A long long long time ago when I started blogging, it was for two reasons: I wanted to share what I learned on a daily basis as a reporter — tiny bytes of intelligence — and at the same time, have a place to think out loud about everything from baseball to broadband. Never for a minute did I think my blog was a news publication.

Baseball gave way to a wider focus on the technology industry, thanks in part to the inclusion of my partners in the adventure. But even as it morphed into a publication, but it always retained what got it started: a place to share intelligent bits and thoughts of consequence.

When relaxing in the sun this past weekend, I realized that my original blog was my thought space, and that is why it resonated with my community. Among all the blogs I continue to follow — Dave Winer, John Gruber, Bob Lefsetz, Koi Vinh, and Jason Kottke, for example — they are all what I think of as thought spaces. Original posts, links, and opinions are essentially a reflection-on how they view the world and how they are thinking.

Today, we “think out loud” in too many places on the Internet and as a result are creating a diffused online presence. The more I try new services, the more I come to appreciate my Omstead, my thought place!