Agnes Crane of The Wall Street Journal takes a closer look at the growing number of economists and Wall Street pundits who have joined the blogosphere (link via the New York Sun):

"The economists - including prominent names from universities and even the Federal Reserve - have started blogging, posting their thoughts on the Web on a variety of things, including the rise in oil prices and the future of interest rates."

For blog readers-slash-investors, it's an easy way to get a new trading idea or pick up on an evolving trend, all before the rest of the market can catch up. Says one trader: "It's all about the memes... Those guys say it and about a week or two later, the guys on Wall Street pick it up."

Among the blogs mentioned: EconBrowser, Macroblog, Vox Baby, The Big Picture, and a blog from NYU economics professor Nouriel Roubini.