The Blogosphere: Alternative for the Common People?

I'm blogging again from the Netroots Nation conference in Austin, Texas, and continue to be impressed with how my fellow participants have jumped on this technology as a means of expressing ideas, opinions, and general information that might not have otherwise been available. As the conference has progressed, I have a deeper appreciation for how the Internet, including the blogosphere, has helped us connect with each other, even at the international level, almost instantaneously.