] BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- Like most Americans, Indiana
] University law professor Jeff Cooper became a news junkie
] in the wake of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. But
] after a while, learning what others had to say about
] current affairs wasn't enough.
]
] ''I wanted to not only read a lot about what was
] happening, but I wanted to say something, too,'' he said.
]
] So Cooper, 38, launched a personal Web site to air his
] political views.
]
] Cable news came of age during the first Persian Gulf War.
] Online commentary -- or blogging, as it is known -- may
] have found its moment in this second campaign against
] Saddam Hussein.
]
] It is an unexpected turn of events.
]
] Web logs -- hence the geekish contraction ''blogs'' --
] began as cyberspatial diaries on which writers posted
] snippets of whatever came to mind or to their attention.
] Narcissism and tedious anarchy were the order of the day.
]
] Over time the blogs began to take on many of the
] characteristics of privately printed 19th century
] pamphlets -- places where overlooked or simply eccentric
] preoccupations could be aired.