The Secret Diary of Steve Jobs is an ingenious blog that has been running since 2006, and detailing the life and time of Fake Steve Jobs. But now, its author Daniel Lyons, whose identity was a mystery until last year, has announced the death of the blog, as he moves on to pastures new.

Daniel Lyons is a former writer for Forbes, who in 2006 started a blog called The Secret Diary Of Steve Jobs. The blog was written from the point of view of Steve Jobs, the CEO of Apple, and played on the various personality traits and company policies surrounding the man. It also detailed Fake Steve Jobs views on industry matters, including Microsoft, Bill Gates, Facebook, and the recent Google/Yahoo! acquisition talks.

The blog has been huge news around the technology blogosphere, particularly before the true identity of Fake Steve Jobs was uncovered. There was even a witch hunt last year to find the writer’s identity, before it was eventually revealed by New York Times technology correspondent Brad Stone on August 5th, 2007.

Even the real Steve Jobs had a view on the blog, stating in an interview “I have read a few of the Fake Steve Jobs things recently and I think they’re pretty funny.” Bill Gates was also asked about it, and denied he was Fake Steve Jobs.

After the writer’s identity was revealed to be Dan Lyons, the blog hasn’t really managed to keep up the early interest — and readership, which must have contributed to Lyons decision to end the blog and move on, although the main reason is that Lyons has secured a new job writing for Newsweek.

The end of The Secret Diary of Steve Jobs was announced in a final blog post on the site on Wednesday July 9th, 2008. According to The New York Times, Lyons said:

I tried transitioning to other voices, like Jerry Yang’s, but it just didn’t work. It seems clear that people reading the blog wanted to read Fake Steve or nothing.

Apple, and Steve Jobs (the real one) are sure to be pleased at the passing of Fake Steve Jobs, and the blog, as Jobs has been portrayed as a drug-taking, control freak. Readers who have been following the blog for the past two years will be rather sadder.

There is hope though, as not only is there a book already out there, containing segments of the blog, there is reported to be a Hollywood movie on the way based on the ramblings of Fake Steve Jobs. Lyons also promises that FSJ will be back, just in a new form. So all is not lost.

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Entry was posted on Thursday, July 10th, 2008 at 2:30 pm under Apple, Internet, Opinion.

Read more entries by Dave Parrack.
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