So What CAN the Blogosphere/Internet Do?

One of the accusations against the blogosphere is that it's simply a web of fantasy where people sit around snarking and surfing and getting lost in a world of possibility from which they never escape to live real life. So what, then, can the blogosphere/internet contribute to political dialog and/or activity?

One of Germany's foremost philosophers, Jurgen Habermas, thinks the web can serve the best service by correcting the official news media. (via Habermasian Reflections via signandsight) Dietmar Jazbinsek writes:

According to Habermas, online communication can only make a relevant contribution to political discourse if it deals with reporting in the established media. A positive example is the website bildblog.de (which reports critically on the Bild Zeitung - ed)