5 ms·

I've found it worth doing. My blog (xeiaso.net, formerly christine.website) is the main way that I get employed at this point. It also helps that people link it

by xena 4y ago

I've found it worth doing. My blog (xeiaso.net, formerly christine.website) is the main way that I get employed at this point. It also helps that people link it here a lot. After 100 articles or so writing got a lot easier and now people rely on my blog for a lot of things. I think it's worth it, but I've also been exclusively self-hosting it. I currently have the code (and writing) open source on GitHub (https://github.com/Xe/site https://github.com/Xe/site) but I'm considering moving the writing to either a private repo or a SQLite database because people keep copying it, slathering it in ads and rehosting it. EDIT: also because independent personal blogs are a rarity now, having a decent one means that you can really stand out from the crowd.

gioagugini 4y ago
- dang 4y ago
  Please don't cross into personal attack or take HN threads on flamewar tangents. It's not what this site is for, and it destroys what it is for. https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html
branon 4y ago
Hey I read your blog a lot and it's definitely one of the more impressive I've seen, I don't write much (yet) but the structure and style of xeiaso.net is something I admire and would like to emulate
cableshaft 4y ago
> people keep copying it, slathering it in ads and rehosting it Didn't occur to me that could be a thing, but of course it is. People suck.
- cinntaile 4y ago
  Ad income without putting the work in, it's a dream come true for some.
behnamoh 4y ago
> My blog is the main way that I get employed at this point. I don't use my blog (https://medium.com/@parttimeben https://medium.com/@parttimeben) to get employed, but it has helped me organize and document my thoughts. For example, when setting up a new machine, I've always needed to keep track of what I installed before, what worked and how I got it to work, etc. Sure, I can google this stuff again, but just writing about my experience helps a lot. I'm actually writing to my future self!
- xena 4y ago
  Me too, but somehow people really like that. I don't get it either!
heinrichhartman 4y ago
Thanks for writing these blogs! Always appreciated finding them here [1]. [1] https://hn.algolia.com/?dateRange=all&page=0&prefix=true&query=christine.website&sort=byPopularity&type=story https://hn.algolia.com/?dateRange=all&page=0&prefix=true&que...
cpach 4y ago
Your blog rocks!
dharmab 4y ago
Thanks for these blog posts! A couple of them are on the study guide we give to new hires who are new to Go.
TylerE 4y ago
- detaro 4y ago
  > All blog content is all rights reserved. What do you think this license specifically allows?
  - ncphil 4y ago
    "All rights reserved" is obsolete language (there's a long boring story behind that) without legal effect. The way copyright has worked internationally since the late 70s, you don't even need a copyright notice but not having one will limit your remedies (and make proving your case very difficult -- always use a copyright notice). Your work is copyrighted automatically when created. If no additional license is provided any copying not under Fair Use is illegal. Licenses like the many variations on Creative Commons allow for copying under the explicit terms of the license (minimally requiring attribution). Apache, MIT and the 3 generations of the GPL do the same for software. Enforceability, especially by authors not themselves wealthy or backed by a wealthy patron, is another matter. It's a rich man's game, and become even more so over time. If someone steals your car, you might get the authorities to step in. But if they steal your written creation, even though violation of copyright is a crime in many jurisdictions, you're on your own.
  - TylerE 4y ago
    The license file in the GitHub repository.
    - pc86 4y ago
      The first clause says you can't misrepresent ownership.
      - TylerE 4y ago
        GP didn't say they were actually doing that. Just "stealing" the content.
the_arun 4y ago
Your blog looks awesome! a) People who copy blogs could copy anything public.. correct? That shouldn't stop you from blogging. OR b) By copying, did you mean they are forking your git repo & hosting it with a wrapper on top of your content? I'm assuming it is (b) you are worried about.
- anthropodie 4y ago
  Forking a repo is lot easier than scraping a blog and then re-hosting it. I think it's most probably (b) that OP is talking about.
  - xena 4y ago
    I am talking about option B yeah. It's less frequent after I stopped using Dockerfiles to build the blog, but it happens sometimes. Sending a "can you don't" message to the person and their hosting provider usually gets them to stop though.
yusefnapora 4y ago
Thanks for your blog! I've learned a ton of great stuff (especially about Nix / NixOS) and it's always fun to read.
Sholmesy 4y ago
I was looking for inspo for my own blog the other day and saw yours as like the pinnacle of what a tech blog could look like.
LVanguard 4y ago
Oh wow. This reply came at a great time as I've been at the beginning stages of grappling with the benefits of having a publicly available personal blog. I've always had starts and fits but never really gave it the time of day it deserved. I think I'll want to commit to it at this point. Best way I can think of achieving that (via Atomic Habits) is just to commit to writing the same time of day, everyday. Never even thought of the whole "It could help your employment prospects" angle.
- xena 4y ago
  I try to make something for my blog every week. This week is a dry week for the blog because I was working on my RustConf talk! I have an unused version of the talk that I'm probably gonna adapt into a blogpost. Keep an eye out :)
Gipetto 4y ago
Nothing you do, aside maybe from putting it behind a login, will prevent your content from being ripped off. Its just a sad part of what we have to live with.
ehzy 4y ago
> private repo or a SQLite database because people keep copying it Couldn't they just as easily scrape it from the site itself? Or is that too high a bar for type of scum we're talking about.
- xena 4y ago
  Any barrier makes them give up easier.
Antoninus 4y ago
read christine.website for a while! keep it up!
charles_f 4y ago
> because people keep copying it, slathering it in ads and rehosting it. Never occurred to me that was a possibility, but wouldn't you know, my last two posts seem to have copies on other people's blog

