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The co-founder of Blogger, one of the original Weblogging services that is now owned by Google Inc., is leaving the company by the end of the week.
Evan Williams, who started Pyra Labs in 1999 and later launched the Blogger service, wrote on Monday in his personal blog that he has resigned from his program manager position at Google and that his last day will be Friday.
Williams came to Google after the search company purchased San Francisco-based Pyra Labs and Blogger in early 2003. Since that time, Williams wrote that Google continued to give him and the Blogger team much independence, but that he decided of his own accord to move on.
“I cant help fuel any Google acquires company, kicks out founder headlines,” Williams wrote. “Google management pretty much let my team and I retain control of Blogger since we got there.”
It was unclear who will take over the lead role for Blogger within Mountain View, Calif.-based Google, and a Google spokesperson on Tuesday said the company could not discuss Blogger details right now.
“Hes made significant contributions to blogging, and we respect his decision and wish him the very best in his endeavors,” the spokesperson said of Williams departure.
But Williams wrote that he has been working with the Blogger team on the services strategy and will continue to serve as an informal adviser.
“Blogger is in excellent hands,” Williams wrote. “I wouldnt feel comfortable leaving at all if I didnt believe that.”
Williams is a well-known figure in the blog-tools industry, regularly speaking and attending conferences on blogging and social software. He wrote that while he is interested in exploring a new Internet startup at some point, for now he plans to take time away from the hustle and bustle of the technology industry.
Blogger underwent its first major revamp under Googles direction in May of this year, and in August Google more closely tied its AdSense program with bloggers and added a Blogger toolbar atop blogs hosted by the service.
News of Williams Blogger departure was greeted with congratulations from fellow bloggers and competitors. One of those praising Williams role in the industry was Anil Dash, vice president of the professional network at blog-tool maker Six Apart Ltd., whose TypePad service competes directly with Blogger.
“Evs work, and the talent of the people hes had working with him over the past decade, have both been big inspirations to me,” Dash wrote in his blog. “And Im glad its ended up with him in a position where he can pursue new challenges.”
Editors Note: This story was updated to include comments from a Google representative.
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