Blogging: The Art of Stating the Obvious

The author argues that blogging often feels like stating the obvious, which can make writers feel their work is unnecessary. Yet, because many glaring issues go unaddressed, these simple observations are often the most resonant and important pieces of writing. Ultimately, the core of blogging is the willingness to say what everyone else is thinking but no one is saying.

Key Points

• John Gruber's critique of 'dickover' popups illustrates how basic web usability is often ignored.
• Bloggers frequently hesitate to publish because they feel their points are too simple or lack depth.
• The best blog posts often arise from the frustration of seeing a problem that no one else is talking about.
• A key ingredient to successful blogging is the willingness to state what seems obvious to the author but remains unsaid by others.

Sentiment

The overall sentiment is supportive and reflective. Hacker News generally agrees with the article's claim that obvious observations can be worth publishing, especially when they are clearly expressed or connect with a real audience. The disagreement is moderate and mostly constructive, centered on the difference between useful clarity and low-effort repetition.

In Agreement

• A familiar idea can still help readers when someone states it clearly, accessibly, and in a voice they trust.
• Blogging is valuable as a way to clarify one's own thinking, practice communication, and leave useful explanations for future readers.
• Many truths are obvious only after someone has made them explicit; writing can turn private intuition into shared knowledge.
• The persistence of intrusive popups, subscription prompts, and bloated publishing platforms shows why basic critiques of web UX still need repeating.
• Audience and context matter: a post does not need to be globally novel to be useful to the people who encounter it through a particular writer.

Opposed

• Some commenters worry that repeating familiar ideas can add noise when the writer has not brought clarity, experience, or a distinct perspective.
• A few argue that posting schedules and content-hustle incentives encourage empty posts that exist only to maintain an audience.
• There is skepticism that popularity reflects quality, since attention often depends on timing, marketing, and luck rather than the value of the idea.
• Some comments suggest that the internet already contains many versions of the same arguments, making redundancy a real concern even if obvious writing can be useful.