Wired News has the story of Jason Kottke, author of a blog at kotke.org, who quit his day job as a Web designer to blog full-time. The notice on his blog asks readers to become “micropatrons” but contributing modest amounts through PayPal. He hopes to be able to blog full-time for one year. The “one time ‘fund-drive’” will last three weeks, he says. “I have absolutely no idea if this will work and I’m completely nervous and exhilarated by the challenges ahead.”

Kottke explains why he believes investing in his blog is worthwhile, why he’s not going the advertising route, and how full-time blogging will affect the site.

As some blogs evolve into centers of influence that rival mainstream media (think InstaPundit), there could be reason to make the effort a full-time gig. In businesses, blogs that focus on customer relationships could occupy one or more employees full-time as their efforts shift from the phone to the blog. Indeed, there could be several scenarious under which full-time blogging make sense.

In general, though, the fact that blogging is something we do in addition to our day jobs is what makes the blogs interesting. In fact, it’s the notion of regular people writing about their thoughts and opinions that characterizes blogs. I like reading that “blogger Jane Smith, a CPA in Duluth, started a firestorm of controvesy that spread through the blogosphere and into daily newspapers when she revealed…”

Blogging is very much a hobby. Pursuing it full-time sounds to me a bit like my brother, a construction defect attorney, giving up the practice of law to build his model railroads full-time.

Still, I sincerely wish Kottke luck, even though I won’t be making a contribution.