On top of that, not only the demographic and perception of the medium changes, but also the medium itself. I think there is a constant feedback loop between users, developers and the engines (blog search engines, social bookmarking sites etc). They constantly shape both the perception of the medium but also the actual medium itself.

Also, I would rather that the blogs I follow introduce new types of content, but remain the same fundamentally (i.e. I would not want my favorite political blog to start talking about puppies, but I’d certainly not mind them taking a stance on economics).

Finally, while a blogger certainly has autonomy over his/her blog, s/he also must keep in mind that regular readers demand a certain amount of dedication from the blogger.

> Blogs aren’t dead, people are.

I think blogs (like everything else) are approaching a level of maturity as a communication channel. And as they mature, they tend to taper off in terms of popularity, usage, expectations etc. But they are also adopted by a much more mainstream and serious populace, which changes the fundamental demographic of the medium (as well as the perception).

It’s not that people are going to stop posting on their MySpace or LiveJournal blogs; it is just that a lot more serious blogger community is taking stage, such as traditional media enterprises. You can have your neighborhood newspaper, but the New York Times will still kick ass.

My two cents, of course.

Cheers.