---
date: 2021-06-04, 2021-02-22, 2021-02-09, 2020-12-22, 2020-12-22, 2020-12-14, 2022-05-15
aliases: Learn in public
publish:
---
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date:: [[2023-03-18]]
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# [[Learning in public]]
Learning in public is a movement that encourages the production of [[Learning Exhaust]] by way of ancillary content that is produced as an effect of education. This is a form of [[Anti-marketing]], in which content is viewed as an end in itself (as a way to draw attention and clients to a business). Learning in public views content as the necessary byproduct of true learning, in the same sense that [[Writing does not help us learn; it IS how we learn.]]
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/4zrs_vVRwD4" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>
## Benefits of learning in public
- It's the fastest way to learn
- Publishing what you're thinking, and your current thoughts on things, encourages people to critique you and challenge you-- and that's a good thing.
- You end up with a portfolio of your efforts
- [[Prefer visible work]]
- It's a good way to find a mentor
- Mentors are looking for someone who will want to teach others in turn.
## Practical ways to learn in public
This boils down to publishing your [[Learning Exhaust]]:
- [ ] Write blogs, tutorials, and cheatsheets.
- [ ] Speak at conferences.
- [ ] Ask and answer things in public places like Stackoverflow and Reddit.
- [ ] Make YouTube videos and Twitch streams.
- [ ] Start a newsletter.
- [ ] Draw cartoons.
- [ ] Reach out to content creators that helped you. Thank them, and ask questions.
- [ ] Make PRs to libraries you use.
- [ ] Make your own libraries.
- [ ] Clone repos just to see how they work.
- [ ] Teach workshops.
- [ ] Summarize what you've learned from conferences.
- [ ] [[Wear your noobiness on your sleeve]].
## [[Public Learners]]
## Criticisms of learning in public
- It's not for everybody. This methodology is very much oriented towards [[Developer Relations|Developer Advocacy]] in tech, which is not a field everyone is well-suited for.
- It's impossible, and sometimes unwise, to learn in public 100% of the time.
- There are real benefits to [[Learning in private]].
## References
- [[Article/Learn in Public: The Fastest Way to Learn]]
- [[Learning in Public - Mickey Mellen]]
- [[sources/Book/The Coding Career Handbook]]
- [[Shawn Wang]]
- [[Show Your Work]]