Two recent stories that have bounced all around cyberspace highlight the impact of sites like YouTube and other new media outlets.

First, there's the disturbing video of 2 employees at a Domino's in North Carolina adulterating the food they were making. This PR debacle highlighted the fact that businesses can't control the image of their brand as it moves around on the Internet via Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, etc.

So the best response is to engage people in new media settings. Bring them into the fold and you'll avoid creating an environment where they'd rather go off and make their own gripe site. That's a big reason why Clark came up with the Clark Stinks forum.

Comcast is one company that does a great job of monitoring gripe sites. They have a department whose entire purpose is to stay abreast of outrages on the Internet.

On the other side of the coin, the story of Scottish TV contestant Susan Boyle shows the positive impact of a site like YouTube. The 47-year-old unemployed woman appeared on Britain's Got Talent and overcame audience and judge bias about her frumpy appearance with a surprisingly good performance of Les Miserables' "I Dreamed a Dream."

Her performance has since taken on a life of its own in cyberspace.

It's no secret that most of us judge people first by what's outside, not the inside. But beyond just the trite platitudes about not judging a book by its cover, Boyle's story demonstrates the power of YouTube to make a positive impact in people's lives.