# Technical Blogging

- Show: [Oxide and Friends](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/oxide-and-friends)
- Published: 2024-11-21
- Length: 1h 40m
- Episode: 29
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/oxide-and-friends/2024-11-21-technical-blogging
- Listen: https://share.transistor.fm/s/3c341973

## Summary

Bryan Cantrill and Adam Leventhal of Oxide Computer Company discuss the history and practice of technical blogging with authors Piotr Sarna and Cynthia Dunlop, who are writing the book "Writing for Developers." The conversation traces the evolution of blogging from Sun Microsystems' blogs.sun.com initiative led by Tim Bray and Will Snow to modern static site generators, highlighting how long-form writing clarifies thinking and builds community. They analyze specific influential blog posts, such as Leventhal's analysis of AWS Outposts and Cantrill's controversial piece on pronouns, to illustrate the power and risks of public technical discourse.

## Chapters

- [0:00](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/oxide-and-friends/2024-11-21-technical-blogging#t=0) Introduction: Bryan Cantrill, Adam Leventhal, Piotr Sarna, Cynthia Dunlop, Tim Bray, and Will Snow
- [2:31](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/oxide-and-friends/2024-11-21-technical-blogging#t=151) The Origin of blogs.sun.com: Tim Bray and Will Snow's Vision
- [16:37](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/oxide-and-friends/2024-11-21-technical-blogging#t=997) Scaling Sun's Blogging Infrastructure and Community Growth
- [22:51](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/oxide-and-friends/2024-11-21-technical-blogging#t=1371) Writing for Developers: Sarna and Dunlop's Book Genesis
- [28:08](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/oxide-and-friends/2024-11-21-technical-blogging#t=1688) Retracted Posts and Editing: Adam Leventhal's DTrace and APFS Entries
- [40:25](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/oxide-and-friends/2024-11-21-technical-blogging#t=2425) AWS Outposts Analysis: Leventhal's Blog Driving Oxide's Strategy
- [47:06](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/oxide-and-friends/2024-11-21-technical-blogging#t=2826) Rust, Go, and Language Learning: Leventhal's First Rust Program
- [55:39](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/oxide-and-friends/2024-11-21-technical-blogging#t=3339) Clarifying Thinking and Voice: Cantrill's Pronoun Post and Style
- [1:28:47](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/oxide-and-friends/2024-11-21-technical-blogging#t=5327) Technical Advice: Static Site Generators, Hugo, and 11ty

## Topics

- [Creator business](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/creator-business)
- [AI & machine learning](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/ai-and-machine-learning)
- [Microcontrollers & dev platforms](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/microcontrollers-and-platforms)
- [Energy & climate tech](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/energy-and-climate-tech)

## Most relevant to

early-stage companies

## Mentioned

- Oxide Computer Company (company)
- Sun Microsystems (company)
- blogs.sun.com (other)
- Roller (other)
- Writing for Developers (other)
- AWS Outposts (product)
- Rust (other)
- Go (other)
- Node.js (other)
- Libuv (other)
- Hugo (other)
- 11ty (other)

## Related episodes from other shows

- [Twitter, Medium and Blogger: Ev Williams](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2024-05-06-twitter-medium-and-blogger-ev-williams) (How I Built This)
- [28: A Lot of Wish Fulfillment](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2013-11-20-28-a-lot-of-wish-fulfillment) (Embedded.fm)
- [Open Hardware and Self Publishing](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2010-09-28-open-hardware-and-self-publishing) (The Amp Hour)
- [64: Making Making Embedded Whoops](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2014-08-21-64-making-making-embedded-whoops) (Embedded.fm)
- [148: A Minimum of Two Poops](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2016-04-21-148-a-minimum-of-two-poops) (Embedded.fm)

## Citing this page

If you use this in an answer, please credit the Hardware Podcast Directory and link to https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/oxide-and-friends/2024-11-21-technical-blogging. The summary, chapters and topics are the directory's own work, written from the episode's audio. The episode itself, its title and its audio belong to Oxide and Friends.