Perhaps the question that should be asked first is, "How much influence should bloggers have?"

Self-appointed commentators, whether in print/broadcast or online, always believe their opinions must count because, after all, they've expressed them.

As a print columnist and editor of several e-newsletters, I say, "baloney!" Opinions are opinions. They may be right, wrong, fuzzy, confused, misguided, malicious, or even ridiculous.

At least with print and broadcast media, the commentator can be held somewhat accountable by advertisers and public opinion. What controls are there on bloggers?

The Internet allows us to disseminate false information at the speed of light. It doesn't make it any more true, it just makes it false faster.

Should bloggers (or any commentator) command the attention of major corporations or the government? Individually, no (there are just too many of them). Collectively, they can provide a finger on the pulse of what the public is being told (right or wrong). Corporations and government agencies should respond to bloggers (as well as incorrect traditional media reports) on their own sites.

If some bloggers feel slighted because they're not "special" enough to get a personal response from everyone they criticize, maybe it's time they realized that they're just not as special as they'd like to believe.