"That was when people were starting to talk about blogs and how anyone could, if not get famous, get their opinions out there and get them read."

Really? Was that ever true? This article seems supremely silly.

It's so easy to start a blog. Naturally, many are quickly abandoned or rarely updated or unreadable or just unread. Why would anyone think that just starting a blog is anything — other than a personal gesture of expressive openness? Why would anyone ever have realistically thought now I'll be famous or soon I can quit my job?

I don't see any new trend here. It's the same as it always was. (Including the way the NYT wishes blogs would die.)