Why don't I have a blog?
I feel like I should have a blog. Specifically, a tech blog. Everything points towards it! I like coding, I like reading, I particularly like reading blog posts. So then, why don't I have one?!
1 If by any chance you get an idea of my reading tastes and have a book in mind that I'll like, let me know!
2 I know I'm doing a huge disservice to these people with these quick and done summaries of their lives and contributions, but just bear with me while I try to make my case.
This past summer I bought and read exactly three books: Raw Thought, Raw Nerve by Aaron Swartz, The Cathedral & the Bazaar by Eric S. Raymond, and UNIX: A History and a Memoir by Brian Kernighan1. One is a compilation of past blog posts written by one of the most influential programmers and internet activists of this century, another one is a collection of essays by an authority on written hackerdom history, and the last one is a memoir by a CS legend whose most important contributions include books considered the state of the art on technical writing2.
What do they all have in common? An emphasis on the written word. And not only that: these very same people strongly encourage the written word. In Eric S. Raymond's How To Become A Hacker he suggests that a good programmer should learn to write well. On his blog, Aaron Swartz explains how writing things down will help him reflect better on his thoughts. Heck, even BWK talks3 about how taking writing seriously will get you a long way. My point is... there is a clear connection between CS and the written word.
