Today is blogiversary 5.0 here at TruePravda. That’s right, April 25, 2003 marked the beginning of this eclectic hive of commentary, opinion, & general mischief. So to celebrate (aside from rereading all the archives [1]), here are five things I’ve learned about this not-so-new medium:
- Only write when you have something to say. This is a rule I’ve often violated, more so in the first year of writing here. The blogosphere is cluttered enough. If it’s not good, silence is stronger.
- Be just as ready to hit “delete” as you are to hit “publish.” I’ve deleted countless posts that for one reason or another, weren’t fit for publishing to the world. I’ve never regretted one of these deletions, even when I’ve spent much time and intellectual energy writing them. Restraint is your ally. Befriend it.
- Edit, edit again, then edit your edits. The entries I consider my best are inevitably the ones I reread and rework. Tight editing can’t improve an idea, but it can make it more presentable.
- Have a little fun, even if nobody else cares. My general mischief category [2] keeps me sane by way of dispensing insanity. I love to write brief, post-game recaps [3] of University of Tennessee football games. I’m probably the only person who reads them. All the best bloggers dispense a little levity — who am I to argue?
- Care for your audience but don’t write only to please them. It didn’t take long to discover that I couldn’t be “all things to all people” in every post. You can’t please everyone, so speak the truth to the best of your ability. Don’t sell out.
So whether you’ve been reading for five years or five minutes, thanks for taking the time to read TruePravda.