The media spectacle known as Rathergate has proven to be much bigger than anyone might have imagined in terms of the prominence it has given bloggers. And not just to certain bloggers either, but blogging as a whole.

Here's just some of the quotes I've read lately. . .

"Internet bloggers have drawn blood and American journalism may never be the same."

"The ensuing blaze ripped through the media establishment as previously obscure bloggers managed to put the network of Murrow and Cronkite firmly on the defensive."

"This is the blogs' breakthrough moment."

"In the last two years, the blogosphere -- a vast, free-floating, often quirky club open to anyone with a modem and some opinions -- has been growing in influence, with some one-man operations boasting followings larger than those of small newspapers."

What does this mean for business blogging? Simply. that when you tell clients or customers you have a blog, that term will mean something to them. They will associate it with what they've heard in the news. They may not know exactly what it means, but perhaps it will engender enough curiosity or interest to get them to visit your small business blog. When they do, hopefully you will have provided enough relevant, substantive banter to keep them coming back. If they keep coming back, then maybe a relationship can be forged between you and they on a more personal level. If that can happen, then maybe they become a devoted customer and fan.

Wait. I'm not done yet! More personal musings. . .

The blogosphere is a entity, a sea of largely anonymous voices who, through the connectedness this technology called blogging provides, is able to move quickly and in waves. As in this case, some of the waves are tsunami-like in their proportion.

The celebrity voices like Seth Godin, Mark Cuban, Andrew Sullivan, Glenn Reynolds and others certainly bear a lion's share of influence. But, it is the blogosphere in toto that's needed to create the groundswell of discontent, heightened expectations, or laser-focused awareness that produces a climate for change.

I hope we bloggers will take this sudden notoriety and rise in popularity to heart, and see it as an opportunity to do something meaningful. Whether it is something that affects cultural norms, politics, or business strategies, let's not blow it.

With greater prominence comes greater responsibility. Blogging may have once been solely the provence of chattily ranting teens and techno-geeks, but it is that no longer. Thanks to Rathersgate that has changed. Let's make the most of it while we can. Let's take this seminal moment and use it to make something good.