I always wanted to write. I love to write. I kept learning to code for myself for months (10 months), before making the decision to start writing blog posts. I was always so afraid to write, because I didn't think I have enough to share with others. I wanted to give something valuable and always felt that, nevermind, it is already there. So I just waited..
I remember my first post. It was here on dev. It was messy, it almost looked like I don't know what I am talking about. And yes, I had no idea what I was doing. It was a mix of a hello and some motivational speech and also some JavaScript code taken as a joke. Maybe not a good joke.
I decided to post once a week. Even considered posting twice sometimes, but it seems I can't. Even posting once a week is too much. And I have to be honest, I have to force myself to do it. I have to think about what I am gonna write. And I never know what I am going to do on Sunday. It has to be valuable for me at first, so I can decide if it is good for others to see. It is so much work and trouble. So I spend hours just to write a 2 minutes text.
And I still think about if it worth it or not. Do people actually care about my posts? Are these posts helpful? I don't wanna do it like just because. I don't wanna be lame, I don't wanna be boring, I don't wanna be like just to post there something. I want to be really good at it. But am I? Should I stop? I push myself, I force myself and I still do it. And it is not perfect, still not perfect. It will never be enought. But I see the struggle and the hard work. And I just hope it will pay off sometime. I want to be helpful. I really do.
Now, I also love reading others posts. I can find a variety of topics here on dev. And it just refreshes my memory. It's like study material. See some JavaScript tips and tricks here, some React performance stuff there, some css that I completely forgot about. It's so helpful.
But nowadays I feel something is off. And listen, I know some people will be mad on me and I am truly sorry. But I am just honest, so be honest with you too. It's like people don't care about what they post, they don't bother thinking themselves, they just copy paste. I don't see their struggle, their hard work, their knwoledge, their motivation to help others, to inspire them. Where is their passion?
I see a lot using Artificial Intelligence to autocomplete some text that they should have wrote themselves in the first place, bad use of it. I use AI, no hypocrite here. But I let it help me, I sometimes need some guidance. I don't let it control everything, I don't let AI do my job. Because he can't do it, he sucks at it really. It is just a tool, not a real developer, not a real writer.
I am so sorry about doing this, but this is a chance for everyone to realize they just tell lies to themselves, that they don't do theirselves no service. You don't get value doing this, you don't learn. Again, I hate pointing fingers, but I am trying here to prove my point, so check this out, it is a post from dev:
How does it look? Can you be serious about your work and still do this? Can you be satisfied? Is this enough? Is this what you are looking for when struggling on a project and need some help? Is it helpful after all? You tell me! But be honest!
That's why I think this posting trend is so dissapointing... Don't you think?
Guys, don't steal from yourself. I know it takes so much time to learn. And you also have to give something back, to post something good, helpful, reltable. And this is also time consuming, like very. But don't just rush prompt the AI and copy here and job done. Let's just flex those brain muscles. This is how we grow into real developers. We take and give back. We don't pretend that we give, just like we don't pretend when taking.
After reading this, you might be angry with me. Can I ask something from you? Don't be angry with me. I am not insulting anyone, I am just trying to help. Think deeply about it. Realize.
Tell me what you think.
Hey, I’m really glad you opened up this discussion and don’t regret it.👏
I totally understand your frustrations.🥰
First of all, when it comes to posting, I struggle with the same thing.
I always think hard before I post: What should I write? Something that inspires others, something helpful, motivating... but also something that feels satisfying for myself. For example, posting weekly about the challenges you’ve faced, or the projects you’ve worked on, can serve as a personal map a record you can look back on to see how much you’ve grown.
Secondly, no you shouldn’t stop posting, even if it feels like some people don’t take it seriously.There are people who are waiting for posts like yours, to feel motivated, to learn from your experience. Beyond that, do it for you. Think of it like a journal, something that keeps you motivated to come back and write with joy. Those who resonate with what you share will engage. They’ll comment or appreciate it.🥰 Those who don’t will just scroll past and that’s fine... What matters is that you did it for yourself.
Thirdly, yes I’ve felt the same ever since joining this community.
Many posts do feel like copy-paste material. Like the example you gave it’s honestly sad.
I don’t even bother reading posts when they have 100 emojis and the overused em dash "—". You can clearly tell it was all written by AI.
And don’t get me wrong there’s nothing wrong with asking AI for tips on what to write about, or getting help to*get inspired. But letting it write your **entire post?* That’s a lack of respect for yourself and honestly, a waste of your own time.
I’ve followed some people in this community who had posted more than 10 posts in just one hour⁉️ How is it even possible to think and write that much in one hour❓
Meanwhile, I take two hours to carefully write one post. 😄 If one day you have no inspiration and simply don’t feel like writing, it’s better not to write at all than to ask AI for a topic and copy-paste it just for the sake of posting something...
So yes, it is sad and I’m glad you brought it up.👏 Personally, whenever I post, I write it from the heart, for myself. If I were just posting for the sake of posting, I’d have over 10 posts every week. 😄
Thank you for your honesty and for trying to help by bringing up this topic.🥰👏