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The July 8 Wired News article Bloggers Suffer Burnout, by Daniel Terdiman, has sure generated a lot of buzz in the online world.

Bloggers are burning out, he writes, either from self-imposed compulsion to post, or thanks to thanklessly demanding readers. “Several bloggers contacted for this story noted that their readers seem to look at their regular, consistent posting patterns as somewhat akin to a sign of physical health. And any break in that pattern is sometimes seen as a cause for alarm.”

OK, for those of you who might have worried about my absence over the last few days, I was camping in the mountains. Wait – no one was worried? Oh my God, have I ceased to matter? Do I still exist? Will my mother still love me?

Chill out, my fellow bloggers. Blogging is supposed to be fun. Why bother otherwise? Here are a few tips to take the stress out of blogging…

1. Post only when you have something significant to say. Especially if no one is paying you for this. Remember: There’s a big difference between the need to communicate and compulsive blathering. The former is about reaching out and creating value. The latter is about staving off a terror of silence. Speak up in your blog when you want, and take a few days off when you want. Unless you’re making megabucks from daily advertising clickthroughs on your blog, who really cares how often you post?

   It’s better to post only when you have something significant to say. Quality content will attract a more loyal audience than quantity of postings. Too many blogs water themselves down with low-quality, thoughtless content posted out of sheer compulsion. If you’re in doubt whether you should post, then don’t. Take it easy on yourself. No one ever reads ALL that stuff, anyway.

2. Accept no guilt trips. Did you take a few days off from your blog? Are readers pestering you for your brilliant observations on John Kerry’s latest speech or Dave Winer’s latest rant? Are they pressuring you – nicely, with concern, or otherwise? Ignore them. Well, don’t be rude if they’re being nice or concerned, but don’t let them pressure you either.

   …OK, well, if you desperately feel the need, you can be rude occasionally – like if someone writes to say, “You haven’t posted in three hours, are you OK?” you could shoot back, “Sorry, I’m dead and am no longer accepting e-mail.” However, you might lose a reader or start a hard-to-kill (pun intended) rumor that way. Your call.

3. Set limits, especially on your own response reflex. Did some obsessive reader send you a 14-part essay question that would keep you up until 3am crafting an appropriate response? Guess what – your readers cannot assign you homework! You are under no obligation to respond, or to respond fully.

   Ditto if you, your work, or your writing is being commented on or even trashed elsewhere on the Web. There is no God of Blogs to smite you into digital oblivion if you fail to respond when someone mentions or links to you. Only respond in your own blog (or in a comment elsewhere) if you really must, not just as a reflex. Think it over. Sit down and have a beer first. In a hundred years, who’s really going to care?

There, does that take some of the pressure off? Good. Now go enjoy the rest of your life. (You do have one, don’t you?…)