by xena 4y ago

gioagugini 4y ago

dang 4y ago
Please don't cross into personal attack or take HN threads on flamewar tangents. It's not what this site is for, and it destroys what it is for. https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html

branon 4y ago

Hey I read your blog a lot and it's definitely one of the more impressive I've seen, I don't write much (yet) but the structure and style of xeiaso.net is something I admire and would like to emulate

cableshaft 4y ago

> people keep copying it, slathering it in ads and rehosting it Didn't occur to me that could be a thing, but of course it is. People suck.

cinntaile 4y ago
Ad income without putting the work in, it's a dream come true for some.

behnamoh 4y ago

> My blog is the main way that I get employed at this point. I don't use my blog (https://medium.com/@parttimeben https://medium.com/@parttimeben) to get employed, but it has helped me organize and document my thoughts. For example, when setting up a new machine, I've always needed to keep track of what I installed before, what worked and how I got it to work, etc. Sure, I can google this stuff again, but just writing about my experience helps a lot. I'm actually writing to my future self!

xena 4y ago
Me too, but somehow people really like that. I don't get it either!

heinrichhartman 4y ago

Thanks for writing these blogs! Always appreciated finding them here [1]. [1] https://hn.algolia.com/?dateRange=all&page=0&prefix=true&query=christine.website&sort=byPopularity&type=story https://hn.algolia.com/?dateRange=all&page=0&prefix=true&que...

cpach 4y ago

Your blog rocks!

dharmab 4y ago

Thanks for these blog posts! A couple of them are on the study guide we give to new hires who are new to Go.

TylerE 4y ago

detaro 4y ago
> All blog content is all rights reserved. What do you think this license specifically allows?
- ncphil 4y ago
  "All rights reserved" is obsolete language (there's a long boring story behind that) without legal effect. The way copyright has worked internationally since the late 70s, you don't even need a copyright notice but not having one will limit your remedies (and make proving your case very difficult -- always use a copyright notice). Your work is copyrighted automatically when created. If no additional license is provided any copying not under Fair Use is illegal. Licenses like the many variations on Creative Commons allow for copying under the explicit terms of the license (minimally requiring attribution). Apache, MIT and the 3 generations of the GPL do the same for software. Enforceability, especially by authors not themselves wealthy or backed by a wealthy patron, is another matter. It's a rich man's game, and become even more so over time. If someone steals your car, you might get the authorities to step in. But if they steal your written creation, even though violation of copyright is a crime in many jurisdictions, you're on your own.
- TylerE 4y ago
  The license file in the GitHub repository.
  - pc86 4y ago
    The first clause says you can't misrepresent ownership.
    - TylerE 4y ago
      GP didn't say they were actually doing that. Just "stealing" the content.

the_arun 4y ago

Your blog looks awesome! a) People who copy blogs could copy anything public.. correct? That shouldn't stop you from blogging. OR b) By copying, did you mean they are forking your git repo & hosting it with a wrapper on top of your content? I'm assuming it is (b) you are worried about.

anthropodie 4y ago
Forking a repo is lot easier than scraping a blog and then re-hosting it. I think it's most probably (b) that OP is talking about.
- xena 4y ago
  I am talking about option B yeah. It's less frequent after I stopped using Dockerfiles to build the blog, but it happens sometimes. Sending a "can you don't" message to the person and their hosting provider usually gets them to stop though.

yusefnapora 4y ago

Thanks for your blog! I've learned a ton of great stuff (especially about Nix / NixOS) and it's always fun to read.

Sholmesy 4y ago

I was looking for inspo for my own blog the other day and saw yours as like the pinnacle of what a tech blog could look like.

LVanguard 4y ago

Oh wow. This reply came at a great time as I've been at the beginning stages of grappling with the benefits of having a publicly available personal blog. I've always had starts and fits but never really gave it the time of day it deserved. I think I'll want to commit to it at this point. Best way I can think of achieving that (via Atomic Habits) is just to commit to writing the same time of day, everyday. Never even thought of the whole "It could help your employment prospects" angle.

xena 4y ago
I try to make something for my blog every week. This week is a dry week for the blog because I was working on my RustConf talk! I have an unused version of the talk that I'm probably gonna adapt into a blogpost. Keep an eye out :)

Gipetto 4y ago

Nothing you do, aside maybe from putting it behind a login, will prevent your content from being ripped off. Its just a sad part of what we have to live with.

ehzy 4y ago

> private repo or a SQLite database because people keep copying it Couldn't they just as easily scrape it from the site itself? Or is that too high a bar for type of scum we're talking about.

xena 4y ago
Any barrier makes them give up easier.

Antoninus 4y ago

read christine.website for a while! keep it up!

charles_f 4y ago

> because people keep copying it, slathering it in ads and rehosting it. Never occurred to me that was a possibility, but wouldn't you know, my last two posts seem to have copies on other people's blog