One of the most exciting things about the internet is that anybody can write about anything and people will listen. Freedom of speech is a powerful amendment right that we should all exercise freely and with pride. But, what if we have no idea what we are talking about before writing something?
Worse yet, what if we have somewhat of a presence online that people listen to? If we don’t know what we are talking about, do we not set ourselves up for trouble down the road? Part of my value proposition on Financial Samurai is that I will only write what I know about to make things more meaningful. If I’m interested in a subject, but don’t know anything about it, I will simply ask someone in the know to share and explain. Perhaps I’ve got it all wrong.
In this post, I’d like to delve into both camps:
1) Yes, we can write and say whatever we want, even if we don’t know much.
2) No, we should write and say only about what we know, and highlight when we don’t know what we are writing or talking about.
There are no rules on the internet, so nobody should feel that one way is the “must do” way.
“YES, WE CAN WRITE WHATEVER WE WANT, BABY!”
The internet is not a push culture, it’s a pull culture. We choose to go to the sites. Nobody kidnaps our pet bunny and says, “You must visit Yakezie.com everyday and share your thoughts in the comments section, sign up for our e-mail feed, or else!” Well, maybe some of the most faithful fans are like that, but hopefully not!
If you stumble across a site that contains content that makes no sense, has no personality, has no opinion, and provides no insights, then you’ll probably stop visiting altogether. There are a bagillion sites out there and it’s so easy to jump ship. Given everything is rational, people do what’s in their best interest over the long term. The site owner will either give up because s/he doesn’t gain any progressive traffic, or works to improve his/her content to gain more traffic. Feedback through visits is as clear as day.
From a site owner’s perspective, his site might very well be his own pontifications on life. He doesn’t claim to be an expert in anything as written in his disclaimer. He wants to write about whatever he damn well pleases because it’s his site! He pays the server and domain costs, and he’s not forcing anybody to come visit. If readers don’t like what’s being written, they can very well leave for all he cares.
Here are some great examples:
* A renter who has never owned who writes about the benefits of homeownership.
* A single person who teaches others how to find true happiness in marriage.
* A college graduate with nothing to his name who teaches you how to be rich.
* A person who tells others to pay more taxes when they don’t know what it’s like to pay such taxes, and won’t have to pay more themselves.
* A person who only speaks one language and crows about how much better the world would be if we were all bi-lingual and traveling the globe.
* A person who abhors debt, but writes about the benefits of credit cards on a credit card site.
* A person who is still in debt, and making a living teaching others how to get out of debt.
* Dr. Phil writing and marketing a weight-loss/fitness book, and he’s super wealthy!
* A spouse who preaches early retirement, yet who has a spouse working to take care of both of them.
* A person who shoots a 140 in golf telling us who shoot in the 80’s how to play (happened to me this week).
* Someone who blogs about blogging who doesn’t have a very good blog.
“NO, WE SHOULD ONLY WRITE AND SAY ONLY WHAT WE KNOW, MORON!”
On the flip slide, there’s another camp who believes we should write about only what we know, because to do otherwise would be misleading and pointless. There are so many authors who are relative experts in their respective fields, for someone to write about things one doesn’t know about is a sure fire way to blowing themselves up.
If we write what we know, we write with more conviction. We’re able to provide examples of our knowledge and experiences, thereby buttressing our credibility, authority, and presence on the web. We are in the inside looking out, not on the outside looking in, pontificating on what might be.
When I launch my consulting business, I plan to consult on things that I know intimately, rather than things I have superficial knowledge over.
Some straightforward examples:
* A retiree at 50 writing about how to retire by 50.
* A millionaire writing about how she made her first million, and teaching others how to do the same.
* An entrepreneur who failed five times and finally hit the big one who writes about creating your own company.
* A travel blogger who speaks three languages fluently and has travelled to over 50 different countries.
* A landlord who writes about how to maximize rent, find the best tenants, and discover undervalued rental properties to buy.
* A person who has worked in the investment industry for 20 years and writes a newsletter on macroeconomics, policy, and sectors to invest in.
* A mom of three who writes about the difficulties of parenthood.
* An NBA all-star in the 80’s who is now an NBA commentator for ESPN.
* A lifestyle blogger who does not require assistance from family and relatives and makes all her money from her online endeavors on her own.
