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Discussion on: To blog, or not to blog? What should a girl do?

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Glenn Stovall • Edited

Hey @thenewmona !

There's a lot to unpack here, but here's what I'd recommend:

Should I start a blog or just contribute to platforms like this?

If you want to start writing, I'd strongly recommend starting something that you own. When you contribute exclusively to platforms like Dev.to or Medium, you're doing digital sharecropping.

When you create content on Dev.to, Medium, or StackOverflow, that content effectively belongs to them, not you. They could go out of business, decide to unpublish your content or put it behind a paywall while keeping all of the profits. What becomes of your content then?

Having said that, there is a lot of value in these platforms. You can syndicate your content to Dev.to and Medium after publishing on your own platform. That way you own the content, but can still leverage these platforms as well. It's similar to posting a link to your content on Twitter or Facebook.

Also, to piggyback on what Practicing Developer said below, I prefer to say publish rather than "blog", because these days there are several available mediums for sharing ideas. Writing is my preference, but you should use the medium that works for you,

How do you manage your time?

Personally, I write every morning, Monday - Friday. Find a system that works for you, but be aware there's no magic pill. The best strategy is to show up consistently and put in the work. It's that simple, and it's that hard.

How often should I contribute to a blog?

In my opinion, the more often, the better. I encourage others to publish more and publish smaller. My reasoning is that by increasing the frequency of completing pieces of content, you accelerate your skill and learning.