It sounds like there is a two-tiered blogging world: the 'professional' bloggers and the armatures. The implication is that if you're not a professional, being "19 out of 40", then you must be doing something wrong. Kind of like the peer-pressure you get in high-school: if you're not one of the cool kids...then...no prom night for you.

So...in the age of the "Professional Blogger", what's the diff between a pro-blog and a more "conventional" publication? Cost of subscription? Blogging seems to be becoming less a revolutionary idea that challenges mainstream media and more just another channel of the mainstream.

Too bad. Blogging seemed like a good idea. Is the spirit of bloggind dead?

The question for me about whether I am professional or amateur has to with where I make my money. Blogging isn't my primary income source, though I've done some small amount of consulting that includes blogs. I am serious in the sense that I see the value in blogging to publicize my work and to talk about my passions.