Technology: blogging ripples

I found the blogging ripples model via knowledge cafe on the logic+emotion blog

"Yet another stab at the blog levels of influence idea. There are multiple ripples overlapping, happening in a three dimensional space—in real time. If this were animated, the ripples would not dissapear, but radiate."

Personally, most of the times I try to upload unique stories because I think people already read the same blogs as I do. I did notice though that a lot of blogs do copy ideas and links (and building on them as well) - like this post does. In a way, it then works as a measurement of what is important in a certain field. A way to test ideas and see whether they get picked up and amplified by other blogs. The good thing is ofcourse that even 'small' blogs have the chance to come up a superbe idea, which could be amplified. This as compared to a f2f meeting or conference where the 'small' blogger might not dare to speak up. So I might do it more often if I think something is important.

On the other hand blog influences seem to work very subtle. You read something, you start thinking about it, and it leads to a new blogpost which is much harder to trace. Sort of cross pollination. Harder to track but still influence ripples?