Blogs now doubling as cops/PIs/finks?

This article leads one to think it could be.

Blog-Tracking May Gain Ground Among U.S. Intelligence Officials Investor's Business Daily  04/27/04

[Some blogs] are cutting edge in delivering information and opinion.

As a result, some analysts say U.S. intelligence and law enforcement officials might be starting to track blogs for important bits of information. This interest is a sign of how far Web media such as blogs have come in reshaping the data-collection habits of intelligence professionals and others, even with the knowledge that the accuracy of what's reported in some blogs is questionable.

Still, a panel of folks who work in the U.S. intelligence field - some of them spies or former spies - discussed this month at a conference in Washington the idea of tracking blogs.

"News and intelligence is about listening with a critical ear, and blogs are just another conversation to listen to and evaluate. They also are closer to (some situations) and may serve as early alerts," said Jock Gill, a former adviser on Internet media to President Clinton (news - web sites), in a later phone interview, after he spoke on the panel.

And, hey, I'm cool with that.  I'm glad to help any time.  Because I love John Ashcroft. I support everything in the PATRIOT Act except I think it should be stronger.  I support the war in Iraq and I'm for invading Iran, Syria, Libya, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Egypt, France - anywhere that Bush the Magnificent say we should invade.

Psst... Hey, guys, check it out!  I hear on good authority that Rush Limbaught has a ... a drug problem... Follow  up on that quick!  The ads on the TV says dope users are supporting terrorism!

Did I mention that I think that Dick Cheney and Don Rumsfeld are great patriots and brilliant foreign policy visionaries?  And that Antonin Scalia is the finest legal mind of our generation?