The blogosphere has the power to start stories like nothing else. I came across a great, still-developing example today from the blog The Consumerist via Robert's shared items in Google Reader (which is Robert Scoble's link blog.)

It's a post titled "14 Hewlett-Packard Company Secrets From A Former Employee." Here's a quote that cites the first few:

I didn't think the Hewlett-Packard spying scandal could get any worse ... but it has.

The New York Times, which broke news earlier this week about an attempt to place tracing software on a journalist's computer -- see my Sept. 18 post -- today had this revelation:

Hewlett-Packard conducted feasibility studies on planting spies in news bureaus of two major publications as part of an investigation of leaks from its board, an individual briefed on the company's review of the operation said yesterday.

The studies, referred to in a Feb. 2 draft report for a briefing of senior management, are said to have included the possibility of placing investigators acting as clerical employees or cleaning crews in the San Francisco offices of CNET and The Wall Street Journal.

The Hewlett-Packard spying scandal, which led to Chairwoman Patricia Dunn's decision to step down, got even worse this morning with the following revelation from The New York Times:

Those briefed on the company's review of the operation say detectives tried to plant software on at least one journalist's computer that would enable messages to be traced, and also followed directors and possibly a journalist in an attempt to identify a leaker on the board.

The revelations at Hewlett-Packard, the computer and printer maker that helped define Silicon Valley, have provided a rare glimpse of boardroom turmoil -- resulting in Ms. Dunn's agreement to step down as chairwoman in January, and two resignations from the board.

This is so bad it defies comprehension...

Hewlett-Packard's chairwoman, Patricia Dunn, is going to step down from that post after "admitting she authorized an investigation that relied on 'inappropriate techniques' to uncover who was leaking boardroom secrets to the media."

That quote, from an AP story on Forbes.com, goes on to explain:

Dunn was angry about media leaks of confidential board discussions and commissioned an unnamed outside firm to identify their source. The investigators used Social Security numbers and other personal information to get phone companies to turn over detailed logs of home phone calls of reporters and company directors.

What really happened is this:  HP, and apparently Dunn herself, violated a key rule in managing a high-profile company:  If you aren't comfortable reading about it on Page 1, don't do it!