I have to admit, there is some truth in Forbes magazine's article about bloggers "spewing lies, libel and invective" and how they can sometimes damage companies they target.

But pardon me if I don't get all weepy about the fact that the chickens are finally coming home to roost in corporate America after more than a century of its unchallenged dominion over the major media, public discourse, consumer choice, and the quality of life of the average citizen.

How many dollars, after all, have we all wasted on shoddy products and overhyped stocks? How many hundreds of hours have we frittered away just trying to get our measly little customer service complaints addressed? How much outright lying and patronizing indifference have we all had to put up with in pro-business media reporting, corporate press releases, and those infamous "we're all just one happy family" employee newsletters?

And just for the record, how many people have been killed in automobiles built with exploding gas tanks or high rollover rates because their manufacturers deemed it "cost-ineffective" to correct those defects?

And Forbes whines about some citizen bloggers who, after years of taking it in a thousand different demeaning ways from faceless corporations, finally hit back in anger (and don't always get their facts right)?

Well, what do you expect, gentlemen? As I've said before, blogging represents the revolt of the voiceless against the heedless -- and for the first time in the entire history of American business, corporate America can no longer ignore what its customers are thinking and saying. About time, I'd say.

So what should we do about bloggers that "spew lies, libel and invective" at businesses -- some of whom may not deserve it? The same thing that we do with companies that deceive their customers or market shoddy products:

Don't trust them anymore, and take our attention and our wallets elsewhere.

As for businesses large and small, do not for one second imagine that you can ignore the blogosphere just because it contains some overheated nutcases. Get involved, listen to and learn from your customers, and always try your best to deliver what you promise. Your customers will reward you if you do.