Trusting Bloggers

I came across this interesting post by Bill Ives ... The question is an interesting one ... whether people trust bloggers or not. My two bits on this ... and, since you are reading this, i can safely assume that you at least trust what i write, if not completely trusting me! :-)

Well well ... coming to the idea of trust that more traditional media command ... they do get it wrong, too. In that, i remember reading a news piece (this was around 8 years ago, and i dont remember where i read this ... i am gtting old, you see!), about Microsoft being the largest ERP vendor in the world (this was in a different context, but that was the message ...). Now, this is definitely not correct, but this came from one of the most respectable business dailies. Now, this is just an example. And, if we are to be told that the research firms always gt it right, thats also not correct.

About the blogosphere ... the fact is, that even today, there is no way you can actually aggregate what the "blogosphere" says about a particular topic. And, considering that blogs are a conversation, which essentially represent opinions, there is no aggregate way to search for opinions. Even if we leave that aside, the fact is, that like a lot of markets, the blogosphere has ways of making sure the fakers are not lasting for too long in the heart of the conversation. Lets face it ...

Ye jo Public hai, ye sab jaanti hai!

or ...

This Public, this public knows everything!

Fact is, on the aggregate, the "blogosphere", if seen as a marketplace, knows a lot more than it lets on, and would definitely be far more reliable than the editorials of a newspaper, or the thought processes of a research firm. Which is why, i wouldnt even look at the "blogosphere" for instant replies, but rather, for opinions based on which i can derive my thoughts, and also, for an understanding of where the world is headed, more at the aggregate level.

Even at the granular level, if we are to consider a specific event, the fact is that the market (and in a way, the "blogosphere" can be a proxy for one ...), is far more suited for making predictions on the outcome of a specific event than an individual is, which is why, they usually get it right before the others.