edm00se
commented
6 years ago As a minor update to this, I would say that as with anything in live, the level of open source contribution, personal projects, blogging, and speaking at conferences ebbs and flows. It's all about finding the right balance, for you, at that time. Just protect yourself and try not to burn out... and have the good sense to take some time for yourself and your family when you do.
From a conversation in-person, I was asked by a fellow developer how I "have time" for "all that stuff"; such as StackOverflow answers, blogging, trying out different frameworks and other side projects. I felt this was a great seed question, as the answer is counter-intuitive.
I don't "have time" for it all, I only ever have time for a bit of it. This is precisely the reason go in bursts of blogging like crazy while ramping up a series on a given topic, then it quiets down for a while and the posts become far more self-contained.
As for StackOverflow, I haven't even hit 2k rep yet (I joined in 2013), so it's not like I'm being overly ambitious. When it comes to my answers, I try my best to stick to things I know, have a pretty good idea about, or if I have at least part of an answer on an older question, with no other answers; I hate to see people struggle, especially if I have at least part of a solution.
Gen. George S. Patton is quoted as having said:
My re-interpretation, at least so far as it comes to troubleshooting, is that "a well stated question, with a partial solution, can lead to an enlightening result."