content.adoc

Blogging 101

Why?!

Setting Up A Blog

Creating Content

Traffic

Social Media

What should I write?

Once you get started,
you’ll have too many ideas!

(Trust me.)

⇝ Keep a list!

To get started

Topics that beg for a blog post:

• errors/problems that took you
  longer than 15 minutes to fix

• any design conversation that
  takes longer than 15 minutes

• exploration of new technologies

• research into tech alternatives

• when you replace techs/tools

Whenever "it depends", describe
what it depends on for you!

Focus

Ideally, focus on "one topic":

• Java

• Persistence

• Java Persistence

• Web

• REST

• etc.

Improves reader experience
and Google rank.

Formats

What formats exist?

• tutorials

• how-to guides

• explanations

• "Top Ten …​!"

• cheat sheets

⇝ "What nobody tells you about documentation"

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!

!

Code snippets

Code snippets are important!

• develop full examples
  (make sure they work as is)

• show essentials

• provide project with full examples
  (e.g. on GitHub, GitLab)

Mention which versions you use.

Illustrations

If you can:

• draw explanatory diagrams

• have some one "professionalize" them
  (or do it yourself)

Otherwise, include a picture that is mildly related.

!

!

!

Quality

Make sure your content has high quality:

• discuss and vet ideas
  ("Would I want to read this?")

• verify code snippets

• technical review

• copy-editing

Don’t deliver bad content!

Length

• readers have no patience!

• be short and to the point
  (unlike me)

• 500 to 1500 words is common

• beyond that, think about splitting

• but: series are complicated

Time

Estimating time for writing is like
estimating time for coding:

A bad idea!

My experience:

• 250-500 words/hour

• plus research

• plus external reviews

• plus illustration

Estimate at least one day per post!