Ask HN: Starting blogging when you're not an expert? • Hacker News Board

Re: Ask HN: Starting blogging when you're not an expert?

#31

Post by KirinDave » Tue, Aug 01, 2017, 2:49 PM UTC

Yes, but prepare yourself. Our community as a whole doesn't reward anything that doesn't fit with the current trends.

If you're seen deviating from the social norms, you will get push back, and it's seldom kind or constructive.

For example, I wrote this some time ago: http://dave.fayr.am/posts/2011-10-4-rubyists-already-use-mon...

I received a lot of hate for this post, both on this site and in other ruby circles.

When I wrote this post: http://dave.fayr.am/posts/2007-06-07-Multicore-And-Ruby.html I was banned from multiple ruby communities and called "the joe lieberman of ruby" by a prominent rubyist.

I don't mean to pick on the ruby community here specifically, these are just the oldest so it's least likely to re-open an old argument.

I could point to other examples. I'm considering going back to blogging myself, but my experience is that negative feedback overwhelms positive feedback 3:1.

Re: Ask HN: Starting blogging when you're not an expert?

#32

Post by vbsteven » Tue, Aug 01, 2017, 2:50 PM UTC

Blogging about stuff you are learning sounds like a great idea. Don't write for anyone else but initially write for yourself. If you write content that is useful for yourself eventually others will find it useful too.

The thing that somehow keeps me from blogging more is that I want to learn/blog about so many completely different topics that feel totally unrelated. Like programming native guis, meditation, cycling, software project management, devops, monitoring,Buddhism,...

So many topics that I feel don't belong on just one blog. I don't know if I should start multiple blogs or use categories on just one site or something else.

Re: Ask HN: Starting blogging when you're not an expert?

#33

Post by askz » Tue, Aug 01, 2017, 2:52 PM UTC

vbsteven wrote: post #32

Blogging about stuff you are learning sounds like a great idea. Don't write for anyone else but initially write for yourself. If you write content that is useful for yourself eventually others will find it useful too. The thing that somehow keeps me from blogging more is that I want to learn/blog about so many completely different topics that feel totally unrelated. Like programming native guis, meditation, cycling,…

I think categories is a great idea.

You can even make a great (and simple) homepage with topic selection :)

Re: Ask HN: Starting blogging when you're not an expert?

#34

Post by jeffclark » Tue, Aug 01, 2017, 2:52 PM UTC

Regardless of your current, perceived skill level, you're already an expert to someone else.

Start writing, be awesome, teach others.

Re: Ask HN: Starting blogging when you're not an expert?

#35

Post by wjg » Tue, Aug 01, 2017, 2:54 PM UTC

Even if you aren't using it to become attractive for recruiters, this will probably happen. I went from rarely (like, extremely) getting callbacks for remote gigs to getting around 30%-40% callbacks. The difference was that I started a blog about writing a web application with modern technologies and included it in my applications. It's a pretty bland blog, but just the fact that I wrote about stuff I'm interested in and has relevancy with the jobs I'm applying for has really paid off.

I definitely feel like an imposter, and I have no readers, but it definitely sharpens my abilities and has really forced me to really understand why I build something a certain way and to evaluate alternatives.

Do it.

Re: Ask HN: Starting blogging when you're not an expert?

#36

Post by rocky1138 » Tue, Aug 01, 2017, 2:55 PM UTC

This pretty much describes me and my blog. https://johnrockefeller.net

Re: Ask HN: Starting blogging when you're not an expert?

#37

Post by sAbakumoff » Tue, Aug 01, 2017, 2:58 PM UTC

personal story : I'm not a data scientist, but I enjoy reading about and experimenting with relevant topics. Some time ago I was blogging about this(for example [0]) and it was very interesting and valuable experience, I never regretted about this. If you have time and desire for blogging don't miss this opportunity!!

[0] https://medium.com/@sAbakumoff/angular-vs-react-text-analysi...

Re: Ask HN: Starting blogging when you're not an expert?

#38

Post by k__ » Tue, Aug 01, 2017, 3:00 PM UTC

Totally.

Most people aren't experts, so if you write about beginner stuff you will find more people who like your content. If you write for experts only the few experts will know what to make of it.

I started blogging this year, writing one post every week and the most basic stuff nicely explained got the most views.

Re: Ask HN: Starting blogging when you're not an expert?

#39

Post by roycehaynes » Tue, Aug 01, 2017, 3:00 PM UTC

"I just think it could help me learn more, faster and to improve my communications skills."

Use obscurity to your advantage. Your blog is not known (yet), but if you show up every day/week and write something you're learning, eventually you'll become the expert and goto source. This is the way I think about my personal blog.

Re: Ask HN: Starting blogging when you're not an expert?

#40

Post by zhte415 » Tue, Aug 01, 2017, 3:01 PM UTC

Certainly.

There may be 100s, 1000s, even more, or even just 10 people that are in your shoes. But they're in your shoes.

Writing for others is a great exercise in testing yourself. Your knowledge, understanding, your motivation. If you get comments or feedback they're not something to be afraid of, but something to challenge yourself on.

You can develop a network. Be humble in intent, but despite being new, not overly so. You're part of information dissemination and generating new ideas for others.