What bloggers know
Posted: January 23, 2007
1:00 a.m. Eastern


By Mary Jo Anderson


It's a common companion to that first morning cup of coffee. It is overtaking newspapers and "Good Morning America." In offices worldwide the morning break finds workers scanning their favorites. Can't sleep? Bored? Lonely? Looking for synchronicity? Just open the blogosphere. That is, log onto to your favorite blogs. Whole cyber-cities are just a few keystrokes away.

The blogosphere phenomenon has been chronicled in business magazines, university seminars, in political back rooms and on Main Street America. Psychologists study blogamania; they worry that blogging destroys interpersonal relationships since bloggers commune with cyber-friends while real-life connections languish. Advertisers pay for space in the margins of the high-traffic blogs. Students use them to share information on professors and their tests. For good or for ill, the blogosphere is part of American life.

The blog format is so popular that newspapers, magazines and radio have added their own staff bloggers to insure their fair share of the blog traffic. The power of blogs over public perception entices the pinstripe brigade from Madison Avenue to Hollywood. Paid professionals seed the blogosphere to create a "presence" for their clients – celebrities and politicians. Bloggers pick up news reports and exponentially increase exposure, creating a "buzz" within hours. There are blog awards and blog statistics trackers. There are even blog coalitions. Famous columnists are rapidly becoming famous bloggers – without editors or syndicators between them and what they really want to say. (Ann Coulter recently told Sean Hannity to look for her at Anncoulter.com)...

http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=53883