The first blogger, 1709

Reporting from last week's reboot conference, Joho heard about The first blogger from Ben Hammersley:

The effervescent Ben Hammersley argues that Richard Steele was the first blogger, publishing his first post was on April 12, 1709. He posted three times a week, ran comments, had 800 readers, and drank lots of coffee. "This guy is a blogger."

Who is Richard Steele?  About.com says that he is

(1672-1729) Irish writer. Pseudonym of Isaac Bickerstaff. Sir Richard Steele was an essayist, dramatist, journalist, and politician. His works include: "The Funeral" (1701), "The Lying Lover" (1703), "The Tender Husband" (1705), and "The Conscious Lovers."

I love the allusion to coffee creating fueling the writing of essayists and bloggers.