I made a little bit of internet history on Monday, when--wearing my other hat as contributing editor of MediaBistro's Fishbowl D.C.--I became the first blogger to attend (and blog) a White House press briefing. Thanks to a New York Times article and an otherwise slow news day, my presence became quite a big story in Washington and I've been running around the last two days spending almost as much time being interviewed by reporters as I've spent interviewing reporters about covering the White House.

During those interviews, I've had an opportunity to reflect on the larger meaning of my presence. It's hard to say that this was a seminal moment or even a relatively important one. What's easy to say, though, is that it was a highly symbolic moment that marked another stage in the steady evolution of the importance (and acceptance) of blogging.

I've been working in and around blogs for nearly two years now, which in blog-time is basically forever. Their growth and evolution during that time has really been just stunning. I remember going to client meetings last summer and talking about how there were 3 million blogs. Now there are twice that many in Technorati.

I've been thinking a lot about the larger meaning of my visit Monday, and I've decided the main point is that it was another sign of how blogging is evolving.

Blogging is not just a casual commentariot anymore. As a medium, it's maturing into something that gathers facts and provides independent news gathering-outside of any corporate media filter. How's that any different than traditional journalism? It's hard to say. The lines are increasingly blurred. It's going to be some time before we know how this is all going to shake out.

(Want to hear my more informal thoughts on the press briefing? Listen to the EchoRadio podcast.)