Look Back At the Last 5 Years in Blogging? That’s not a bad idea, and it’s what Mashable Josh just did. He did it well enough that I won’t summarize his summary, so that you’ll have to read it for yourself.
I will, however, add a couple of points. First, I’d emphasize the rise and fall of blogging more than Josh did. I’d say that, over the last couple of years, blogging has become part of social media, which also includes Facebook, Twitter, etc. Blogging is not currently the social media leader in terms of numbers. The number favour connection, rather than content, in that they show Facebook uber alles. (Yes, I may be exaggerating here.)
Then there’s the matter of the A-list bloggers. I’d say that some of them have chosen A-list-ness over blogging, in that they have turned their blogs into media properties, with most content coming from employees, contractors, or guest bloggers. Pete Cashmore of Mashable is an example. I don’t begrudge such people their semi-retirement from blogging, and I certainly don’t object if their media properties make enough money for comfortable retirement, but I sometimes miss their blogging.
I myself have been blogging since 2004.