Why I blog
19-21 May 2015 - Pittsburgh - rocking out to SNSD
Why write?
I want to practice writing for several reasons. First, writing is a valuable
skill. Second, as with many other activities, writing improves with deliberate
practice. Third, I find it personally satisfying.
Why is writing valuable? Writing lets us communicate asynchronously over any
physical distance. This means writing allows ideas to reach pratically anyone,
even those in the distant past or future. On a more immediate, practical level,
writing can clarify our thinking, force us to examine assumptions, and expose
weaknesses in our arguments.
Why blog?
Let’s assume we agree about the value of writing. Why blog? The benefits listed
above don’t necessarily require publishing, so we should examine what changes.
We could approach this by listing advantages and disadvantages and ruling in
favor of the dominant pile. Instead, let’s consider my current goals and see
how blogging furthers or sabotages each:
- Job search: I just finished my MBA at Tepper. I’ll concede that potential
coworkers or recruiters could reject me unfairly based on material I’ve
posted[1], but this seems unlikely. I have (warning: except next bullet
point!) culled information that hints at my membership or lack thereof in any
protected employment category. Since posts pass my “appropriate” filter, any
disagreement should be considered a feature, not a bug. Say a recruiter or
potential coworker disagrees about my interpretation of appropriate. If he or
she disqualifies me immediately then we’ve both saved time by skipping an
interview.
We need to remember the potential good consequences, too. While less important
than if I were searching for another full-time software job, having an online
presence can still help.
- Finding a spouse: courtship by letter has disappeared and, despite the
self-promotion inherent in a blog with one’s name attached, I’m not an
exhibitionist. Blogging also lets others screen me; if you can’t stand my
writing then we don’t need to get coffee. Finally there’s the miniscule chance
that the blog does cause someone to reach out (this could be good or bad).
- Personal satisfaction: like many other people, I sometimes enjoy getting on
my soapbox and (pretending
I’m important ). The miniscule audience doesn’t
matter! Just like buying lottery tickets helps people daydream, I get
satisfaction from knowing someone could read my writing, even if very few
do.
- Improving my writing: in theory I could garner the same benefits by using a
diary instead of a blog. In practice, however, I have limited willpower and I
choose to spend it other ways.
Compare this to running; while I usually run by myself, training
runs for the marathon were considerably easier and more fun when done with
the CMU crew (mostly Josue, Mike, Bryant, and Thatcher). More broadly, public
commitments help discipline use. I use the potential ramifications to motivate
me, channeling my worry into effort. Knowing thoughtless words could disqualify
me serves as a reminder to focus–any entry could be used to answer various
questions: can Adam carry an argument in writing? Would I trust him to be
thoughtful and thorough? Could we eat lunch together? I’d like
every response to be “yes”, but readers should have clear examples supporting
any answer.
- Other hobbies/minor goals (pottery, music, etc): time and attention have
limits; each activity constraints others. Right now I’m lucky enough to avoid
this decision.
Since blogging supports my current goals more than it detracts from them I’ll
continue it.
[1] If you have please tell me why!