Isn’t “Weblog” such a fun word? Not we-blog, web-log. Although we-bloggin’ sounds fun too. Why did it ever get shortened to blog? Anyway, this is gibberish, I’m here to discuss writing on the web, aka blogging.
This is part one of a three part series:
- Part 1: Why Blog
- Part 2: In Numbers
- Part 3: For Humans (coming soon)
Part 1: Why Blog
I started weblogging back in 2009 around one year into my professional web career. Since then I’ve noticed many in the web profession are hesitant to start a blog despite wanting to. I often read comments about the struggle of hitting “publish”. There any plenty of reasons you should blog and few reasons to be afraid.
I’d recommend reading “Repetition and Attribution” by Roman Komarov which encourages writing and dispels common concerns.
Do not be afraid to share what you learned. Use others’ works as an inspiration, and give it back by attributing them properly.
I write for myself first and foremost, but I try to write in a way that others can take value from too. I write for three primary reasons:
Learning
Blogging helps me learn. When I commit knowledge to writing it reinforces what I know and shines a spotlight on what I don’t. Most topics require additional research. Even then, I occasionally get things wrong, or miss different ways of thinking, and I welcome corrections. I’ll often update and enrich my posts based on feedback. Without my blog I’d miss other points of view.
As they say, the best way to get an answer on the internet is not to pose a question, but to assert the wrong solution! Most feedback I get is constructive. Sometimes it’s blunt but I try not to read into unspoken sentiment. Some people are more direct. If the end result is positive learning, I can take a hit or two.
Documentation
Blogging allows me to documentation stuff for future reference. I go back to my post on multiple accounts and SSH keys several times a year. My posts on self-hosted infrastructure contain many nuggets of Linux config I’d never remember otherwise.
My memory is hazy so it’s nice to have a personal time capsule of my adventures. What was the first Raspberry Pi code I shared? A quick search reveals an e-paper module project from 2017. Without my blog I’d be clueless!
Portfolio
My blog is effectively my CV, portfolio, and shop front. Earlier in my career when I did more design I’d write case studies of my process. As I’ve moved on to specialise in front-end development I use my blog to show my expertise. Clients have found me because I’ve written about a specific technical issue they need help with.
Impostor syndrome is a major reason many are hesitant to blog on their professional website. The secret is that everybody has their doubts. I’ve slowly become more at ease with presenting myself as an expert. After surviving for this long making websites with positive results, I must be doing something right.
That is why I blog. And what’s easier than writing one blog? Two blogs!
What about second blog?
Over the years I’ve tried to launch various newsletters, web zines, and bookmark blogs independent of dbushell.com. I’ve even flirted with other publishing platforms. Those projects have always run out of steam with one thing in common: what began as an exciting venture turned into a chore.
It wasn’t until I read Untitled (“Titles are a lot of pressure”) by Chris Coyier that I realised the obvious. I was making life difficult for myself. I became intimidated by my own blog and tried to escape elsewhere.
By my own design every blog post requires a title. A title requires content to justify it. Each post — or title, really — becomes the centrepiece of my website for a week or more. This forced my blog into high effort and long-form content. This is a self-imposed restriction that only I am holding myself accountable to. This resulted in many attempts to publish elsewhere. Those projects failed because they existed for the wrong reason.
I considered two options:
- Redesign my website to de-emphasise the latest blog title
- Start a microblog for short-form content
I opted for option two. I called my microblog “Notes”. I shamelessly copied the name from Jeremy Keith and Jim Nielsen amongst others. Naming stuff is hard, OK!
I started micro-weblogging back in July. It has become my Twitter replacement. A canonical source for non-ephemeral ideas and opinions. Rough cuts that may turn into a main blog post later. It’s nice to own my permalinks. I’m still not wholly committed to Mastodon and Bluesky but owning my content means I don’t have to be.
I’ve since learnt the IndieWeb acronym POSSE:
POSSE is an abbreviation for Publish (on your) Own Site, Syndicate Elsewhere, the practice of posting content on your own site first, then publishing copies or sharing links to third parties (like social media silos) […]
It’s taken me far too long to stumble upon this idea. Better late than never!
Maintaining two blogs on my own domain has taken the stress out of maintaining two or more separate websites. One blog for in-depth discussion and a second for quick ideas. It’s proven to be the perfect balance and I’ve never written more prolifically.
That is why I blog, and I enjoy it. It’s a fun pastime and any benefits to my business are a bonus. I strongly encourage you to blog too! Be sure to publish an RSS feed. Only boring people believe RSS is dead. You’re not a bore, are you?
This was part one in a three part series. Join me next week for more thoughts on weblogging.