The Dopefly Tech Blog

Reminder: Talk about the basics (and 6 reasons to do it)

posted under category: General on February 11, 2010 by Nathan

We tend to forget about the basics. Once we've mastered them, we move on to whatever else interests us. When beginning a learning project, we grow the most, we post the most questions, answers and blog entries, and we talk about our beginner problems the most. Later on, we stop talking about what it's like to get started, and for good reason, we're not getting started. It's out of sight, out of blog.

Take me, for instance. I have become so wrapped up in OO, design patterns, frameworks and extensibility, that I've nearly forgotten there are loads of new developers out there, hoping to learn something from the likes of me.

But big deal, why should we even talk about the basics? Well lucky for the universe, I've compiled this list, because we all love lists.

Talking about the basics...

1. Gives you something to blog about
   
   I have like 2 posts for the entire year so far. I need some new subjects.
2. Ups your search results ranking, bringing more traffic to your web site
   
   And who doesn't want more traffic? Not me, man, I want it all.
3. Increases the stability of the global knowledge on the given subject
   
   Maybe esoteric and meta, but it's true. Sometimes old resources go dry, while new ones are usually prettier.
4. Increases the keyword rank
   
   Increase the google trends ranking. Increase the general popularity of your subject. Get uninitiated people interested in a "that looks easy" kind of way.
5. Gets uninitiated people interested
   
   If you have them saying "Hey, I can do that, it's easy" then you can add to the numbers of those working in your world.
6. Guarantees your high place in the minds of the unknowing
   
   Readers like a hero, and you'll like people coming up to you, years later, expressing their gratitude.