TO SPEAK FROM EXPERIENCE OR TO SPEAK FROM HYPOTHESIS
The internet is beautiful because anybody, with even half a creative mind can market themselves as a guru in some field. Perhaps your strength is pontification, even if you have no experience? You could very well be one of the greatest pontificators despite the lack of experience.
The ability to gain credibility and make money from not knowing what you’re talking about is exciting. I am very bullish about the economy and for the blogosphere as a whole because of this phenomenon. For example, have you ever met anybody who has lost money online in the stock market? Even during the worst financial crisis, everybody I know says they just hung in there or bought more, and now have bigger stock portfolios than ever before.
Nobody with a web presence should ever feel like they don’t know enough to be able to write about anything. People are doing so every single day, gaining traffic, increasing their followers, and profiting.
The one thing that seems consistence is the belief in oneself, whether you know what you are talking about or not. So long as you believe in your own statements, others will believe in you as well.
Discussion points:
Do you think it’s better to speak from experience or from hypothesis?
Do you mind that people write about stuff where they don’t know what they are talking about?
Does it really matter since a lot of times, writing is just for entertainment value only?
If someone doesn’t know what they are talking about, what are the attributes they have to get others to follow? Please share your tips!
Looking to learn how to start your own profitable website? Check out my step-by-step guide on how to start a blog. It’s one of the best things I did in 2009 to help earn extra money and break free from Corporate America!
To use your word Sam, I abhor when I read things from people who don’t have the first clue about a topic yet try to come off as being an all-knowing expert. I think one of the best examples that you didn’t mention is the person who talks about how out of control some kids are, chastising the parents, yet never raised any of their own and doesn’t know how difficult it is on an ongoing basis. I’m not completely against speaking in hypotheticals, as long as the author makes it clear that all it is is a hypothesis, and not an expert authorship piece.
For instance (being that tax season just ended) am totally fine with everyone and their mothers writing about their tax situations and sharing with others how they go about planning, and what mistakes to avoid based on the writers’ own experiences. BUT, when I read an article in a place like Kiplinger that was written by someone without an accounting or tax background about deductions and then not making basic qualifying statements or warnings about each one, then I get really pissed because it’s just not right and very misleading.
Sadly, there are many people out there who take everything they read and hear at face value as if the person relaying the information is a verifiable expert, and I think it’s just plain wrong and irresponsible on the writers’ parts.
I can imagine that must really perturb you, seeing a reporter who is not a tax expert talk about tax advice that could be misleading!
You’re write, taking everything at face value is dangerous, b/c it doesn’t let people THINK for themselves. That’s been one of my main goals on FS since the beginning. Think folks, think. Think why something is the way it is…….
This post is serious food for thought! I’m one of those who believes that you should write about what you know. You won’t find me suggesting the best strategy for balance transfers – I know squat about balance transfers. I don’t carry credit card debt.
On the other hand if you are digging yourself out of debt, you could blog a running journal of your journey. Just don’t preach.
Ahhh, but what if the topic of Balance Transfers on Credit Cards could bring you a bamboozle load of money to your site?! Would you still not write about it?
I actually do get such offers Sam. Not something I’m comfortable doing.
Sam, there might be some writers who don’t know anything about a topic but start doing the research just so that they can write about it because that’s what his readers are looking for. Maybe they fall somewhere in the middle?
Well, if they did the research, then I would say they do know what they are talking about to a decent degree, and the readership will help buttress or tear down the argument. I think that’s fine.
Well if you think about it the news paints pictures of how we should think. The difference is we know that some of the people on the internet don’t walk the walk. There are none dancers who own dance schools. An owner of a language school who only spoke English. I am sure the list goes on. I personally only speak from experience and that is why I haven’t gone to PF blogging. However my step father is very PF knowledgable and has thought about adding his 2 cents which will help others make 2 cents.
I’m not a fan of the mass media, which is why I’m such a fan of good blogs who don’t try to overly spin things. I just don’t want the blogosphere to turn into the mass media!
I don’t write about topics I don’t understand. Some people take on these topics because they think that is what a personal finance blog should do. That’s why almost everyone has a post on “How to Budget,” even though there are a million such posts and the chance of your new blog outranking an established master is very small.
I write more about the psychology of money and debt, which means I don’t have many posts that are bogged down with tables, numbers and data. I THINK I understand it, but I know it’s a topic that I will continue to learn, every day until I day.
