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Why don't I have a blog?

fede.dm

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Re: Why don't I have a blog?

#21

Post by ianmf »

markshead wrote: post #17
ianmf wrote: post #9

> I don't have anything interesting to say I don't agree with this part. I use my blog to keep a journal on technical issues that were hard to fix, or was hard to find web sources about the subject. One of my top post is about using PFSense router with Verizon FIOS. It usually receives 2-3 unique visitors a day. It is simple and not interesting, but it helps a few people, so I keep it online. https://ianmf.com

I was once looking for a solution to some technical problem, clicked on a promising web result, and found myself at my blog. I had posted a solution several years earlier but had forgotten about it.

> I was once looking for a solution to some technical problem, clicked on a promising web result, and found myself at my blog. I had posted a solution several years earlier but had forgotten about it.

That is funny.

Once I recognized that I have been researching the same topics I have researched before, it motivated me to change my blog from a "Hack the Box" showcase blog, to adding my technical journal on topics that were hard to find online and sharing my experience with certifications.

I have been thinking of adding more personal entries, but I don't want to make the blog a social media.

Re: Why don't I have a blog?

#22

Post by reidrac »

omarhaneef wrote: post #11

It is not the case that "things" are interesting in and of themselves. An audience finds them interesting or not. Interest is a property of the listener or observer. You can just comment on the things you find interesting, and presumably there are some people out there more or less like you that will find the same things interesting. It is worth noting that it takes some skill and effort to make things interesting fo…

I like how it is put here: http://sawv.org/en.html

It is an "Everything / Nothing" type of content.

"The website's content means everything to the publisher, but it could mean nothing to the rest of the world."

Re: Why don't I have a blog?

#23

Post by smm11 »

markshead wrote: post #17
ianmf wrote: post #9

> I don't have anything interesting to say I don't agree with this part. I use my blog to keep a journal on technical issues that were hard to fix, or was hard to find web sources about the subject. One of my top post is about using PFSense router with Verizon FIOS. It usually receives 2-3 unique visitors a day. It is simple and not interesting, but it helps a few people, so I keep it online. https://ianmf.com

I was once looking for a solution to some technical problem, clicked on a promising web result, and found myself at my blog. I had posted a solution several years earlier but had forgotten about it.

I've done this, too.

I've also run into comments I made on boards years, or even decades ago, and thought "there's a smart person," then realized I'd made the comment.

Re: Why don't I have a blog?

#25

Post by Karsteski »

commandlinefan wrote: post #8

> They are your typical run-of-the-mill tutorials that replicate what's written on the official framework/language guide Yep, I'd like to permanently blacklist those idiotic baeldung, w3schools, tutorialspoint, and geeksforgeeks blogspam entries that SEO'ed themselves to the top of every google search I do for anything programming related.

I've found baeldung to be quite helpful actually. What do you not like about it? I understand what you mean though, I don't like the garbage programming-related articles from a lot of these sites you've listed. Even I as a newb developer have seen very poor advice or wrong info on w3schools, for example.

Re: Why don't I have a blog?

#26

Post by klodolph »

> I don't have anything interesting to say.

It's hard to judge what other people would find interesting about what you have to say. Things you think are obvious are obvious and boring may be illuminating to others, and vice versa.

Anyway, I don't think the author has really given blogging a fair shake.

> On his blog, Aaron Swartz explains how writing things down will help him reflect better on his thoughts.

The author doesn't really investigate this line of thought. The thing about writing a blog post is that good writing requires clear thinking, and clear thinking is useful!

It would be nice if we could tap into that benefit in personal journals without publishing a blog, but as far as I can tell, most people write differently when they write only for themselves. There's a number of benefits of writing for an audience, even if that audience turns out not to exist. When I blog, I feel forced to justify my reasoning and investigate alternatives. I feel the need to explain something a little deeper than whatever literal series of events that I'm talking about.

I think programmers who don't like writing and don't like sharing should at least give blogging a shot... there's a chance that it will help you think better, and there are also plenty of opportunities that will open for you if you are a stronger writer.

Re: Why don't I have a blog?

#28

Post by dmix »

Oooh I didn't know there was an Aaron Schwartz book collecting his blog posts.

Adding that one to the buy list.

Actually I want to read all three (The Cathedral & the Bazaar by Eric S. Raymond, and UNIX: A History and a Memoir by Brian Kernigha).

Re: Why don't I have a blog?

#30

Post by BenoitEssiambre »

dmix wrote: post #28

Oooh I didn't know there was an Aaron Schwartz book collecting his blog posts. Adding that one to the buy list. Actually I want to read all three (The Cathedral & the Bazaar by Eric S. Raymond, and UNIX: A History and a Memoir by Brian Kernigha).

I found Kernighan's book quite riveting. If you want the short version (this might spoil some of the book) this talk is quite something: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EY6q5dv_B-o
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