John, Yes, I read that same article. That article and Patricia Swann's analysis here together form an incredible case history and analysis. I agree, Patricia, that this case is an example of the speed and focus of Internet communications. I also think it's a demonstration of the power of video and how important video clips are and will be in driving news. Without the video, this would have been a small PR problem between Kryptonite, avid bicyclists, and lock retailers. Because of the video, it migrated to a much larger audience, resulting in embarrassment for Kryptonite among the general public (disbelief that an expensive lock could be so easily compromised). Still, since the Internet is now becoming the dominant carrier for distributing video, your comments about the need to monitor online discussion groups are more timely than ever -- because that's the path of least resistance for viral video. As to there being no cost to starting a discussion group thread, I disagree. There is cost in time and technology -- writing posts, preparing artwork, uploading, responding to comments, cleaning out spam, etc. These are not small costs on a personal level: How much time did you spend on your week on IAOCblog.com? Due to these costs, the online audience gravitates toward successful aggregators. A perfect example is Chris Brennan posting his original post on Kryptonite Bic-ing to Bike Forums rather than, say, on his own blog. Due to the very real costs of operating a forum worthy of repeat visits, public relations people can concentrate on monitoring a core group of blogs -- rather than the whole blogosphere -- confident that serious issues will bubble up into these popular forums fairly quickly. Thanks for the stimulating discussion. STEVE O'KEEFE