Blogging as Civic Responsibilty

Brewed Fresh Daily posted a question/thread the other day: Why do people blog? Should civic responsibility drive the interest + passion?

We have been blogging here recently about the abomination, the Public Square design proposal, that Paul Volpe + Ann Zoller sprung in the Plain Dealer a few weeks ago. And we have been continuously blogging in tandem with Design Rag and Improvised Schema about avenues to pursue alternative strategies. And we have been ruminating about the plight of the Huletts.

Our constant criticism is Civic Resonsibility, albeit in a self-interested manner, since we are all architects + designers. These forums are the rebuttal to the conventional wisdom that seems to plague cities like Cleveland. Our blogs hopefully enlighten the passer-by or informed citizen + decision-maker.

I would suggest some reading that may further enhance the understanding of the power/potency/agility of bloggers + blogs:

Army of Davids by Glenn Reynolds of Instapundit
Blog by Hugh Hewitt

Although is seems most of the Cleveland bloggers tilt, um, left, the libertarian Reynolds and conservative Hewitt offer insight into how the further democritization of information and access is altering the balance between the slower print + broadcast media instituions and passionate and sage bloggers in their pajamas.

Last week's issue of The New Republic delves into blogosphere, also.