Should bloggers ever "retire"? Specialty sites face this question

Shannon Doyne has a lead-in story on the New York Times online Thursday, “Do you ever take a break from something you love?” (link ) to introduce the piece by Steven Kururz, “When blogging becomes a slog: It began as a passion, now it’s taking over their lives, Is the first generation of design bloggers getting ready to retire?” 

  

I have to admit, my eyes telescoped the story a bit, to the concept of “retire from blogging?”
     

But this was a very focused blog (and not even a mommy blog), Young House Love, by a Richmond VA couple, John and Sherry Petersik, whose blog is “Young House Love”, link.  The article suggests that it is hard to keep this up, and keep new content flowing, particularly when you have to do so much work to set up the subject matter.  The most recent posting that I see there now is Sept. 9.

  

The article indicates bloggers often face an “ethical” question if they try to make money (make the blog pay for itself on its own sea legs).  Accepting “sponsored content” can compromise the objectivity of the reporting.  I get a lot of requests to write guest content, or do interviews, with matters that seem frivolous, narrow, or manipulative.  I care that people really know what’s going on.  How heavy!

And just as I post this, a Facebook friend points me to an article (satire, perhaps) on Copyblogger, "How to earn $250 an hour as a freelance writer?", link here.  I thought about the character Will Horton in "Days of our Lives", but Will isn't freelance; he is an "employee" of a magazine.  But then other characters get into discussion with Will over his "power" over the lives of other people (in family) he writes about.  No, that isn't how it is.