Hey, what’s wrong with charts and graphs?! I got tons of those and I love them! ha
Lol – nothing actually, unless they come from me!
I prefer to let those who are better at certain topics handle them.
I enjoy reading blogs that have a personality and where the writer has some knowledge on the topics they share; but that’s just me. I try to stick to things I know about or things I like to research and obsess about (like little houses). I don’t claim to be an expert in finance and I try to be interesting – but if someone doesn’t like what I write, there are plenty of other blogs to choose from! :)
Because of the fact that there are plenty of blogs to choose from, one has to be a fantastic writer who is also a phenomenal pretender, or just write about what one knows yeah?
Well, hey, people who are phenomenal pretenders should look into becoming novelists!
You know what? I think it’s fine to write about something you don’t know about, so long as you make that clear. If you’re writing about hypothesis, then say so, and if you happen to be wrong or someone knows better, then you’ll get great comments!
It is very simple for me: if I feel inspired by the topic (usually there is a good reason why I feel inspired to write about it), I will discuss it. All my posts are based on personal experience (good or bad.) I tend to read blogs who are the same – based on personal experience. Dry posts about investing, saving, getting out of debt do not interest me. Personality behind a blog matters the most. If you don’t know anything about investing but write about how you are learning, I will read you. If you preach to a reader how to get out of debt by spending less and making more money, I will move on to something else. :) Be truthful with your readers because readers are not stupid. We see right through.
I am in Camp No. 2. I think there are some real ethical issues that accompany deliberately trying to fool people into thinking that you know what you’re talking about for your own personal gain. No one likes a phony. With that said, I don’t find anything wrong with forming a hypothesis as long as you let your audience know that’s all it is. If you’re 20 years old and you think you’ve found the secret to making a million dollars, then share. But of course you have to caveat it with the fact that it is just an idea; nothing more at this time. To some degree, I also think readers must be conscious and responsible enough to know who to believe and who’s full of baloney.
I’m with TB and Aloysa. I typically write about things I know about (I think) but I don’t mind writing about something I haven’t personally experienced. The reason being is that I have my opinion and you have yours. We can have a civilized conversation and disagree.
Just because you may be 50 and write about retiring at 50 doesn’t mean I can’t talk about how to retire early because I haven’t been there. That’s just dumb.
Just because I don’t have kids doesn’t mean I can’t talk about the OBVIOUS changes parents have made over the last 15 years and how much we now coddle children.
Now…obviously you would have more credibility on the retiring early topic (and hopefully a reader would understand that – especially if the person that hasn’t been-there-done-that mentions so) but it doesn’t mean another person can’t have an opinion and share it.
I agree. We are all entitled to our opinions, and that’s what makes the community fun.
You can talk about how to retire by 50, but unless you are 50 and retired, I’m really not sure your post will resonate well with your readers.
Did you read my about and disclaimer pages before you wrote that bit about the guy who writes whatever he pleases? Haha
What about the writer who thinks they understand something, only to find out that their understanding is more a matter of opinion than they thought? My recent Roth IRA post is a great example. I thought this topic was cut and dry. Straight and narrow. Everybody knows that the Roth is better. But then I read your post about the Roth on Financial Samurai. I responded on my blog with the best of my understanding.
As it turns out, writing about something you don’t completely understand is a great way to learn. If you are awesome a little
I tend to write about things from my personal experience. I also really enjoy reading other blogs that are written like that. I won’t try to write about something I don’t know about–it wouldn’t be enjoyable for me to try to write it and I’m betting it wouldn’t be enjoyable for others to try to read what I had forced myself to write.
Sorry, commenting via phone sucks!
If you are off a little, or just blatantly wrong, your readers will call you out in the comment section. They might even teach you a thing or two.
You mean like that Bichon guy? He’s really giving you a hard time after your biased ROTH > 401K post! I like his commentary. Very logical and zingy!
It is always better to write from experience rather than hypothesis. I have found sites that were #1 in a niche and provided terrible content and knew nothing. They just used SEO tactics to and sat at #1, until very recently when Google spanked them. Now sites with quality content are doing better.
