Lately, I've seen multiple excellent posts about why developers should blog. They list very good reasons, and I wholeheartedly agree with them. Blogging is good for many things, it's fun, and you learn a lot during the process.
However, there are downsides to blogging as well, especially if you write about controversial topics. This blog post will discuss some of these downsides, tell my own experiences, and share tips on conquering those not-so-great things. I'm writing the tips for myself as advice I would have needed to hear, so they might not all apply to you, but I hope you'll get at least something out of this post!
Some Background
I started actively blogging about a year ago. My motivator was, at first, to write blog posts 16 weeks in a row to get the 16-weeks badge from Dev. I earned the badge, and if you're interested, I wrote a blog post about what I learned from that journey:
Blogging is something I like a lot. It has given me a way to construct my thoughts through writing and learn in the process. I already have a good archive of articles I've written. It hasn't been once or twice that I've had the opportunity to refer to one of my blog posts in a conversation.
However, as much I like this, there have been downsides as well. And during the past year, I've been struggling with stuff - as I would imagine most of us have because of Covid and all the isolation it causes. I'm also recovering from a brain injury, which makes me prone to fatigue. So these things have significantly slowed my speed of writing, especially in 2021.
So, let's have a look at the downsides and some advice!
Writing Quality Content Takes Time
If you want to write some quality content, it takes time. Suppose you're creating a tutorial of some sort, building the end result, testing it, and writing the blog post. It can take a long time from the start to publishing it.
In Dev, I've come across multiple posts that are basically just (short) lists of links. There is time and place for those lists, but at least I like to read longer posts with some actual content, and from the discussions I've seen in Dev, I'm not the only one. And writing longer posts takes more time.
Editing is another part of the writing process that requires time. Of course, it is possible to just write and then publish. But parts of writing quality content are editing, proofreading, and all those moments when you might need to delete half of your blog post and start over.
So, my advice for this would be to give yourself time. In life, all kinds of things can happen. It is okay if you don't write every week, especially if you're writing for yourself and not, for example, as a job. And when you do have time and energy, purposely book time for writing, editing, and all that.
The Pressure
You also might feel pressured to write and publish. For some, this is not an issue, but at least for me, it has been. When I was blogging for 16 weeks, publishing a blog post a week, I often felt pressure in the back of my mind.
Okay, it was me wanting to keep the streak going, and nobody else was asking me to do anything. Nevertheless, it really stressed me out sometimes. After the 16 weeks passed and I got my Dev-badge, the publishing pace slowed significantly down until, in the summer, I've published maybe a couple of posts. Well, depending on how you define "summer."
It's also possible that the pressure comes from outside; if you write for a company or a commissioned piece, then it's not just you anymore. There are deadlines, and someone else is depending on you.
As mentioned, there was no one else pressuring me on this, at least on purpose. I'm the one who makes me feel like I need to write. Sometimes I don't even know why; there is just that nagging feeling that I haven't published anything in ages.
There is another kind of pressure as well: writing about specific topics. I mean, my blog posts have been mostly about accessibility topics, but there have been some other themes as well. Still, sometimes I feel like I need to "stay in my lane." Now that I think of it, I've actually been told that when writing about equality-related topics. But I think there's richness in being able to explore different themes.
So what kind of advice would I give to combat the pressure of writing? First of all, be merciful and compassionate to yourself. No one's life is depending on your writing, and it is okay to take your time. And it is also okay to branch out and write about other topics as well. These might feel like a bit obvious pieces of advice, but at least I need to hear them once in a while.
Responses to Controversial Topics
As I mentioned, I've been mostly writing about accessibility and front-end development. Once in a while, I've thrown in some posts related to controversial topics. Good examples of these are language and being a woman in an industry where women haven't had space for a long time.
Recently I wrote about why I don't want to be referred to with the phrase "you guys." First, I shared it on LinkedIn, and the response I got was pretty much supportive, with a couple of not-so-supportive comments. I thought, okay, "let's publish this on Dev." I wasn't prepared for the flood of comments it received.
In the comments, there were some encouraging comments, and then some comments with good critique and conversation. But then the negative comments started coming, and I felt paralyzed. I wanted to answer the ones with encouragement and good commentary, but the negativity just drained me. So I want to apologize to anyone who was waiting for my answer and never got it! I had to draw a line to protect my mental health.
Some of the negative comments were clear trolls; some of them clearly tried, but it felt like they hadn't read anything more but the title of the blog post. And the mansplaining. Oh, the mansplaining! For those who are offended by the word, I do not mean that all opposing views were mansplaining. As said, some good comments challenged my points, and they definitely don't fall under the term mansplaining. But then again, some comments definitely were mansplaining.
