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Maxi Contieri
Maxi Contieri

Posted on • Originally published at maximilianocontieri.com

I Wrote More than 90 Articles on 2021: Here is What I Learned

This article summarizes my experience as a writer during the pandemic year 2021

Below you will find many resources and tools, and my method and tips for writing a lot.

My Background

  • I have a degree in computer science. πŸ‘¨πŸ½β€πŸ”¬

  • I use the scientific method and Occam's razor.

  • I have researched for 30 years both in the academic and industrial fields.

  • I don't have the absolute truth.

  • I try to support my opinions with evidence. πŸ”

  • They are my opinions and are very subject to change.

My tools and secret sauces

  • I Have a (very) long list of draft articles.

  • I often skip the waiting queue and write about some inspirational source (and cite it).

  • I use a different template in all my series.

  • For example, I have an empty Code Smell template.

  • I write Everywhere πŸ—ΊοΈ

  • I proofread all my articles with HemingwayApp, Grammarly, and Google Translate (all free) πŸ”‘

  • I parse the markdown in my articles and convert them to HTML to republish on many platforms at once.

  • I heavily use the canonical URL tag to avoid search penalties. πŸ”Ž

  • I Follow very interesting people on Twitter and blogging platforms. ✨

  • I take a new course every week, usually on a subject that is far away from my comfort zone.

  • I add many references and quotes to my articles.

Time management

  • I read a lot of articles early in the morning and bookmark them during the day. πŸŒ…

  • I use Trello, Inoreader, Pocket, and Obsidian.

  • I Use The Pomodoro technique to focus when writing. πŸ…

  • I avoid perfection. I publish them when they are ready.

  • Then I make corrections with other people's comments. Even after months.

  • I Garden my articles.

Dealing with Criticism

  • I have different opinions than many other developers.

  • Software Design is a creative activity.

  • My articles are suggestions and not rigid rules.

  • I try to have smart discussions.

  • I have zero tolerance for hate speech and unprofessional comments.

  • I never feed the troll.

Common Criticism

  • I get the same comments over and over again, so these are the common critics I get and my opinions.

Readability

I need to see the complete code in a sheet

  • If you need to see long methods/scripts to understand your solution, that's fine.

  • I prefer to have small/reusable/testable functions.

The code in your articles is not Compiling/Working/has errors

  • I try to add code samples for clarity.

  • Most of the code snippets work.

  • Some of them are pseudo-code for educational purposes. πŸ‘¨β€πŸ«

  • I have used 25+ different languages in my articles.

  • I am not an expert in ANY of these languages.

  • Languages are accidental, Software design is essential.

I Have a trick in INSERT LANGUAGE to improve the code.

  • Most of the articles are language independent.

  • The solutions try to avoid language perks and cleverness.

Your solution is not performant/optimal

  • I write about backend business software. πŸ–₯️

  • This is the domain I've been working on.

  • I am aware that some tasks require more performant solutions (for example DApps).

  • I will always choose long descriptive names over smart performance optimizations.

  • First, make the code right. βœ”οΈ

  • Then, optimize it only if you have strong evidence.

  • Complexity is not enough evidence.

  • You need a real benchmark in real use case scenarios. πŸ“ˆ

  • If I need to sort 20 elements in a collection, I will always choose bubble sort because it is easier to read.

Premature optimization is the root of all evil. 😈

Helpers, DTOs, Singletons, Nulls, Setters, Metaprogramming, Castings, Comments are standard. πŸ™ˆ

  • I write a lot on these anti-patterns with the reasons why I think we should avoid them.

  • You can keep thinking they are good and that's fine.

  • My arguments against them are in all articles.

  • I reply polite comments about them.

A 15 lines long method is not 'long'

  • IMHO, a 6 lines method is too long

  • You can always break them using refactorings. πŸ› οΈ

  • You don't need to see the big picture and the details at the same time. 🌳

  • Trust your implementation and write good tests.

Your solutions have too many indirections

  • Coupling is our worst enemy. πŸ™…

  • We need to avoid direct relationships.

You have too many rules and constraints

  • There is just one rule.

  • Always follow the bijection πŸ”€

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