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Why I still blog after 15 years

jonashietala.se

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Re: Why I still blog after 15 years

#131

Post by daedrdev »

doctorwho42 wrote: post #55
ReleaseCandidat wrote: post #48

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> content creation I seriously hate the term "content" used for "creative output". It is a terrible, derogatory word, that makes me sad. Content is only there to have something to sell, to fill the blank space around ads, the actual content of the content doesn't matter. That people refer to themselves as "content creators" is a sign that they see the value of their creative output only to make money.

Welcome to the hyper capitalist world that has been created over the past 60 years. This is the result of always needed growth in your economic system.

Somehow the increased accessibility of being an independent entertainer instead of having to work in a toxic entertainment industry that regularly covered up widespread abuse means that capitalism bad.

Re: Why I still blog after 15 years

#132

Post by cloverich »

doctorwho42 wrote: post #55
ReleaseCandidat wrote: post #48

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> content creation I seriously hate the term "content" used for "creative output". It is a terrible, derogatory word, that makes me sad. Content is only there to have something to sell, to fill the blank space around ads, the actual content of the content doesn't matter. That people refer to themselves as "content creators" is a sign that they see the value of their creative output only to make money.

Welcome to the hyper capitalist world that has been created over the past 60 years. This is the result of always needed growth in your economic system.

Can you elaborate on your selection of 60 for the inception point?

Re: Why I still blog after 15 years

#134

Post by jaw »

blackbrokkoli wrote: post #64
JohnMakin wrote: post #36

> "I keep this blog for me to write, not necessarily for others to read." This is now to me the "old school" internet creator attitude (that I still possess). I don't blog as much any more but do create content elsewhere - a lot of it is for my own enjoyment and creative outlet, to blow off steam, whatever - the fact that other people may want to watch it is secondary. I do try to do things people want, but only if I…

Genuine question: If you write only for yourself, what motivates you to actually finish, and more importantly, polish a post? I write for myself all the time, in private: I have a journal, a paper notebook, thousands of notes in Obsidian. Yet doing a blog post feels like a massive undertaking every single time, especially the later writing and editing: explaining stuff that is obvious to me and no one else, replacing…

For me personally, the effort of 'polishing' a post makes it drastically more valuable to myself in the end: I think harder about the material; I notice problems with my thinking that I would have glossed over otherwise; I explain things in ways that will be more useful/legible to me-five-years-from-now.

Committing myself to publish posts is, in part, sort of a motivational hack to get me to do the polishing. The possibility that someone else _might_ read it and judge me for it pushes me to put much more effort in than I would if I kept it private. (I wrote a short blog post on this: https://brokensandals.net/personal/reviews-as-notes/)

I probably wouldn't see this as a sufficient reason for blogging if I believed that _literally_ nobody would _ever_ read the stuff I post. But it is a significant benefit that's available even if I only have a very tiny and sporadic audience.

Re: Why I still blog after 15 years

#135

Post by pbreit »

JohnMakin wrote: post #36

> "I keep this blog for me to write, not necessarily for others to read." This is now to me the "old school" internet creator attitude (that I still possess). I don't blog as much any more but do create content elsewhere - a lot of it is for my own enjoyment and creative outlet, to blow off steam, whatever - the fact that other people may want to watch it is secondary. I do try to do things people want, but only if I…

I cannot believe that Dave Winer is still at it after 30 years: http://scripting.com

Re: Why I still blog after 15 years

#136

Post by immibis »

jl6 wrote: post #115
7speter wrote: post #101

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think your comment kinda provides the reason why the term “content” is used; there are so many verticals out there that its just easiest to say “I’m a content creator.” From there, if the audience remains captive, you can explain that you make videos about sewing sweaters with embedded controllers for cats. Also, don’t get me wrong, I’m pretty conflicted on the term. I just like to believe people are using it in go…

It makes perfect sense to use the word content where it’s a convenient abstraction. But humans don’t watch/read/play or fall in love with abstractions. The specifics matter.

Not to the investor.

Re: Why I still blog after 15 years

#137

Post by ForHackernews »

7speter wrote: post #101
jl6 wrote: post #62

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Nobody ever thought to themselves: I sure could go for some content right now.

I think your comment kinda provides the reason why the term “content” is used; there are so many verticals out there that its just easiest to say “I’m a content creator.” From there, if the audience remains captive, you can explain that you make videos about sewing sweaters with embedded controllers for cats. Also, don’t get me wrong, I’m pretty conflicted on the term. I just like to believe people are using it in go…

You are not a gadget. Your life is not a vertical.

Re: Why I still blog after 15 years

#138

Post by golergka »

doctorwho42 wrote: post #55
ReleaseCandidat wrote: post #48

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> content creation I seriously hate the term "content" used for "creative output". It is a terrible, derogatory word, that makes me sad. Content is only there to have something to sell, to fill the blank space around ads, the actual content of the content doesn't matter. That people refer to themselves as "content creators" is a sign that they see the value of their creative output only to make money.

Welcome to the hyper capitalist world that has been created over the past 60 years. This is the result of always needed growth in your economic system.

Economic growth is another way of saying "improving people's lives". An economic system which always needs to improve people's lives is a good thing, actually.

When you compare modern first world to 60 years ago, people's lives have significantly improved. And if you do the same in developed countries, the difference is unbelievable.

Re: Why I still blog after 15 years

#139

Post by tomjen3 »

nineteen999 wrote: post #106
JohnMakin wrote: post #36

> "I keep this blog for me to write, not necessarily for others to read." This is now to me the "old school" internet creator attitude (that I still possess). I don't blog as much any more but do create content elsewhere - a lot of it is for my own enjoyment and creative outlet, to blow off steam, whatever - the fact that other people may want to watch it is secondary. I do try to do things people want, but only if I…

> The idea of content creation as a full time career is relatively new, and I hate it. I do too, but IMHO unfortunately us older generations have a lot to answer for when it comes to this. My teenage daughter plus all of her friends all want to be content creators. It's the 21st century equivalent of becoming a pop star or being a TV personality. As an industry we've automated away a lot of the jobs that these kids o…

And my generation all wanted to be popstars, actors and models (well I wanted to program computers, but whatever). Kids don't change that much, it is just us who are getting older.

Re: Why I still blog after 15 years

#140

Post by ian_digital »

felideon wrote: post #28

> I worry that if I add statistics to the blog it’ll change from an activity I perform for the activity’s sake, to an exercise in hunting clicks where I write for others instead of for myself. If I ever finally find the motivation to start a blog, I think this is a key point. Vanity metrics would be demotivating.

I recently did start a blog and I'm constantly fighting the who should I write for dynamic because of vanity metrics. Even if your blog has a specific focus or evolves like the original posters blog did, the stats are always staring you in face. Self-motivation seems to be the only way to counter this problem.
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