Is it a terrible thing for someone to wrire about a topic they know nothing of? Well, I wouldn’t do it, but to each his own. You ask why some succeed? I think because they are great at marketing. They know what people that are searching for whatever topic they are writing about want to hear. They sell people get rich quick schemes and hope. To the people that buy into their crap, well, shame on them. People should ALWAYS do some due diligence when it comes to any type of decision they make. Not rely on a single source for a “how to” guide.
Well, that certainly demonstrates the power of SEO and good marketing to rank well, without being experts in that field no?
It sure does. I’m happy for the Google update. To be honest, I may not disagree with people writing whatever they want to (even if they lack any experience) even though I wouldn’t, but for them to sit at a #1 spot was rediculous!
The worst part of that was that for the most part people were under the assumption that if you google a topic to research, the first few sites were the “authority” on the subject matter. Totally misleading in my opinion.
It definitely demostrates the power of a good marketer. It is like Robert Kiyosaki, he’s great at marketing and being a motivational speaker. That’s why he’s so popular and sold so many books. He offers some interesting ideas on real estate. From being the landlord to income properties, I think he misleads people and makes it seem a little too easy. But hey, he’s learned keeping it real doesn’t attract the majority.
Great points! Speak from experience or share with your readers that you are currently having the experience that they are going to share in your process!
This is a great post for me to read. I sometimes tend to get a bit preachy with how to handle your money, but the more I write, the more I feel like having a personal philosophy about handling your finances dictates your method of handling them. There isn’t necessarily a “right way”, but more of a “right way for you”. I think if I make it clear I’m speaking from my experience and based on my values, it will help people not take my advice as prescriptive, but descriptive of how I handle things. Thanks for the post!
Experience can be just as damning as a lack of experience if you draw the wrong conclusions. Dave Ramsey concluded that all debt was bad from an experience were he financed illiquid property with callable debt. He couldn’t liquidate quickly enough when the bank called the loans and lost it all. Finance 101 says to align your debt maturities with your investment horizon, but DR ignored it and went on to have some kind of lunatic revelation about how ALL debt is bad.
Is the personal finance community better for Dave’s experience? I don’t really think so. If he’d stick to hypothesizing, he might see the errors in his logic, no?
In the end, aren’t all conclusions the right ones though since everything is rational? I see your point, but if the conclusion is wrong, the person who experiences the wrongness will rectify it.
If I stuck to only writing about things I knew about or had personal experience with, I probably could remove about 1/2 of the posts on my site. Part of the writing process that I enjoy is doing research and learning about a topic and then sharing what I’ve learned. Does that mean I’m right 100% of the time in the conclusions I come to? Nope. But that’s part of the great thing about blogs and comments – that usually a reader will catch your mistake and correct you.
That being said I do have the disclaimer on my site that I’m not an expert and the information I present on my site should not be taken as professional advice. I think it’s important for people to take in what they read, then verify for themselves or via a trusted professional what they’ve learned.
Wow, 1/2, that’s a lot Peter! But, as you say, things will be rectified and improved upon in the end.
Your site is a testament that one doesn’t need to write something they know intimately well, and that’s good. An argument for doing both #1 and #2.
I’m not a fan of the first camp, and I love the second camp. I do think there’s a third, where I find really interesting: those who are not yet on the other side of whatever topic, but are struggling through. The insights from people who are in the middle of starting a company, raising triplets, or yes, making money on the side, are sometimes the most honest and poignant. The “been there, done that” camp sometimes loses the emotion of the moment.
Good point. Writing when you are the thick of things is often very insightful and very entertaining. Much more visceral sometimes. It depends on the quality of the writer too.
I think most people probably fall somewhere in the middle. Something might peak my interest but I might not know anything about it. I can then write a blog post about my experience learning about a topic, or experiencing a topic. I like to write about ways to save the environment. I don’t own a rain barrel, but that doesn’t stop me from suggesting that people shouldn’t use rain barrels. I know they work, I’ve just never personally used one. Is that bad? Should I not encourage people to use rain barrels because I’m not in a situation where I can use one myself?
Ha, I bet you’re waiting for me to respond to this one.
*A spouse who preaches early retirement, yet who has a spouse working to take care of both of them.
We’re not joined at the hip. So what if the Mrs. likes to work? Who am I to take the dignity of work away from her? Haha, see that Romney’s reference?
You’re single right? So you shouldn’t write anything about spouse then. Try being married for 15 years and see how it works out.
