No, read the press release. It actually makes sense. They get a pretty large audience with their own activities and don't need the events anymore. Arrogant, yes. Smart, maybe...
Oops! Turns out this quote isn't by Goethe after all but by W.H. Murray. Check it out: (http://german.about.com/library/blgermyth12.htm). The original quote which this one is based on was “Now at last let me see some deeds!” which is a line from Faust... :-)
Wow, that quote should be mandatory for everyone thinking about becoming an entrepreneur. Getting started is toughest hurdle to cross for most people...
You make it sound like page views were invented by the Devil himself. Page views aren't bad and a good reflection of what people find interesting. Yes, this story is interesting. The 50+ comments are extremely interesting and highlight all the aspects that make this story interesting. Every blogger writes for an audience and having more people read your story is a good sign. The fact that this story was posted here (by someone not associated with that particular blog) is proof of that.
The author writes for the same blog as I do and I disagree this not being news. It is on the front page of HN right now with 50+ comments. If so many people care about it it is newsworthy.
From the page: "They (Herb Brody) say that telling the future by looking at the past assumes that conditions remain constant. This is like driving a car by looking in the rearview mirror. But I still think it is good to look back on how things got started and where they ended up since then. The first website was put online in August 1991. Just think about how much has happened since then and try to imagine how much we can expect from the next 17 years…"