As said, those comments drained me. I was contemplating removing the whole post from Dev, but in the end, two things kept me from deleting it. First was all the encouraging comments I received in the post, and the second was the support I got from the Dev's team (Thank you again, Michael, for reaching out! It meant a lot!).
So what I learned from this, and what tips could I give? First, suppose you write about controversial topics and receive a similar reception. In that case, it is totally okay not to answer the comments. You and your health come first. And it's okay to draw lines and keep them. You don't owe anything to anyone. This is especially true for people from a minority, as they tend to get more trolling and negative comments just because of their background.
Summing Up The Tips
So, to sum up, what I've been discussing, here are the tips from the previous sections:
- Give yourself time.
- Book time for the writing process.
- Be merciful to yourself.
- It's okay not to answer all comments.
- Draw lines, and keep them.
Cover photo by Marco Bianchetti on Unsplash
Top comments (13)
Great advice in here Eevis. I think there is one more thing you can do to protect yourself if you feel overwhelmed, just lock the comments. Obviously that is the nuclear option, but it is better than deleting the post entirely!
You do not owe someone an answer.
On the flip side I would argue that if you want to venture into controversial topics you have to be prepared for controversy (and approach it with a "I am prepared to answer this, but I will ignore that" attitude). So having rules such as the ones you list here are a great way to "wade in" but also protect yourself if things get too much or out of hand.
Top tips! ❤🦄
Thank you! Yeah, one option would be locking the comments - but then again, that would lock the good (meaning, not trolls/etc.) comments as well. So as you said, the nuclear option.
And I think those good (again, not trolls/etc.), challenging comments are a good thing, and having a discussion, even debate over controversial topics is needed, because both sides usually learn. But when it comes to those comments, that are clearly trolls or using hurtful language - well, it would be awesome to be able to ignore them completely, but they drain energy.
It is that balance that is so very difficult. As you know I enjoy the controversy so I want to see it all, but for people who find it draining it would be great to have some sort of option to do sentiment analysis on a post and filter out negative ones temporarily for days when you don’t have the capacity to deal with it!
Maybe a feature for DEV in a few years when machine learning becomes more robust and easy to implement!
For now you will just have to rely on the techniques you mentioned here and plow through the negative stuff on the days where you have the space for it I guess!
I hope you get some time to post more frequently again, always enjoy your stuff (even the stuff I disagree with! 😜) ❤️
Heh, that feature for DEV would be awesome 😄 Thank you, I will definitely try, but we'll see how this fall turns out.
Thank you for this subject (rarely discussed).
Dealing with controversial topics is very hard because it's a balance between freedom of speech (for trolls) and censure (for good feedback) 😐. Deleting your post (and therefore your work) is a self-censure and it is a much more dangerous censorship for your self-confidence than blocking/disable comments. Be free to publish content and take care about yourself (rather than opinion of others) 😃 Good luck
Yes, that! Thanks, I'll continue doing that! 😊
There are so many great bits of advice in this post. Thank you for sharing, Eevis!
And really appreciate you continuing to blog even when facing these challenges. Your writing is always so thoughtful and flows so naturally. That said, I can tell from reading your post here that it's not easy — it takes time to make it feel this natural! Anyway, just to say thanks for taking the time and sharing your thoughts here.
Thank you Michael, your words mean a lot!
Nice article dear @eevajonnapanula , I hope you're recovering well from your brain injury! ❤
I agree with many of your points. Personally, I like to use the 80/20 rule. For example, I try to write an article every week or so, and then spend more time sharing the post on various platforms. If you need to write for someone else than that's a whole different story. But if you're writing autonoumosly, quality > quantity. Writing a good article takes time! It's true, you have to organize it, edit it, make sure it's readable and informative, pick a nice heading, good images. It takes effort, but to me it's all about enjoying the process.
Regarding the negative comments, I haven't received any (not yet 😆), but I wouldn't take them personally, they're either trolls or people with no manners. Answer with kindness, you'll probably never meet these people in person.
Thanks for this article!! 😊
Thank you @maddy ! I am, I just got some symptoms to accompany me for the rest of my life, but I'm okay 😊
I couldn't agree with you more. And especially, when you write,
that's exactly how I would describe how I feel about writing! And why I keep on writing, even if there are some not-so-nice or pressuring things happening 😄
I’m sad that we are at a point where something as simple as changing a word to make people feel more inclusive is controversial. Your articles are great and you do your work, so I appreciate you for that.
One of the hardest things I’ve had to overcome, and I’ll admit to falling off this horse, is to avoid the negative commentary. If you don’t engage, they don’t get the satisfaction of continuing to gaslight you.
Thanks for keeping on keeping on!
Yes, that's exactly what I mean! And they often appear in cycles - after some time, someone writes a list with almost the same links as just a little time before that.
For me the best to combat that pressure is to have calendar and schedule content ahead of time. It was a reliever for me. Great post!