Once the Mrs. decide to quit working, we’ll figure something out. Life is not static.
I generally like to write about things I know about. It is a lot more difficult for me to write things I have no knowledge of, but sometime I do the research.
Nice! I actually wasn’t directing that point at you, or anyone for that matter. As you know, the secret to early retirement is having a working spouse! We men must stay at home and UNITE!
I never know when you’re kidding or being serious. :)
Part of being a good writer is being able to do the research. By the time the words hit the page, you should be at least a novice in knowledge about that subject.
Ii like both but preface it in the blog. Our Thursday piece is a “discussion” where I indicate my opinion and ask for readers to share theirs. It’s fun to tackle topics I’m not an expert in, as long as my reader knows upfront.
As long as you disclose you are not offering advice as an expert I say write about anything you are interested in. Even though I have a financial background I always research a topic just to make sure I do right by my readers. I was recently sent a draft copy of a personal finance book by a major publisher. I began reading to find out a little more about the author and found out that he had no experience with the topic and he was writing about “lessons” his Father had tried to teach him. I stopped reading and threw the book in the recycle bin. The author lost all credibility in my mind and I just could not take this piece of writing seriously. Their is a huge difference in charging someone for the privilege of reading your writing and offerring advice for free.
You got me chuckling with some of your examples in the “yes we can write about whatever we want baby” section. It’s usually pretty easy to see through the sites that have articles written by people who haven’t a clue about what they’re writing about. I like to keep it real and talk about things I’ve learned and pose questions and get expertise from others on topics I don’t know much about. Solid post Sam!
Like others have already said, I think it’s the people who pretend to know what they are talking about that are shady and it will be difficult for them to get followers. I’ve started a modest blog where I am writing about real estate – without having direct experience in investing it myself. It is about my journey to build up RE wealth – but I am honest about it. I think we need to recognize that blogs are not mean to be an objective truth. I think the value in a blog is to speak from your experiences in order to make bigger statements about society, life, etc. This experience may be hands-on experience, or it can be through research, friends, family, etc.
Hey Sam,
I think there’s a middle ground that you left out: We can write about stuff that we don’t know in order to learn more about the subject. It’s true — you learn a lot when writing about a subject you’re not so familiar with, and because you’re not an expert, maybe it’s easier for you to digest the material and make it easily comprehensible for those that know even less than you. Just don’t pass yourself off as an expert or write about something that you really have no link to. ;)
I never claim to know the most about anything I write about. The one thing I know is that I don’t know much.
I can’t solely write about my experiences or else I would not be able to write much. I have done a lot of learning though so I can pass that on to readers. Doing this though I try to credit my sources and express that it was something i have learned and not necessarily done.
And in writing about things that I don’t know about I have been able to learn a lot by researching. If there is a topic I want to write bout because I figure readers can benefit from it, I go out of my way to become as knowledgeable as I can.
And occasionally it has backfired a little where somebody can give me a tongue lashing in the comments but that just adds to the learning.
You gotta give that tongue lashing right back! It’s fun!
Sam, Are you in my head? I was just thinking about this topic. The caveat is, “buyer beware.” Or should I say “reader beware.” Because of the proliferation of bloggers, the author may or may not be accurate and truthful.
Maybe I am! We’re not pushing our thoughts onto anybody, as readers choose to come to our sites or not. Readership is the ultimate vote.
The interent allows for every voice and it is up to the reader to accept or reject the information. As you know, there is no screening, editing, fact checking or controls on the information. You are an expert because you say you are! The best writing is informative, authoritative and entertaining. Do I mind misinformation or bad advice? No, because I ignore it. The uniformed may follow it. The internet is the ultimate buyer beware! Why do some seem to succeed more than others? The same reason some people are more popular than others. Advice is only good if you follow the right advice for you. Many of the famous PF celebrities give out advice that is wrong, but they have a following. It doesn’t make it good advice.
Ah yes, the internet is the ultimate buyer beware indeed.
“How can he remember well his ignorance-which his growth requires-who has so often to use his knowledge?” -Henry David Thoreau
I like to remind myself of how little I know and how great my ignorance is. I think we all learn through writing and sharing. I definitely won’t be sharing my “secrets on options trading” but I started to blogging to learn more about topics I am not 100% confident in. If someone does their research, offers me interesting links and references and backs up their opinions, then they don’t need to be a real estate black belt to talk about real estate. That’s my mantra for personal finance/self-development blogging!
