I've seen this going around with people talking about why they blog and figured I'd share my thoughts for me.
Why Did You Start Blogging In The First Place?
I think the core of why I first started blogging was to just give me a spot to share my thoughts. I started with Xynga, LiveJournal and then Blogger, moving to my own custom domain in 2007 when I graduated college. It was, and still is cathartic to just share my random thoughts. Helps clear my mind and maybe someone else will get something from them.
I've also started sharing gotchas and other programming tidbits figuring they might help someone else learn something from my experiences.
What Platform Are You Using The Manage Your Blog, And Why Do You Use It?
My site runs on Eleventy. I use it because it's simple to use and I can maintain my site and posts with markdown files and no database. Easy source control and deployments.
Have You Blogged On Other Platforms Before?
Once I got my own domain, I started off with my own platform and CMS I built myself with PHP as a learning project. While it was fun to build, it also made it more difficult to maintain and write posts at the same time.
My next stop was Wordpress. I had multiple iterations of Wordpress sites which did unfortunately come with several lost databases (my own fault) which meant I lost content. (This is one of the many reasons I don't see myself ever moving off of static site generators.)
After a brief stint with an early version of Ghost, I switched to Jekyll which I used for a while as it worked well for me and introduced me to the joy of writing post in markdown and having easy version and source control.
I then migrated to Next.js as it was easier to setup and use for me than Jekyll was. Part of this was that I was more familiar with JavaScript and React than I was with Ruby.
Finally in late 2023, I migrated to 11ty and haven't looked back. I don't know what the future holds, but being able to maintain all my content in markdown is the way to go, I can't see myself ever going back to a platform that doesn't use that in some way.
How Do You Write Your Posts?
I use Obsidian to write my posts. I have folders for ideas, outlines, and drafts. I write them and then copy them into Sublime Text to get them added to my site.
When Do You Feel Most Inspired to Write
The jokester in me will say whenever I'm driving or am unable to write. Which while not entirely false doesn't paint the full picture.
I'm often inclined to write when I've solved a problem, but or other issue and I want to share.
The other times are when I'm just thinking about something and want to get some thoughts out. Sometimes my posts are as much for me as anyone else.
Do You Normally Publish Immediately After Writing, Or Do You Let It Simmer?
Most posts as soon as I feel like I have it written and (mostly) edited, I'll post it. Others I might let simmer a day or two as I re-read and maybe further edit it. I might also realize I don't like it and throw it in an abandoned folder where posts go to be forgotten about.
What's Your Favorite Post on Your Blog
I don't really know if I have one. If I really had to choose, I'd say the post I made after listening to Zach Leatherman on the JS Party podcast after taking 11ty private.
Any Future Plans For the Blog?
I'll probably keep tweaking the look and feel. I've added content and pages as I've felt like it or as I see others try cool things.
Who Will Participate Next?
Anyone and everyone.