Why I’m Not Reading Tech Blogs Anymore

I have a confession to make: I’m not reading very many of the A-list tech blogs anymore on a regular basis.

There are a number of reasons. Some are personal – I’ve started several new business ventures and my trading of stocks and options has intensified, amongst other things.

But most of the reasons aren’t personal. They have more to do with the blogosphere than they have to do with me.

Most Popular Tech Blogs Have Lost Relevance

Despite my skepticism over much of what was happening in the world of Silicon Valley, there was a reason to follow what was taking place: it was relevant.

As Web 2.0 startups raised big money and the potential for M&A activity looked significant, staying on top of the latest trends in the space was almost a necessity, even for those not directly participating in the fun.

But today, most of what the major tech blogs are writing about has been marginalized. For all of the money invested and energy expended, the part of the startup world that the blogosphere pays the most attention to has been shown to be a farce. The emperor has no clothes.

Given this, it’s hard to see how most of the technology blogs that rose to prominence hyping the hype have any relevance left. Clearly, the people who publish them don’t have the ability to cover other topics otherwise they would be doing so.

Case in point: when it’s February 2009 and you’re posting about the death of Web 2.0, you’re behind the curve. It’s that simple.

The Echo Chamber is Just Getting Louder

The world has changed. Or, more accurately, everyone has recognized the world for what it really is.

Except, of course, for the bloggers who think that Twitter is still worth writing about a half a dozen times daily. It isn’t.

I made more money last week from a single consulting engagement than Twitter made last year. Of course, that’s not saying much. Chances are a manager at McDonald’s makes more in salary than Twitter makes as a company.

But this doesn’t stop the delusional from “retweeting” the same nonsense.

Which is natural. When there aren’t 20 new VC-backed social networks launching each day, Twitter is one of the few overhyped services left to discuss, a last vestige of hope for those who really believed they were part of something incredible.

That doesn’t make Twitter a worthwhile service to discuss, however. In the overall scheme of things, Twitter and the other services that get major “airplay” in the blogosphere aren’t all that important when you look at the world today.

The Personalities Have Worn Off

Michael Arrington gets spit on and he’s checking himself in to the Witness Protection Program. In my humble opinion, that just about sums up the state of the blogosphere when it comes to the personalities that have dominated it.

I’ll admit it. For a while some of the A-listers were amusing, even if for all the wrong reasons. But the same can’t be said today.

I don’t know what it is. Maybe they’ve lost the passion; maybe I’ve just tired of the inanity. Whatever the case, there’s not a single A-lister whose personality compels me to read his or her blog on a daily basis.

There’s No Credibility

Above all, I can’t read blogs written by people with no credibility.

From people who claimed that Web 2.0 was going to take over the world to those who made more modest predictions (i.e social media was going to gobble up budgets whole on Madison Avenue), time is up.

After years of philosophizing and engaging in mental masturbation, the outcome of “put up or shut up” is obvious.

The people that made their names betting on hype have about as much credibility as investment advisors who recommended that their clients buy stock in banks like Wachovia and Washington Mutual as they collapsed. In other words, they have none.

Where Does the Tech Blogosphere Go From Here?

There are interesting things going on in the technology space and there are still blogs that I continue to read.

I’m still a regular reader of a number of blogs that focus on topics such as SEO and affiliate marketing. The reason: they’re practical, applicable to my daily activities and above all, they supply useful information that potentially helps me make more money. I like that, naturally.

I don’t want to read about companies that make $0. The last thing I need is 100 tools that will improve my YouTube experience. I don’t care about the latest iPhone apps. If Facebook reaches 1 billion users, it won’t change my life.

A blog is like any other media property. It should inform, enlighten and/or entertain. Most tech blogs aren’t doing any of those things for me so the week after Valentine’s Day, I’m officially announcing the end of my relationship with most of the tech blogs in my RSS reader.

I’d like to be able to say “it’s not about you, it’s about me” but unfortunately I can’t.