I’ve learned a ton from my readers as well, so I share your point of view.
Sam, I think classic example is in the rental real estate business. Do you remember all the infomercials on TV before 2008 teaching how you can own your rental property with no money down? I found out that most of these so-called gurus don’t own a single property to their name. I don’t want to be preached by someone who has been making money selling dreams. I always prefer hands-on experience over rhetorical talk.
I don’t remember those infomercials actually for some reason. I’m sure they got rich though!
Very interesting topic of conversation. I found myself looking at what I have written, or attempting to do so, to see if I am that writer, and, truth is, sometimes I am.
There are some things I write about that I am very interested in and have a degree of experience in, but am by no means an expert. In those instances writing about the experience (my experience) only makes me knowledgable about my experience to that point. If I write about my experience, there is validity (authenticity maybe). That doesn’t make what I write about misleading if the topic is not something for which I am a)selling a product or b)potentially benefitting financially from something I am promoting. In this situation the community’s reaction or lack thereof affects me as a writer going forward.
But there are times when I don’t write from passion, but merely from persistence (because I want to hit a target or get posts out the door on a schedule). In those instances I may not make a dent in the page views for myself, but I haven’t mislead either.
Still, I understand your purpose, and find myself challenged in the right ways. Which, in the end, is the mark of a good writer (you, not me).
Passion vs. Persistence…. that is a good title of your next blog post! I’d choose persistence in this case, b/c do anything regularly and long enough and there will be great success.
I’ll queue it up! (Might not be the next one though).
I actually disagree with many of the sentiments above. I don’t there is much wrong with writing about something you’re not well-versed in. As long as there has been comprehensive research conducted, a humility in the writing, and an acknowledgement that you are not an expert then writing on a topic you do not fully understand should be fine. If it wasn’t then you’d get into the ridiculous situation whereby only experts can express and opinion on a subject. This in turn leads us towards the grey area of defining at what point you become qualified to express your opinion. So let’s hear everyone’s views and share all opinions. If you don’t like it then don’t read it!
Glad you disagree!
Let us know how the strategy of writing what you know little about goes over the next 6 months. As i’m trying to point out, anything is possible. There are plenty of very successful and wealthy people who do so, because they are great marketers and salespeople.
As always, a very thought-provoking and interesting blog entry, Sam. And one that seems to have inspired more than a few thoughtful comments as well. Let me add my own to the list:
“Do you think it’s better to speak from experience or from hypothesis?”
In general, experience is usually better. Particularly when it comes to more technical issues (say, the medical profession), having someone with hands on, actual experience in the field they are discussing is likely best, particularly if they are writing, speaking, or even demonstrating how they do it. No matter how much you may have read or watched on a subject, there are some things you need to learn by doing, before you can hope to accurately teach others.
That said, sometimes when you are an expert in an area, you start to lose track of the forest for the focus on your particular tree. There’s also certain thought patterns and habits that can become engrained in anyone who follows a particular field, leading to a skewed perspective. Someone from outside that group might be able to offer insight into the field that insiders who are locked into a method of thinking aren’t able to see. There’s also the possibility that they simply want to pass on information they’ve learned that they themselves haven’t been able to use fully, at least not yet. (Perhaps that 140 shooter has gleaned knowledge from other, even better players that he’d like to pass on, but is still trying to apply it himself, for example.) Plus, as Peter and Kevin noted, sometimes we non-experts (and yes, I definitely don’t consider myself an expert on, well, anything) write or otherwise share our thoughts in order to improve our level of knowledge.
“Do mind that people write about stuff where they don’t know what they are talking about?”
Generally, no (and I’ll admit, I’ve done so myself, frequently with topics like forex, options, and hedge funds that, as someone who has spent most of the time he’s had a blog either unemployed or as a grad student, I have not even considered for my own investing needs), at least as long as they’re honest about their level of knowledge. If you’re upfront with the reader, and aren’t trying to either claim to have more expertise than you do or steer them into something (possibly for your own financial benefit) without telling them to get more information first, I don’t think it’s a problem.
“Does it really matter since a lot of times, writing is just for entertainment value only?”
