<br /> As a sure sign that bloggers are receiving increasing attention from highest offices of the corporate world and that blog posts are being read by major companies, Irish low-cost airline giant Ryanair has entered into an unusual exchange with online freelance writers. Jason Roe, an avid blogger and freelance web developer, posted a blog entry in which he criticized an apparent flaw in Ryanair?s website, which made it appear as though the no-frills carrier offered flights for free. The post was picked up by a Ryanair employee, who publicly issued an impolite and bitter rebuke, on Roe?s blog. Bloggers quickly discovered that the infamous comments had, in fact, originated from Ryanair?s headquarters, prompting the carrier to issue a formal statement concerning the incident.<br /> The problem, however, is that bloggers critical of the Irish discount airline have not only caught the attention of the airline, but have apparently irritated it as well. Ryanair issued an unusually undiplomatic statement to the blogosphere, noting that in the future they will not correspond with ?idiot bloggers,? thus leaving ?lunatic bloggers? to their own devices.<br /> Ryanair?s response to critical bloggers may be unusual in the business world, considering that most companies steer clear of insulting scores of potential customers by questioning their intelligence in such a crude manner. But this incident does show that the thoughts and opinions of freelance writers and bloggers are being read throughout the world, and they often provoke responses. The fact that such a prominent airline felt the need to engage bloggers on this level indicates that blogs are being taken seriously, as they can be highly effective forums for the diffusion of ideas around the world.<br /> Thank you to The Guardian and The Irish Times for the initial reports.