Even if no one reads your blog, it's still valuable. Writing clarifies your thinking, solidifies your understanding of a topic, and acts as a personal record of your intellectual journey. It can serve as a sandbox for experimenting with ideas, a portfolio to showcase skills, and a springboard for future projects. Essentially, blogging is an act of learning and self-improvement, with the potential bonus of connecting with an audience down the line.
Andy Bell, in his blog post entitled "Why Blog If Nobody Reads It?", eloquently explores the multifaceted motivations behind maintaining a personal blog, even in the absence of a substantial readership. He posits that the act of blogging itself, irrespective of audience engagement, offers a plethora of intrinsic benefits. He meticulously dissects these advantages, categorizing them into several key areas.
Firstly, Mr. Bell emphasizes the value of blogging as a mechanism for clarifying one's own thoughts. He argues that the process of articulating ideas in written form forces a deeper level of cognitive engagement with the subject matter, leading to a more nuanced and comprehensive understanding. This act of externalizing internal musings, he suggests, allows for a more objective self-critique and facilitates the refinement of one's perspectives.
Secondly, the author highlights the utility of blogging as a form of personal documentation and knowledge retention. He describes his blog as a repository of his intellectual journey, a chronicle of his evolving understanding of various topics. This digital archive, he explains, serves as a valuable resource for future reference, allowing him to revisit past thoughts and track his intellectual progress over time. He likens this process to maintaining a meticulously curated personal library of knowledge.
Furthermore, Mr. Bell touches upon the potential, albeit perhaps unrealized, for future readership. He acknowledges the possibility that his writings may resonate with a wider audience at some point in the future, even if they currently remain largely unseen. This latent potential, he suggests, provides a further impetus for continuing to create and share his thoughts online.
Finally, he underscores the inherent satisfaction derived from the creative process itself. The act of writing, regardless of its reception, provides a sense of accomplishment and fulfillment. He portrays blogging as a form of self-expression, a creative outlet that allows him to engage with ideas and share them with the world, however small that world may currently be. This inherent joy of creation, he concludes, is a powerful motivator in and of itself, justifying the continued effort even in the absence of widespread recognition. In essence, the blog becomes a personal sanctuary for intellectual exploration and creative expression, a space where the intrinsic rewards of writing take precedence over the extrinsic validation of readership.
Summary of Comments ( 77 )
https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=42992159
HN commenters largely agree with the author's premise that blogging, even without a large audience, has value. Several highlight the benefits of writing as a way to clarify thinking, consolidate knowledge, and improve writing skills. Some suggest that a blog can serve as a personal knowledge base, searchable archive, or a way to track personal growth. A few practical suggestions include focusing on niche topics and promoting the blog through relevant communities. The idea of writing primarily for oneself, with the potential for an audience as a secondary benefit, is a recurring theme. Some commenters share their own experiences of low-traffic blogs providing unexpected value, like attracting job offers or connecting with like-minded individuals. The overall sentiment is that the intrinsic rewards of blogging often outweigh the pressure of building a large readership.
The Hacker News post "Why Blog If Nobody Reads It?" generated a significant discussion with a variety of perspectives on the value of blogging, even with a small or non-existent audience.
Several commenters echoed the sentiment of the original article, emphasizing the intrinsic benefits of blogging. They highlighted the value of writing as a tool for clarifying thoughts, improving writing skills, and solidifying understanding of a topic. One commenter described it as "rubber-ducking" for complex ideas, where the act of articulating a concept helps in understanding it better. Another commenter suggested that even if no one reads the blog, the process of organizing and presenting information publicly forces a higher level of rigor and clarity of thought compared to private notes.
Building on this idea, many comments discussed the use of a blog as a personal knowledge base. Commenters described using their blogs as searchable archives of their learning process, allowing them to easily revisit past projects, ideas, and solutions to problems they've encountered. This was seen as particularly valuable for technical topics, where revisiting specific code snippets or explanations from previous work could save significant time and effort.
Some commenters addressed the potential for future readership, arguing that even if a blog isn't read now, it could be discovered later by someone facing the same challenges. They viewed blogging as a form of "paying it forward," contributing to the collective knowledge base of the internet. This also ties into the idea of a blog as a portfolio, showcasing skills and knowledge to potential employers or collaborators.
A few commenters offered practical advice for those starting a blog. Suggestions included focusing on niche topics, consistently producing high-quality content, and actively engaging with other bloggers and online communities. One commenter pointed out the importance of owning your own domain and platform for long-term control and flexibility.
While some commenters were skeptical about the value of blogging without an audience, the overall sentiment leaned towards recognizing the inherent benefits of the practice. The discussion highlighted the value of writing for personal growth, knowledge retention, and potential future impact, regardless of immediate readership. Several commenters shared their personal experiences of how blogging, even with a limited audience, had positively impacted their careers and learning journey.