Tyme’s Thoughts: Dave Winer to stop blogging

EDIT: I kept comments closed on this entry because I knew there would be some drama (there always is) every time I say something nice about Dave Winer. He always ends up doing “something”. This time it seems he’s screwing over Rogers Cadenhead, which of course I don’t agree with if it’s true (according to Dave it’s not). And he’s not going to stop blogging…not exactly. Don’t let the drama lose focus on my entry: bloggers should do what they feel comfortable doing – no blogger is indispensable, and whatever this drama is…it’s none of my business and doesn’t subtract from the contribution Dave made to blogging.

Dave Winer writes that he is going to stop blogging. Why? Here’s one reason:

Blogging doesn’t need me anymore. It’ll go on just as well, maybe even better, with some new space opened up for some new things. But more important to me, there will be new space for me. Blogging not only takes a lot of time (which I don’t begrudge it, I love writing) but it also limits what I can do, because it’s made me a public figure. I want some privacy, I want to matter less, so I can retool, and matter more, in different ways. What those ways are, however, are things I won’t be talking about here. That’s the point. That’s the big reason why.

Let’s keep is real shall we? Blogging doesn’t “need” anyone.

Every A-Lister could stop blogging at once and the “blogosphere” will continue on. Heck, there are large numbers of people who pray for that because the opinions of many of the A-Lister’s differ from the new younger bloggers. No one is indispensable. I agree with Dave that blogging made him a public figure. I sympathize with him wanting some privacy and I definitely understand where he might feel that we could do more if he wasn’t so focused on. The minute he writes about something it’s ripped apart, not necessarily by individuals with an open mind.

Scott Karp has his thoughts:

The counter-theory to blogs as media institutions is that blogs are “cults of personality,” i.e. Scripting News is Dave Winer, and thus has no value without him.

I read Scripting News because it’s Dave’s blog. The minute he stops writing or someone else starts writing there, they’ve lost my attention. Scripting News is not an impartial news source. The site is filled with Dave’s thoughts and opinions.

What I find interesting is that so many people would want Dave to continue writing when he no longer feels comfortable doing it. Let’s be honest. If Dave took a hiatus the minute he started blogging again the word would spread so fast…his traffic would be almost as he left it.

Bloggers should blog when and how they feel comfortable – nothing more, nothing less. Would I hate to see Dave stop blogging? Yes, but I would never be so selfish to put my desire to read his words over his desire to write and publish them.