One thing about the blogosphere that I've watched happen is that as blogging shifts to be more accepted and 'mainstream', it also falls under more pressures.

Now bloggers have to start fact checking, telling both sides and being more careful about what we say and who we say it about. It's akin to watching street wear become part of and adapt to the mainstream. I haven't figured out whether I mourn the loss of the original grittiness of these phenomena or whether I'm cheering the social acceptance and growth of them - or both. I think it just "is" and something else will swell up from the subversive a couple of years later to take it's place.

Either way, I really enjoyed reading Robert Scoble's post the other day on this subject. It's worth a read.