The snarky editor of the Silicon Valley gossip Web site valleywag.com, 22-year-old Nick Douglas, has lost his job. The site’s owner, Nick Denton (right), said Monday that he is temporarily taking over as editor of Valleywag, which has also been redesigned. Denton had this to say about Douglas: “Nick Douglas, the kid we plucked from college to launch Valleywag, will be a great journalist. And we will look stupid for letting him go.” Denton — who also owns blogs like Gawker (Manhattan gossip), Wonkette (Washington gossip) and Gizmodo (tech gadgets) — said he is looking for a new editor: “We’re now looking for someone with, ideally, some background in reporting. An old-media career, useful in the sparkling new world of blogs. Who would have thought? We’re also in the market for a junior writer, who could be anyone from purebred blogger to frustrated publicist.”

What’s the new focus of Valleywag? Here’s a clue from Denton: “[W}e’re going to tone down the personal coverage of civilians, because they haven’t done anything to seek out attention, and their personal lives aren’t that interesting. Unless they are. Anyway, more money, a little less sex: that is Valleywag’s new gossip mantra.”

[Web Pro News: Nick Douglas Gone From Valleywag] [[MarketWatch’s Bambi Francisco: Denton hopes to triple ValleyWag’s traffic]