Re: blogs I like to read
Kev asked a question I realized I hadn’t directly thought about before: What types of blogs do you like to read?
Good one! Here are some hasty thoughts:
I like blogs that are exploratory. This is opposed to blogs that feel like they lecture the reader on purported truths. Because, brass tacks, the only truth is that none of us will ever have “it” figured out. “It” could be productivity, happiness, AI, whatever. Except for maybe the Buddha; I’ll leave open the possibility that he figured it out. Otherwise, I appreciate when an author seems to respect our fundamentally flawed and messy human condition.
I like blogs that keep it relatively concise and high level — no more than medium length and medium technical. Mad props to Dan Luu, but blogs like his make me anxious that I’m spending my time and energy in the wrong places.
I’ll like any blog post where the author is excited about something. We can all use more excitement in the world.
I like blogs that talk about cool tools and tricks, especially when it’s about something the author recently discovered. These could be digital tools, physical tools, ye olde life hack, what have you. I love to experiment myself, so I enjoy hearing what other people are trying out and having fun with.
Similarly, I like blog posts about hobbies. I love hobbies!
I like blogs that show personal vulnerability without going overboard. If you get too dark or pessimistic, you’ve lost me. Gobino’s post, It's ok to sometimes feel miserable as a parent, is a good example of the sort of thing I like. Manu’s stuff generally hits the Mark. Kev’s note on his recent struggles spoke to me.
I like blogs that focus on the present or reflect on the past. I don't like blog posts that worryingly speculate about a future state that may or may not come to pass. I realize there are plenty of provocations to worry about the future, but what good does the worrying do us?
Perhaps temporarily: I rarely like blog posts about AI. I work at a company that’s doing a lot with AI. We talk about it incessantly. As a non-fanboy, I’m oversaturated.
To follow my own guideline, I’ll keep this medium length and stop here. Cheers!