I read several of the comments left on my post, “What the Hell Should I Do With This Blog?”

Diorex left a comment — “Those weeks where I had lots and lots of readers and was encouraged to write more, I found were black holes of delayed projects and little new revenue.” A matter of days later he closed his blog down for good.

One of the sole reasons I have been able to write this blog is because I can write it entirely off the top of my head. If I had to sit down and create an outline, do research, and proof-read this site would not exist.

This blog will stay. The long and sometimes dull posts will stay too. I’m not changing to format or audience appeal. This blog is written specifically for people who want to make a lot of money online and are willing to work hard to get there.

So is blogging a waste of time?

If you have a purpose, no. Here are a few I think are not only “worthy” but also valuable.

– online identity. Build equity in yourself. You are the brand.

– making money. I like to make money indirectly from my blog. Business contacts beat display advertising.

– something for history. Most of us don’t know much about our great grandparents or great-great grandparents, and beyond that, often nothing. There is just a chance that some of this will still be around in the future. I’ll leave the hosting part up to archive.org.

– just because you want to. Its good to be heard. For some, blogging can feel like you are shouting at a brick wall. The good part is that when you write about making money people tend to listen very closely.

– influence. A popular blog can really be a killer-app for product launches. Shoemoney’s AuctionAds is a perfect example. Audience alignment matters here, a new line of premium fuzzy pink slippers would be better suited to luxist than perezhilton. Then there is also that part where people are a little less likely to screw you over because you may rank for their name.

The bottom line, if you have a couple good reasons to blog, then do it. If you are blogging “just because everyone else has one” you should probably pass. Usually, the more other people do something, the less worthwhile and profitable it will be for you.