When you hear a word "blog" you might be thinking something like "That's so 2000, no one reads blogs anymore!".
I would argue that it's not ex...
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I dislike not the content but the title, which deny that we all have different lives.
You can be a developer, mother of two small twins, therefore have no time for blogging outside of your job, therefore your title is false.
This! I wish I could have given this comment multiple likes.
The article title and its premise are so laughable, it borders on ridiculous.
Yes, I do recognize those 5 potential benefits ... but no, not EVERY programmer SHOULD have a blog. My reaction to the author of this post is, speak for yourself, don't speak for others.
A much better (but less clickbait-y and sensationalist) title would have been "Every programmer should consider the benefits of having a blog".
Thanks for the feedback! Happy to hear that you liked the content and sorry that you found the title not to your liking.
Of course we all have different lives and I understand it is different for all of us. I'm sorry if the title offended you.
Well, maybe "offended" is putting it a bit too strong, I was just sceptical about the notion that "every" programmer "should" have a blog - but probably I'm just reading too much into it, and you were just super enthusiastic about the idea that devs should have a blog (and for good reasons, I'm not disputing those).
Like I said, sometimes we're reading to much into something, you never know what a person was thinking when they wrote something down, no big deal, let's not fight over it.
I think the title is rather more a manifestation of the source for which it was written. This a community dedicated to programming and therefore, while I agree the title could be broader, a counter-proposal to that argument is that perhaps the title is perfectly in tune with the community for which it addresses and for where it was published.
Right, so in fact what you imply is that this style of communication (just look at the ALLCAPS, and the ! exclamation mark in the article title) is probably the accepted norm within the author's target audience/community, and not many people would be questioning it, or giving it much thought at all - that's interesting, I haven't thought about it like that.
Still my point is that, when writing or saying something, an author should be aware of the question "How will this come across?", also looking a little bit outside of an author's "hardcore" target audience ... I even put this within the context of the "inclusive" topic that's so cherished within the dev.to community.
You see what I mean? You can tacitly assume that we all think 100% alike and that we must value the same things in exactly the same way, but then you're not aware of your subconscious bias.
But then again, maybe I'm just making too much out of all of this, I'm totally aware of that possibility.
One more important aspect - You help yourself.
We tend to forget things quickly if we are not repeating them. For example setting up SSL on your site. But if you write about it, you can always quickly refer back.
You can always keep notes for such things but since a blog is targeted towards public, you will try to write in detail as much as you can which ultimately results in good informational text.
This is true! I have many times referred to some of my old blog posts in order to get something done I know I have done, but can't just remember how. And the fact that you write towards public results in good and concise writing. Thanks!
This is such a great article! Really like the fact that when we blog/teach we learn twice. That way anyone can get better as both programmer and communication skill!
The article is fine, but the title is too much sensationalist and "clickbait" - I don't need the author barking at me (and others) that EVERY programmer SHOULD have a blog. He can advise me to consider it, but the title as it is borders on ridiculous.
Agree on the clickbait, but my guess is how blogger want their content to reach as many people out there 🤣
Yeah that's probably why they go with extreme article titles like this, but when I see that I'm already done reading the post and I'm skipping right away to the comments section ;)
As an engineer who recently started blogging I can agree with a lot of your points. I've been contemplating getting into making videos also but the barrier to entry is much higher. Any tips for getting started?
Great that you have started your blog! About making videos, I'd suggest that try making screencast videos first. It is always harder to show your face and talk to camera. So starting with screencast videos is easier. When you have made couple of videos think about maybe including short "talking head" shots to the screencast videos also. This way the jump from screencast to "talking to camera" videos gets easier.
With screencast videos you also don't have to worry about equipment (camera, lights, etc) that much. You only need microphone and screen recording software (I use OBS).
Hope these help!
I definitely agree with point 1. When you start to dig into a topic and explore it more thoroughly, you acquire a deeper knowledge of the subject matter.
In terms of helping others, that depends largely on the content and the way it is communicated. You can think you are writing the best guidance ever, but perhaps no-one is interested in the topic or it is not clearly conveyed.
Clear communication and finding your voice comes with practice. So if you start a blog it is worth persisting.
I do think blogging is a good habit, but a personal choice and developers generally don't need to have the burden of expectation on them.
I've only written a handful of posts and finding the time is always the biggest factor, but I have to say I find the process rewarding.
Super article!
I think if anyone who is just starting writing, they can start with very small posts like those suitable for LinkedIn posts, then they can improve on that. It really helped me that way.
Would love to hear your feedback on my blog, thanks.
My Blog
Again, awesome article, keep up the good work and keep sharing.
That's true! The posts don't need to be massive. Just short, clear and concise posts are great to get started in blogging.
Yours blog looks great, keep it up!
Thirty-three years of programming (professionally) and no blog, I think I'll be alright. ;)
You don't know what you are missing until you try it ;P
I also have an blog that gives me a decent income from Adsense.
That's great!
@tumee how do you choose the topics for your next article? Do you keep an editorial calendar?
Yea I have an editorial calendar where I keep a list of all my blog post ideas and plan what and when I am going to write.
I usually write about things I have been working on by myself or things that I find interesting. Also if I am studying a new topic, I might write about it, so this way I learn about it better.
Developers that need a blog are compensating for something.
Five reasons why you should have a Blog