A Few Thoughts on Writing a Blog
Personal reflections on originality, rigor, professionalism, and expressing uncertainty when publishing technical writing.
This is a personal reflection.
I have updated the blog less often recently. It is not because I have nothing to write about; some topics are simply deep—database locking, for example—and I have been too busy to organize the material systematically. I have saved quite a lot and hope to write it up properly when I can.
Although I have not written much, I have read many other blogs and revisited my own. These thoughts are reminders to myself. If they offer a useful idea to someone else, that is enough.
Do not turn a blog into an encyclopedia
Some people reinvent the wheel; others reinvent the encyclopedia.
Some posts merely reformat Baidu Baike or Wikipedia, perhaps adding a few images, but contribute little original thought or experimentation. Maybe the goal is simply to increase the post count. It is worse when the author does not recognize the quality problem and still believes the article is good.
If you have something distinctive to add, contributing it to the encyclopedia is worthwhile. Otherwise, bluntly speaking, you are adding waste to the world.
Keep unrelated emotion out of technical posts
It is unprofessional. Showing off your intelligence or your relationship is not the purpose of an article. Removing unnecessary or even irritating material makes an article shorter and easier to read. Professionals should do professional work. Some people are naturally drawn to gossip—sometimes I am too—but it is neither useful nor desirable.
Some writers fill articles with complaints, seek sympathy, or beg readers to follow or star them. They might have a brighter future in marketing or entertainment than in programming.
Chinese blogs from Silicon Valley or Wall Street often avoid these distractions. They are concise and comfortable to read.
Provide certainty
Be clear about what you are writing. Make sure you genuinely understand it and can explain it completely and coherently. It is better not to publish uncertain material; if it must be included, mark it clearly for the reader.
If you do not understand something yourself, other people will struggle to understand what you write—and after a while, you may not understand it either. Writing a blog takes time. If you are going to do it, take it seriously. Time is life.