June 24th, 2006
BloggerCon: Dave talks about exiting the blogosphere
During the concluding wrap up for BloggerCon IV, unconference host Dave Winer ironically talked about his plan to cease blogging, not for the first time. Before he launched into his exit strategy he talked about reasons for blogging. "The only reason to blog is because you have something to say. If you do it out of obligation, you’re not blogging any more. Do it for your own purposes, and if people can’t deal with it, too bad."
Regarding an exit from the blogosphere, Dave said, "I’m stopping because I want to do something new. It’s been over ten years, and I’ve never done anything like this for this long. Clearly, I’m going to keep blogging until the day I die, or out of free will. I stopped smoking, so I think I can stop blogging. It would be a very good thing to do, and it might be for you too. When I stop blogging I still would want to write, but not a blog. So I have to find some other way to write, either write a book or come up with a new way of writing on networks that isn’t blogging and trying that out, or have electronic wriiting be a part of the book. I honestly don’t know what it’s going to be, but whenever I empty out that’s when creativity comes."
So he could keep blogging until the day he dies, but he is going to stop blogging. Go figure…
Doc Searls’, the Docnographer, notes for this last session are here. Overall, two days of good discussion and group therapy. Check out all my BloggerCon IV posts here, and all posts on Technorati and Sphere. Podcast of the session here.
Dan Farber, editor-in-chief of CNET News.com, has more than 20 years of experience as an editor and journalist covering technology. See his full profile and disclosure of his industry affiliations.
