Do Blogs Make a Difference?

"If there must be trouble, let it be in my day, that my child may have peace. " Thomas Paine

A lot of people probably think this blog is nothing more than a father venting about the series of errors committed regarding his child's healthcare. But be aware that this blog led to Consumers Union, publisher of Consumer Reports, developing interest in Hunter's case. That, in turn, led to Rep. Tom Campbell requesting that I testify before the State Senate Committee. That led to coverage by The Olympian newspaper. And all of those things are now a permanent part of the collective knowledge online, available 24 hours a day, worldwide.

Similarly, this week I wrote in my other blog an item about executive pay, which was seen by Bloomberg, whose reporter wrote an article on a completely different executive pay story, which was then picked up by the Los Angeles Times and dozens of other national publications and read by millions of people this week. Those comments are now a permanent part of the collective knowledge online, available 24 hours a day, worldwide.

Traditional media, politicians, and executives are realizing that power is returning to the citizens, just like the Founding Fathers intended. Those sitting in cozy offices thinking that their connections, political contributions, lobbying activities and wealthy fundraising friends are going to insulate them from these annoying little blogs - well, they're in for a very big surprise.