Welcome back, fellow engineers! Did you hear about Fermat’s Last Theorem. Neither did I until this week. Watch how Sir Andrew John Wiles found the solution to this problem with the help of writing. Nothing proves the importance of writing better than this story. Watch the next 20 seconds and raise your hand if this has happened to you while documenting a bug!
Writing is thinking. That’s precisely why I started writing on LinkedIn and Substack. Writing about a topic forces me to think more deeply about it so I can find a way to explain my thoughts to others.
I go back and reference my own writing to remember what I was thinking.
I started my first blog for the same reason and to provide help to developers. But I never expected to get so much out of writing & sharing what I know.
"During the day I kept walking around the department and I kept coming to my desk and looking to see if it was still there. It was still there"
Happened to me with bugs :)
Jokes aside, I agree with the point about writing. Both at work and in personal life.
My thoughts in my head are just reinforcing themselves and creating a mental lie. When written on paper, it's harder to lie to myself because I see everything.
Writing is the most preserved form of communication in history. I believe it is for a reason and we shouldn't forget about it even if nowadays audio and video seem like "the cool thing". Some day VR will be the next cool thing for everyday life, yet writing will still be present in our lives.
In a writing workshop I attended last week at work, I defined writing as "scalable communication" and people liked the idea. If writing has this impact on yourself to clarify your thinking, imagine the impact of good writing in groups of people.
I see it as one of the core skills to learn. There will be writing in my future life, I'm sure of it.
And thanks for the mention and engaging in my post. It's great to have good insights on these interactions :)
I love the term "scalable communication" and view writing similarly.
I don't know if you're a podcast guy or watch YouTube, but you can do all those things while doing something else. I used to listen to podcasts while working or watch YouTube while having my breakfast.
When I'm reading, I'm reading.
So, it's scalable, and the attention you get from the people consuming writing is also high-quality.
Of course, there are uses for video or podcasts and even VR, but I don't see it in an area where communicating clearly and concisely is critical, like writing.
Your posts are always a great read, and thanks for the blurb! :)
Writing is thinking. That’s precisely why I started writing on LinkedIn and Substack. Writing about a topic forces me to think more deeply about it so I can find a way to explain my thoughts to others.
I go back and reference my own writing to remember what I was thinking.
Thanks for the shoutout!
I started my first blog for the same reason and to provide help to developers. But I never expected to get so much out of writing & sharing what I know.
You're welcome! Thanks for the great article!
"During the day I kept walking around the department and I kept coming to my desk and looking to see if it was still there. It was still there"
Happened to me with bugs :)
Jokes aside, I agree with the point about writing. Both at work and in personal life.
My thoughts in my head are just reinforcing themselves and creating a mental lie. When written on paper, it's harder to lie to myself because I see everything.
Writing is the most preserved form of communication in history. I believe it is for a reason and we shouldn't forget about it even if nowadays audio and video seem like "the cool thing". Some day VR will be the next cool thing for everyday life, yet writing will still be present in our lives.
In a writing workshop I attended last week at work, I defined writing as "scalable communication" and people liked the idea. If writing has this impact on yourself to clarify your thinking, imagine the impact of good writing in groups of people.
I see it as one of the core skills to learn. There will be writing in my future life, I'm sure of it.
And thanks for the mention and engaging in my post. It's great to have good insights on these interactions :)
I love the term "scalable communication" and view writing similarly.
I don't know if you're a podcast guy or watch YouTube, but you can do all those things while doing something else. I used to listen to podcasts while working or watch YouTube while having my breakfast.
When I'm reading, I'm reading.
So, it's scalable, and the attention you get from the people consuming writing is also high-quality.
Of course, there are uses for video or podcasts and even VR, but I don't see it in an area where communicating clearly and concisely is critical, like writing.
Your posts are always a great read, and thanks for the blurb! :)