You reach further than you know.

As for your point on the President’s abuse of executive power — sorry, you’re just wrong.

The quote posted by Craig R. explains it well.

There are men in the blogosphere who have expressed their thoughts and feelings regarding the State of the ’sphere and asked: “Who will listen to what I have to say on this?”
Both are extremely intelligent. From what I have read o…

I did it because
(a) I needed an armature to use as a frame to help me with the discipline to get back into writing something other than tech manuals & reports
(b) I felt the need to articulate what was of concern to me, as a way to clarify my own feelings on issues, even if it was the voice crying in the wilderness
(c) each voice, when raised alone is near silent, when raised in concert can bring down the walls

I don’t know if the walls will come down, but the voices are being raised.

In some minor way the writers of blogs have caused embarrassment to The Powers That Be by highlighting that the media (and TPTB) may not give the same priority to the murder or kidnapping of a lower-income black woman as they do to the violence against a white, middle class 20-something blond with blue eyes, or by digging through testimony and find the nugget where a corrupt lobbiest trells the truth about how he and his brethren feel about the people they manipulate.

The members of the various blogs can react quickly to publicize news that may, at first, seem to be of only local interest — but all politics is local.

We can look silly as well (do many of those writing *really* think they can make money doing this?), and may get collectivly taken in by hoaxes. On the other hand, if we do get collectivly taken in, does it say that we are gullible, or that we are too trusting (not the same as “gullible”), or that we hav been pre-conditioned by events to believe either the best or the worst (depending on what side of the river you deposit your trust) of people, or the PTPB.

Let me close with the tag end of my own first post into The Boston Progressive:

“…and to raise my voice to be heard.

I harbor no illusions about how loud a voice it will be, nor how influential it will be.

But If I do not speak up now, when I see the need, when else?”

Okay, so where was I? -I’m focusing and thinking again (if I ever do either, that is). Thanks for all the good wishes while I nursed my bruised brain. -Go check the Commissar’s revised map. He has honored this blog

…at Random Fate, for what it is worth.

1) When you’re talking about the blogosphere, especially smaller blogs, it’s not about the individual blogger, but often about the totality of the blogs’ opinion and influence. You influence a hundred people, I influence a hundred, etc.

2) Different bloggers have different levels of credibility. On the wiretap issue, for example, Orin Kerr has put up a sterling analysis … and I fully expect that his analysis will be cited outside of the blogosphere before long. Then again, Orin Kerr is a law professor, not a mere electron-stained wretch such as you and I.

3) First and foremost, remember to treat this as a hobby. You’re doing it for fun and entertainment. If you start bemoaning your lack of influence, blogging will become more of a chore for you.

–|PW|–