Bloggers, we are constantly told, are turning both the mainstream media and standard political discourse on its head. Filling the vacuum left by broadcast outlets and the so-called 'dead tree press', the blogosphere has stepped into to create an entirely new arena for a newly media-enfranchised, politically-literate public to swap ideas, challenge widely-held preconceptions and engage in ideological and policy debate.
Just to prove that, one of Britain's most popular bloggers, Guido Fawkes - aka right-wing activist and former computer games champion Paul Staines - broke the story that the director of think-tank Demos, Madeleine Bunting, was leaving to rejoin the Guardian.
Here's some of the comments his readers left on the blog in response (bear in mind these were moderated by the site operator before going on the site, and the asterisks are mine):
She's such a n*bhead.While she's on gardening leave she could do worse than stick her bonce in a burkha for a month and consider the coming reality.
You know there IS something appealing about her lower lip...
After a couple of pints,you would though wouldn't you. Has she got big t*ts?
This photograph makes a bad hair day look like a trip to Vidal Sassoon or(insert other trendy in crowd hairsnippers).
Aaahh...the blogosphere. Let a thousand flowers boom!