Well it is a darn good question. We all probably need new blog software like we need a new strip mall or another drug ad on TV. But I have my reasons.

First, let me list my requirements. The blog software should provide the following:

• Editing Simplicity - The ability to update entries with vi or another simple text editor. If you want to put a fancy web front end on the editor then great. But you shouldn't be required to use an online web editor.
• Component Independence - You should be able to choose the components you wish to use. For example, if want a commenting system, its there. If you don't, you don't have to include it at all.
• Publishing Flexibility - You should have control over what information is published to your web site. Just the published HTML or the HTML and the source content. Or for that matter, not publishing the blog at all.
• File System Based - You shouldn't have to fire up MySQL before you can use the tool. Since typically, blog entries never change, the need to repeatedly regenerate pages from a relational database seems wasteful to me.
• Standards Based - Content authoring and templating systems should use existing standards. Why invent a new templating language when standards already exist to do that really well.

Well that's what I want. In my next post, I go over some of my complaints about existing tools.