The current (r)evolution in AI, driven by Large Language Models (LLMs), Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG), and other advancements, has been captivating to follow.
One invaluable source for staying updated has been Simon Willison’s link blog. I’ve been closely following it for a while, appreciating the updates enriched with thoughtful commentary and context. While there are numerous posts each week, I’ve come to see the immense value in diving deeper into the ones that resonate with me.
One of those posts that resonated a lot actually has not been about AI, but rather meta about blogging itself. Inspired by Simon Willison — who has been continuously blogging for over 20 years — and his recent call to action, I am starting a link blog in 2025.
This isn’t my first time starting a blog. It’s not even the second or third. Over the last 15-plus years, I’ve made multiple attempts, so many that I’ve stopped counting.
My most active blogging period was between 2011 and 2013, when I regularly posted on a German blog reviewing tech and online offerings. During that time I even earned some money with that. But still at some point, my motivation vanished, and I redirected my energy elsewhere. In hindsight, I suspect one reason for this loss of motivation was the pressure to produce long, original posts.
Since then, I’ve made several other attempts in both English and German and covering various topics. But I always struggled to maintain consistency, and each of those attempts stopped eventually.
So this time I am starting a link blog. What is a link blog, you might ask? A link blog—also known as Asides—isn’t a new concept. The idea is simple: share smaller pieces of commentary and curated links.
This approach however addresses one of my biggest challenges in the past: the self-imposed pressure to create long-form, high-quality content. This pressure often led to paralysis, stopping me from sharing my thoughts at all. And that’s a pity.
With a link blog, this pressure is drastically reduced. The low friction approach makes it much easier to share great resources, accompanied by additional insights and context. It’s the promise of a more accessible and sustainable way for me to blog.
This new format also comes with some guiding principles for me (to be followed on a best-effort basis and inspired by Simon):
- Always credit content creators by name where possible.
- Add extra value through context and commentary.
- Use liberal quotations to highlight key themes.
- Incorporate screenshots and media clips.
- Aim to enhance the reader’s experience beyond the original source.
These days, my professional interests revolve around Distributed Systems, Cloud Computing, Agents & Automations, and AI Engineering, as well as everything related to technology innovation and its practical applications. I’m excited to share insights, resources, and reflections in this new format. Here’s to a fresh start in 2025!
