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

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

#51

Post by deepakkarki »

amruta2799 wrote: post #43
wjg wrote: post #35

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…

It sounds like the kind of blog I would read! Can you share the link please?

Bit of tracking and I guess this is it : https://joelgardner.github.io/

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

#52

Post by EldieTurner »

You don't need to be an expert, you just need to know more than your audience. What I mean is, if you tailor your blog towards novices then no one will attack you if you don't know everything or even if you've gotten things wrong. However if you tailor your blog towards veterans in the field then you'd better know your stuff. The beauty is that as you learn you can teach more advanced subjects always catering to a group that is where you were a few months ago.

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

#54

Post by ATsch »

bjpbakker wrote: post #7

Sure it makes sense! Just blog about the things you learn. You will probably end up blogging about things that are new to other people. Best example I know of is Julia Evans [1]. She blogs about the things she learns in areas many people are mot an expert of. I find most of her blogs very interesting. [1] https://jvns.ca

That's precisely why Julia's blog is one of my favorites: instead of the usual top-down "I know what you don't" style, it's very much at eye level and that makes it incredibly inspiring and fun to read.

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

#55

Post by jstanley »

Just start a blog and start writing. It doesn't matter if it's presented badly. It doesn't matter what it's about. It doesn't matter if it's crap. Nobody will read it anyway.

(Aside: if the last part concerns you, send it to me. I'll read it! I'll give feedback if you want. Email address in bio. This is open to all, not just the OP.)

After a while you'll have the odd interesting thing to write about, and by then you'll have lots of practice of writing blog posts, and you'll have a nice blog already setup where you can write your interesting thing.

But you'll never get there if you never start.

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

#57

Post by replicatorblog »

I went from writing a blog to writing for Wired magazine in the space of three years with no real expertise in my field. The trick was finding an emerging technology with no real "experts," and making myself one.

In my case it was 3-D printing. I started writing in 2008 when the technology was really just for industrial designers and mechanical engineers. I was a user, but had no real knowledge about the industry. So I started reading annual reports from the big manufacturers, reading research papers from labs that were doing interesting work, and reaching out to companies that were using the printers in interesting ways.

Over time I found an audience. RepRap, the homebrew printer, was the hot fad at the time. Then came MakerBot, the space exploded, and all of a sudden I had some expertise was in demand. It's certainly not a short path to success, but I can't really see a downside to blogging for most people.

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

#58

Post by jstanley »

KirinDave wrote: post #31

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. Wh…

Getting hate isn't bad. At least people care.

Getting ignored is worse. When you've spent hours of your time writing something up that you think is super interesting, and people can't even be bothered to read it and send you some snarky abuse. That's the worst.

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

#59

Post by wanderingjew »

EldieTurner wrote: post #52

You don't need to be an expert, you just need to know more than your audience. What I mean is, if you tailor your blog towards novices then no one will attack you if you don't know everything or even if you've gotten things wrong. However if you tailor your blog towards veterans in the field then you'd better know your stuff. The beauty is that as you learn you can teach more advanced subjects always catering to a gr…

> If you tailor your blog towards novices then no one will attack you...

This is just wrong. You will be attacked. You will be called an idiot. That's what the Internet is -- a manic outrage of keyboard kommandos punctuated by pictures of cats.

The default comment on the Internet is outrage. If you write anything, your commenters will either be spam or people calling you an idiot.

The trick is learning to brush it off and completely ignore this hate. Break through that and you can start producing interesting work. Most people don't manage to get to that breakthrough. Good luck.

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