Tracking tools that monitor what is being written on blogs, forums and in chatrooms are being used to track public reaction to events and news, and how to best manage issues with the public, The Australian reported Wednesday.

Dow Jones's Factivia helps companies understand how they are regarded by key interest groups, while the latest study by the tracking application Seer monitored views on public issues, events private sector initiatives and product launches.

Seer's latest study, for example, found Australians thought the APEC conference was a waste of time and money, the only official topic of which seeming to penetrate general consciousness was global warming.

Y&R Brands, an advertising group used Seer to track reaction to events, such as the Live Earth. By tracking public reaction, the group found the general public cared more about things that affected them personally than global outcomes.

The study on APEC chatter conducted for The Australian found the most influential article (in terms of commentary volume and links generated) was on News.com.au, published by News Limited, which also owns The Australian. Chatter about APEC was found on 73 blogs and Web sites, with 129 links to other, related sites, blogs or forums, The Australian reported.