blogga blogga blogga

Do you think that some of the reason for the rise in popularity of blogs and blogging is due to people seeking out a diversity of opinion, or seeking to control the filter through which their news is delivered? Example—if I am a hard-core Democratic activist I may be more likely to go to Slate or The New Republic as well as all the democraticunderground-style blogs.
Like a kind of “rose colored glasses” I don’t mind my "news" being ideologically filtered if it is openly admitted. In fact, I prefer my news filtered by my own handpicked “trusted advisors.” For some people sorting out the middle east is too daunting a task, but if I trust Tom Friedman and I read what he says---he becomes my own personal news guy for foreign affairs. I think the real potential for establishing yourself as “the expert” on a particular issue, and then developing a following is one profitable direction that all this blogging will lead. Think Kim Komando for computers. Or locally think Sharon Keating for real estate.

Then again, it could just be that there are a lot of egomaniacal individuals with free access to a forum and an inflated sense of importance, desiring to chronicle every boneheaded idea they have in the vain hope that someone, somewhere will read it and feed their desire for approval.
Discuss among yourselves…