread that much faster! Although, I have to admit that my exposure to Podcasts are limited to Adam Curry’s. What can I say, my generation gave roots to the MTV craze.
I didn’t even know Adam Curry was still around. What’s his podcast about?
Blogs are a good alternative to standard outlets… although you have to be careful and use a discerning mind… but you get the OTHER side of many issues allowing anyone to make a form a more intelligent opinion than if they were using one source or listening to just one screwball.
Neo!