10 Tips on Writing the Living Web

I met this article seven years ago, when I was still contemplating whether or not to create my own blog. Movable Type was in its infancy, so writing on the web still required a considerable amount of system administration work, which provided a good excuse not to write on the web.

Then Typepad came out, and together with several online articles, I finally gained enough push at my back to start my blogging life. 10 Tips on Writing the Living Web was one of these articles.

It reads more like a philosophy than a traditional collection of tips. None of the tips offer technical insights such as font selection, formal or informal word usage, and so on. But the article warmly encourages the readers all along, culminating at the last tip, Relax! At the same time, it does not sugar coat the reality: if we need to invest a considerable amount of energy into writing, it says so (Write often). If we have to be brave enough to speak the truth, it says so too (Stand up, speak out).

I read the article again thanks to the collection of links from Professor Ronkowitz, and I am amazed at how timeless it is. No part of this article feels old, even after seven years (= 70 internet years). I recommend this article to anybody who is wondering if it is worth writing seriously on the web.