Well, there’s a difference between writing done for entertainment and writing done to pass on information. There is a pretty big grey area, granted, but unless the website in question is simply spattered with notes saying something like, ‘WARNING: Blog Writer is solely writing to make you laugh and make you think’, then when you write things like ‘you should invest via a traditional IRA, not a Roth IRA’ (to choose an example *mostly* at random, you should consider that some people might take you up on that suggestion, and be able to back it up with either your own experiences or (my preference, being a biochemist and all) supporting evidence.
“If someone doesn’t know what they are talking about, what are the attributes they have to get others to follow? Please share your tips!”
Well, I have no tips, and goodness knows I could use some help getting others to follow. My best thoughts are that they are entertaining, they are good at getting attention, they sound reasonable enough (they know enough that don’t sound like complete fools on the first reading/listening), and possibly, that they are saying things people want to read. But again, I’m not exactly an expert on this, so perhaps I shouldn’t be writing about it…
It is dangerous to smoke too much of your own weed, as they say somewhere. It’s always good to get new perspectives!
Brings to mind that old Jack Lemmon movie “How to Murder Your Wife”. The author of the comic strip felt compelled to first act out all the escapades of his comic strip hero, and then write, or rather, *draw* about them.
Experience doesn’t amount to a hill of beans if it’s not turned into actionable knowledge. I’m by no means an accomplished gardener, but I strive to learn by trial and many errors. Same with blogging.
Don’t sell yourself short on growing them big tomatoes mate!
I really liked this post. Something good to chew on mentally!
[…] Financial Samurai via Yazekie – The Act of Writing and Saying What We Do Not Understand […]
Very thought provoking read. I probably fall in the I’ll write about whatever I want camp and it works for me and most of my readers. I know that won’t appeal to everybody and I’ve come to terms with that In fact you’re more likely to attract your right people. I write based on my experience. On the flip side of that I do freelance writing where I do some social media writing for other blogs. That stuff tends to have more evidence to back it up. You’ll never see me writing about stock tips because my advice would be worthless. I’m also not going to tell yo how to get rich. The interesting thing is there are successful blogs in both camps. I’ll go back to something that somebody told me in an interview. People come to the internet to solve a problem or to be entertained. In some cases you might be a blend of both.
The fake voice is one issue troubles me…. I read fake-ish authority posts all the time and hate the generic person behind the keyboard.
I don’t mind when someone write a topic they are unfamiliar with as long as they researched the topic. However, writing from experience, especially for blog posts, is extremely important.
I’m a fan of the second camp as well because there comes a depth of understanding in the story telling that you don’t get when someone is just retelling what comes from a text book say. Still though I think there is still some value in learning and sharing with others what you’ve learned but you have to frame it right. Even as financial bloggers it’s hard to always have 1st hand experience with every topic but to talk to people get second hand information collected and in doing the research I think you can present well informed content that’s worth sharing. Just don’t misrepresent…ever!
I’d say speak from experience when at all possible, but from hypothesis is still fine. As long as you disclose that it is just theory for you. I’ve commented on this elsewhere; at the end of the day, there are two kinds of blogs. Fact blogs and opinion blogs. Fact blogs write almost exclusively about facts. Opinion blogs write about their opinion on those facts. I’m an opinion blogger, so I feel fine expressing my opinion on matters that I don’t have direct experience in.
I write about stock market investing, which is certainly not easy to write about or to practice. It sometimes takes me days to even prepare a post and with the added fact of working a full-time job it never gets easy….but, I write what I know and I try to stick to that, for me it is the only way for my followers to believe in me and my ideas.
Joe
[…] Yakezie – The Act Of Writing And Saying What We Do Not Understand (70 Comments) […]
[…] round. Bullshit detectors are tuned to the highest of sensitivity. It’s also why the act of saying and writing what we don’t know is a big time head scratcher. How on earth can you talk about having a great career if you’ve […]
IMO it’s always better to speak from experience, although doing a little bit of research can help those clever enough to write about stuff from hypothesis.
[…] The Act Of Writing And Saying What We Don’t Understand – There’s a big debate online whether we should only write what we know about or just […]
[…] millionaire themselves it pisses them off. We’ve had a great discussion on Yakezie.com about writing and saying things we have no idea about. Given there’s no blogging certification online, we can all say whatever we want. It’s […]