"It was the best of times, it was the blurst of times?!"

Its one of the more poignant quotes from The Simpsons television show, Mr. Burns standing in front of an assemblage of monkeys with typewriters, angry at the results of one monkey's supposedly random typing. It is a reference, of course, to the idea that an infinite number monkeys with an infinite number of typewriters will eventually create the works of Shakespeare. The concept, fairly fantastic on the surface, is a fairly accurate analogy for the evolution of media in the Internet age- most specifically this supposed revolution of "The Blogosphere."

I'm not quite sure how much of the blog universe is actually revolutionary, and how much is really de-evolutionary to the growth and purpose of media in general.

I have no problem with the concept of blogs as a form of media. I would consider this site a blog, of sorts, if it were not for the stigma of irrational and, quite frankly, muddled partisan noise, that comes with the concept. Blogging should be a revolution. Advancements in technology, which put more of the power of communication into the hands of the people, should cause revolutionary change across all of media.

New technologies in the dissemination of media always serve to remove various obstacles in the distribution of opinions, exposure of facts, and overall ability to "get the word out." The benefit, as evidenced in the evolution of mass media over the last century from newspapers and network news to cable and less-conventional print publications, is that the influence of media is consolidated amongst less parties.

In concept, alone, that's a good thing. But it's a double-edged sword. These obstacles- in any media or art form- also serve to ensure quality (regardless of how you define quality) and accuracy. In simpler terms, these obstacles filter out the garbage.

If there is any filter- or differentiator- at all in the universe of blogs, its pure popularity. When it comes to media, that's not really the best single "filter" for what should be influential or powerful. Today's "best" blogs are not, by default, the most well-written ones, the most well-designed ones, nor even the ones with the most highly developed and cogent ideas. With the absence of obstacles and filters caused by advancing technology, "best" becomes defined as the ones that most stridently affirm its reader's existing worldviews. The discussion- and discovery- of new ideas is secondary (if it exists at all.)

Blogs, indeed, have become a fairly popular place for people to get information and opinions. I wouldn't doubt that soon some permeation of "The Blogosphere" will trump traditional media as the primary medium people use to get such information and opinions. The real danger, therefore, is that a valuable chunk of the limited space in which various discussions on issues occurs, becomes muddled. Muddled with at best, completely random and unsorted prattle and rants, and at worst, nothing but empty partisan talking points.