The Blogosphere is Made for Rumour

The blogosphere is a rumour mill if nothing else. But this is not to give in to the impulse to ignore it, on the basis that nothing you read on the internet has any value. One is likely in casual conversation to talk about "things you've heard" based on things you've read on the internet, and miss the irony when you later joke that the internet is a cesspool.

Indeed, if one looks for truth on the internet, it can be found amongst the lies.

Finding "useful truth" may be the new goal for the internet generation. The facts are all there-- finding facts is no longer the problem. One can find facts, but finding useful synthesis of those facts is not as easy. But at the same time, greater synthesis by the individual is possible, given instant access to vast quantities of factual data. The rumours, defined as unverifiable statements, are useful insofar as one understands the context of the statements made. Unverifiable statements can become verified quickly in the internet age, both due to the speed of communication and the pressures it puts on individuals to "correct the record".