Blogger Impact

The evolution of the blog has been an interesting one to watch. From something that began as an onilne diary; a simple way to not only keep a journal but also communicate en masse to friends and strangers alike, the medium has morphed into its very own media category, with blogs being used for everything from corporate communications and marketing to news to political lobbying. And while blogging is still used for online diaries, its impact is certainly gaining notice.

The most recent example of the impact bloggers are having on society as a whole came in a fairly predictable form: explaining technology to the uninformed. I'm sure most have heard of the case of Julie Amero, a substitute teacher who was prosecuted and nearly sentenced before a motion was made for a new trial. Bloggers rallied to the cause, spreading the word about her case, and inciting a flood of information to be sent to the court pointing out that porn pop-ups are a fairly common occurrence, especially when tech support isn't on the ball with pop-up blockers, anti-virus, and anti-spam programs.

The judge admonished the bloggers for “attempting to influence the court,” but isn't the right to a fair trial what America is all about? Technology is moving at a much faster pace than the majority of our culture is able to keep up. If bloggers are able to help bridge that gap, why are they being admonished?

Blogging has given a platform to anyone who can string two words together to form a sentence, and has allowed individuals to quickly form organized campaigns with like-minded people world-wide, giving visibility to issues from environmental causes to political campaigns to consumer complaints. It's a given that this tendency to organize will give a louder voice to previously disconnected individuals, and for better or worse, it's going to have a greater impact as more and more people become aware of the power of bloggers.

Fred Wilson had a perfect example of how mainstream this impact is becoming: chef Mario Batali posted as a guestblogger on Eater. His post, oddly enough, was a rant about blogging and the impact bloggers can have when they have the wrong information (see also: the stock tumble Apple took after misinformation was posted on Engadget). But as Fred points out, even the rant gives credence to how much impact bloggers can have:

But look beyond Mario's post. He's validating the very medium he's criticizing. A guest post on Eater by Mario Batali makes Eater bigger, will bring more readers, lets everyone know that Eater matters.

And Mario knows that too. But anyone who pays attention can see that blogs and review sites are gaining importance in the restaurant market. Dealing with user generated content is the reality of being a restaurant owner.

So Mario's validating and critiquing at the same time. He's in the conversation. Smart.

The impact is real, and what's most important is to use that power wisely.

Image courtesy Gapvoid