A Thoughts on Trends post makes a bold, opinionated claim about a technical development and justifies it with deep experience. Its purpose is to provoke discussion among people interested in the trend, especially when the writer has established expertise in the topic. section 12.0 section 12.4
Build the post around a clear stance:
- Announce a strong position that readers might dispute. section 12.4
- Use persuasion deliberately rather than treating the piece like a neutral technical report. section 12.5.1 section 12.6
- Support the argument with practical technical experience, even without code samples for every point. section 12.4
- Balance praise or criticism so the argument does not become biased, promotional, or unfounded. section 12.6
A trend with consequences
An honest endorsement of a new programming language may accelerate its adoption. A harsh but useful critique may push maintainers to fix serious flaws—or discourage them from continuing. Either way, the post can influence the future it discusses. section 12.1.3
The pattern also creates a built-in follow-up: revisit the prediction after several years, acknowledge where it was right or wrong, and use self-criticism to make the original argument more authentic. section 12.1.2
Before publishing, check that you can:
- Connect the stance to a topic you know deeply. section 12.0
- Choose whether the post will praise, roast, predict, or identify problems. section 12.6
- Explain why reasonable technical readers should take the position seriously. section 12.4
