Bloggers, do they have any real power?

[nathifa_perez]

Do bloggers have any real power? As individuals we want to believe that what we feel, do, and say makes a difference. My question is, even though we may want to believe we make a difference, do we actually make a difference? I mean we get behind our computers and write these blogs with as much care as a bomb maker takes when assembling his creation

Comments

[kstanley]

So do bloggers; fans; viewers have any real power?
Well does any individual have real power? If you have ever gotten behind a cause or a candidate that you really believe in, and you have failed to get what you want, it is easy to believe that you can't make a difference. And yet, looking at history we see that the exact opposite is true. Every change that has ever occurred in our society starts with one person who has the will and the way to get their idea out there

[kstanley]

adding on to this idea:

The internet (and blogs and forums) has helped to break down some of the barriers between individuals and those in power. And that might be the most powerful aspect of this shift to online. Because we live in a heirarchical society that puts a lot of barriers between individuals and those who control our fate: you have to do things a certain way and go through certain people in order to influence those in power. But blogs and online forums are challenging this.

It's not just "the people" who are spearheading the breakdown of these barriers; political candidates like having a blog because it means they can get their message out without mediation. If the press criticizes them, they have ample space and time to response in their blogs (as opposed to five minute spots on Lou Dobbs or some other news program)

[danny_ma]

Funny thing is, for some reason or another I always think that our opinion matters, but I never see any changes either, I still think there might be changes.(Big hope there's changes) Let's just use this as an example, I play a card game that's popular throughout the world, I even collect. ONe problem is that everyone uses what is essentially the same deck, they use the same cards followed by the same strategies. There are thousands of different cards out there, but I would say almost everyone runs the same cards, but people stay with the same 40 cards. 40 out of a thousand. There are very few exception out there. I often write up pages and pages of my opinions and tell that world uses same strategies and it destroys the game by doing this. Of course, as soon I as I post something that is new to them, I get bashed instantly. I bring up certain points that people agrees on, but after typing all of those pages of comments, no one changes. But I'm not sure about other subjects, like something for a big corporation. They might look for