Simon Willison on Blogging
Simon Willison, with Cynthia Dunlop for her tech blogger interview series (from back in January, but he just got around to linking to it so I just got around to seeing it): Any lessons learned that you want to share with the community? My number one tip for blogging is to lower your standards! Aim to hit publish while you are still actively unhappy with what you have written, because the only…
Simon Willison, interviewed by Cynthia Dunlop for her tech blogger series, offers valuable advice for aspiring bloggers. His primary tip is to lower your standards and publish despite feeling unhappy with your work. He explains that nobody will ever know the perfection you intended, and seeing flaws in your writing is invisible to others.
Willison compares his writing process to performing live music instead of recording a studio album. He emphasizes the importance of treating each post as a performance, rather than an endless jam session. However, he maintains a professional mindset and aims to hit every note, staying focused and moving from one topic to another.
For those just starting out, Willison advises simply beginning the blog. He warns against getting caught up in the design and planning aspects, stressing that any entry with a date and permanent URL counts as a blog. He also highlights the importance of adding an Atom or RSS feed, though it is not a must. Willison emphasizes that the quality of readers matters more than the quantity, suggesting that even a single reader (like a hiring manager) can be invaluable. With persistence, a blog will eventually attract the audience it deserves.
Written by urgent.news from Daring Fireball's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
