It's true that as the number of the number of blogs increased, it's harder to get attention. But like advertising, the point shouldn't be to get the largest number of lookers but rather the right lookers. A successful blog is one that builds an audience actually interested in what you have to say, who wants to be part of *that* conversation.

Also, as you've pointed out the blogosphere has been diluted with uninteresting content. Bloggers who post because they feel obligated to and have nothing valuable to say. A lot of echoing and linking, and very little perspective.

I tend to think pro-blogging is headed for consolidation under one brand. I don't think a shrinking ad market and limited content will keep them all afloat.

And a few others, very nice. Methinks this is an early adopter whine, and honestly, how many TechCrunches can the market support?

Pro blogging is a pretty tight market, but there's definitely room for growth in other areas, to which you allude.

Plus you get to “meet” interesting people around the World. And talk about important things like songs that annoy you . . .

It's also my own personal history. I find myself searching through my site looking for something I did in the past, simply because I forgot the exact syntax. That's kind of nice…

For the “pros” out there…it's a lot harder to make money.

For the Oracle people, I encourage everyone to start one because everyone has a unique perspective. It also allows you to gain a sense of purpose, learn to write (communicate) better and helps you form an opinion on something (I hate commas before the start of a line, code should be “pretty,” etc).