It was time for a change.

The Journalism Iconoclast is no more. That’s not who I am anymore. More on that later.

My new blog is Endemic. It’s a blog on being. On being a member of this world. On being of a generation that grew up with the Internet.

That’s the lens that frames my world view. And my world view is no longer just on journalism. This is a blog about being a human being.

It’s going to break all the rules of blogging that I have exposed. Whereas The Journalism Iconoclast was laser focused on journalism and new media, this blog will be about anything that strikes or moves me.

I won’t care about SEO or catering to a narrow niche. I don’t have to. So I won’t.

I still have BeatBlogging.Org. That has tons of SEO and a tight niche. That’s where you’ll find my journalism thoughts and work.

But I’ve always been more than just a journalist. I’ve always cared about more than just journalism. I want a personal Web site that reflects that reality.

Here, you’ll find me and only me. One day it might be my thoughts on education, while another is about media. And another day you might find some pictures that I took while walking in nature.

I am who I am. And I don’t care about SEO or page views. I just want to write what I want to write when I want to write it. So I will.

The Journalism Iconoclast was a moment in time. That time has passed.

“When I was in college, a professor said, ‘Beware of the Internet.’ Everyone and anyone is a ‘journalist’ or ‘writer’ because of it. Six years later, I owe the Internet a big hug, because before my memoir Rattled! there was Storked! on glamour.com. But I do consider myself a real writer, and my stories are genuine.”

That quote comes from well-known blogger Christine Coppa. She has been making a living off of her blog and now has a book out based on her blog. She’s very fortunate that she didn’t listen to her professor.

I can’t help but wonder how many aspiring journalists received sage advice like that only a few years ago. Imagine how much that has impacted the journalism industry? Worse still, many journalism professors still don’t get the power of the Internet and openly believe it will be (or has been) the downfall of journalism.

That’s a shame. So what if everyone is a journalist because of the Internet? As we are seeing right now in Iran, the revolution will be tweeted.

Bloggers like Andrew Sullivan are helping to make sense of it all. In fact, the mainstream media has been woefully inadequate when it comes to covering Iran and the recent election. Thank God for Twitter, blogging and social media.

When everyone becomes a journalist, we’ll be a more active, engaged and informed citizenry. When everyone is a journalist, corruption will find it tough to incubate; tyranny will have no place to hide.

There is still a place for professional journalists. Citizens can help report what they experience in their lives, but journalists can still put together the trend and analysis pieces. Professionals can also curate citizen content.

The Internet is a win-win for everyone. Well, accept the corrupt, the despotic, the tyrannically, the unethical.

It’s clear, however, that students should avoid the Internet at their own peril.

Connections matter and networking is the name of the game. It’s not that unfair either. Think about it from the position of a prospective employer: Would you rather hire someone you are familiar with and know a bit about their work or take a chance on a total stranger?

When in doubt, people will go with the people they know. Also consider this: News organizations in particular are being inundated with resumes. After awhile they all begin to look the same, and it’s not very easy to stand out on paper.

Plus, people embellish and even outright lie on their resumes. Against this backdrop, it’s easy to see why knowing people is important. Hiring managers want to eliminate as much uncertainty as possible (I’m not talking about the nepotism kind of knowing people, however).

That’s why you need a blog and to own your name on the Web. Even without ads, blogging can make you a lot of money, because it’s a great way to get to know people. Dave Winer says he has made more than $2 million from his blog:

If I had any advice to offer it’s this — get in the habit of communicating directly with the people you want to influence. Don’t charge them to read it and don’t let others interfere with your communication. Talk through your blog as you would talk face to face. You’d never stop mid-sentence and say “But first a word from my sponsor!” — so don’t do that on your blog either.

Blogging is also a great way for people to get to know you, your work and your thoughts. Forbes advises people to get a blog to look knowledgeable in their field:

It’s a small amount of work that will likely impress recruiters and hiring managers, because it shows you to be enthusiastic and engaged with your industry. It also makes you look like an expert in your field.

I’ve advised for awhile that journalists should build a digital resume online and start a blog. Tony Pierce, the head of blogging at The Los Angeles Times, says that his blogging is the reason he is working for the Times right now. I wouldn’t be the editor of BeatBlogging.Org without this blog either.

Can you imagine someone without blogging experience running BeatBlogging.Org? And how would Jay Rosen have known if my skills and ideas about journalism would have been a good fit for BeatBlogging.Org without my blog and personal site? Osmosis?

Don’t tell, show people. Having a blog with your thoughts, work and contact info is a great way to show people your skills. That’s a great way to eliminate uncertainty in the minds of potential employers.

Plus, having a blog proves to potential employers that you get the Web, especially if you’re good at it. More and more employers and industries are looking for employees with blogging and social media skills. If people are looking for those skills, you need to demonstrate that you have them.

Employers are searching Google, Yahoo! and other search engines to dig up information about you. You want to own the top search results for your name. It’s impressive to have the top spot on Google (it shows you get SEO), but it’s also a great way to prevent people from getting you confused with other people with the same name.

Now remember, being a good blogger is more than just about your blog. It means getting out into the blogosphere and connecting with other bloggers on similar topics. It means posting comments on their blogs and being a part of a larger community.

There is a large journalism blogging community. It’s made up of some of the best minds and talent in the business. Want to connect with that community? Get a blog.

Listen, not all of us have rich parents or powerful connections and we can’t always network in person, but that’s the beauty of blogging and social media. Any one can form connections with blogging and social media. So, get out there and start making connections.