From Prince Harry in Afghanistan to Tom Cruise ranting about Scientology and footage from the Burmese uprising, blogging has never been bigger. It can help elect presidents and take down attorney generals while simultaneously celebrating the minutiae of our everyday obsessions. Here are the 50 best reasons to log on.

Check out number 12. Now I’ve been a China blog watcher for more then a minute but I must admit that I would never have guessed that Xu Jinglei’s blog would be considered one of the 50 most influential blogs. I guess I’ll have to make it a regular stop on my reading list to see why.

The worlds 50 most powerful blogs