Ask HN: Please stop writing tutorials/tech articles on Medium • Hacker News Board

Re: Ask HN: Please stop writing tutorials/tech articles on Medium

#201

Post by dhimes » Fri, Oct 30, 2020, 4:40 PM UTC

gls2ro wrote: post #168

CarelessExpert wrote: post #155

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> I mean, aren't people allowed to make a living by teaching others? Absolutely good point! I think if I were to rephrase the submitter's comment in a way that aligned with my own views and concerns, it would be: If your intent is to put information into the world for others to share purely out of charity/a desire to help others, or to get your name out, please consider options other than Medium, as Medium is ultimat…

I strongly agree with the part about the purpose of sharing the information: I am buying from time to time website-based tutorials or other type of content. I agree this creates a new problem: I don't even know what I bought in the last years, what kind of online live books with exercises I bought and from where. I try to keep them in a document, but sometimes I forget and search email to find out. Still I would like…

Thank you both you have answered my question.

Re: Ask HN: Please stop writing tutorials/tech articles on Medium

#202

Post by blunte » Fri, Oct 30, 2020, 4:42 PM UTC

gremlinsinc wrote: post #186

blunte wrote: post #62

Earlier quoted context omitted.

But it is getting increasingly more time consuming to sift through the either outdated and misleading guides or the incomplete, inaccurate, or simply bad ones to get to a useful one. Even StackOverflow is reaching the point of net-negative value; far too many of its questions and answers are outdated, but the nature of their system means the older (first acceptable) answers tend to be promoted as current answers.

I think it's easy... I ALWAYS filter tech searches by date, anything over a year is outdated, usually. Esp. framework related as they change frequently.

Yes, but on StackOverflow, repeat questions are very strongly discouraged (or locked/deleted); the reader is pushed back to the older or original question which may be very much out of date. There are often useful comments or additional answers on those old questions, but it's a slower process to wade through the old content in hopes of finding a useful new nugget.

With general Google/DDG searches I often do filter to past year, but I've noticed increasingly that some sites have been republishing old articles with new dates, or minor updates (apparently to bump them up in search results?)

Re: Ask HN: Please stop writing tutorials/tech articles on Medium

#203

Post by blunte » Fri, Oct 30, 2020, 4:44 PM UTC

andybak wrote: post #133

blunte wrote: post #62

Earlier quoted context omitted.

But it is getting increasingly more time consuming to sift through the either outdated and misleading guides or the incomplete, inaccurate, or simply bad ones to get to a useful one. Even StackOverflow is reaching the point of net-negative value; far too many of its questions and answers are outdated, but the nature of their system means the older (first acceptable) answers tend to be promoted as current answers.

> But it is getting increasingly more time consuming I'd dispute "increasingly" - twas ever thus to some degree. Spotting whether a tutorial is still valid is a skill that can be honed and it's part of learning how to learn. Your argument has some merit but your solution of "let's stop writing tutorials" seems a trifle extreme. Wishing something was better isn't a great argument for it's extinction.

I missed the part where I said we should stop writing tutorials. I do believe people should be responsible for content they publish, periodically reviewing and removing outdated, irrelevant, or immature/incorrect articles.

Re: Ask HN: Please stop writing tutorials/tech articles on Medium

#204

Post by twox2 » Fri, Oct 30, 2020, 4:45 PM UTC

You can publish on medium and chose not to be behind the paywall. The thing is that most individuals that publish on there want to get paid for it, hence paywall.

Re: Ask HN: Please stop writing tutorials/tech articles on Medium

#205

Post by twox2 » Fri, Oct 30, 2020, 4:47 PM UTC

vladvasiliu wrote: post #3

gtirloni wrote: post #2

Aren't the writers consciously choosing to monetize their content?

Does that mean that anyone who publishes something on Medium can potentially get paid for it? I'm not familiar with the workings of Medium, aside from the fact that there's a limit on the number of articles one can read for free each month.

Yes, the writers get paid for it, but they can select not to put their content behind the paywall and just use it as an open blogging platform.

Re: Ask HN: Please stop writing tutorials/tech articles on Medium

#206

Post by twox2 » Fri, Oct 30, 2020, 4:49 PM UTC

wadkar wrote: post #149

blunte wrote: post #48

Most internet "content", including Medium articles, are definitely not worth money. Even worse, there seems to be a massive increase in "articles" coming from a particular part of the world that has churned out masses of sort-of-developers. I'm even starting to wonder if part of their pedagogical process includes "Every week you write an article". Perhaps by sheer number of posts, an individual has been trained to be…

Curious, would you care to explain a bit more about your thoughts on these sort-of-developers? How come you know so much about them? Do you often find yourself digging through medium articles?

Not OP, but if you've lately found yourself trying to hire devs or technical folks in general, you will be inundated with resumes from current students and new grads that will illustrate the point.

Re: Ask HN: Please stop writing tutorials/tech articles on Medium

#207

Post by andybak » Fri, Oct 30, 2020, 4:50 PM UTC

yters wrote: post #196

andybak wrote: post #159

Earlier quoted context omitted.

We seemed to manage quite well before Medium. It's not a portal in the sense that YouTube is. I got to YouTube to find content. I end up on Medium because I found content via some other means.

so people chose medium for no reason?

I presumed it was mainly for ease of use. I might be wrong - anyone here write for Medium who can chime in?

Re: Ask HN: Please stop writing tutorials/tech articles on Medium

#208

Post by andybak » Fri, Oct 30, 2020, 4:52 PM UTC

blunte wrote: post #203

andybak wrote: post #133

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> But it is getting increasingly more time consuming I'd dispute "increasingly" - twas ever thus to some degree. Spotting whether a tutorial is still valid is a skill that can be honed and it's part of learning how to learn. Your argument has some merit but your solution of "let's stop writing tutorials" seems a trifle extreme. Wishing something was better isn't a great argument for it's extinction.

I missed the part where I said we should stop writing tutorials. I do believe people should be responsible for content they publish, periodically reviewing and removing outdated, irrelevant, or immature/incorrect articles.

Ah - sorry. I assumed I was still talking to the first person I responded to. I've made that error in the past of not looking at the username.

Re: Ask HN: Please stop writing tutorials/tech articles on Medium

#209

Post by zepolen » Fri, Oct 30, 2020, 5:34 PM UTC

LittlePeter wrote: post #142

zepolen wrote: post #79

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Suggesting a workaround is not addressing the root cause. Please don't.

That's like not plugging a leak in the International Space Station with multiple layers of duct tape because it is a work around, while waiting for a proper replacement panel that will arrive in 3 months...

That analogy is a little flawed. More like there is something in the ISS that is causing leaks and the solution is to duct tape them.

Re: Ask HN: Please stop writing tutorials/tech articles on Medium

#210

Post by TheCyberBasics » Fri, Oct 30, 2020, 5:46 PM UTC

gremlinsinc wrote: post #182

bioinformatics wrote: post #128

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Of course it's a workaround and it would be better if the content would be freely available. I don't know the business model of Medium, don't know if contributors are getting paid, but I only suggested a way to read the articles without having to pay, before the issue gets resolved.

I use medium, as a freelancer, the extra little boost in cash helps during dry spells. I mean, if people can't afford the $5 per month that it costs to read all medium posts, they really shouldn't waste the time complaining.

I have a blog on medium as well, I just haven't been motivated to contribute to it for a while. It may be my "reach" as others have stated. I like pushing out the small tutorials that I write, but I just can't justify 3 hours (ish) of work for I also don't want to have to buy a domain and have a hosting service to push my own site having to load it up with ads or other nonsense just to make a side hustle possible. So I stick with Medium.