I’ve been reading Jeff Kaufman’s blog for years because he’s well known in the effective altruist¹ space and local to the Boston area. We’re also now coworkers, which is pretty cool. One of many things I like about Jeff’s blog: he interleaves many different kinds of posts. Some are deeply technical or philosophical, but others are quick notes about what’s going on in his life. This variety imbues the blog with a pleasant texture.

I’m not really sure why I write this blog. It’s certainly not for the readership, which appears to be mostly my brother and my wife. Maybe it’s helpful to have an online presence, especially in professional-adjacent settings? Mostly, I think I write because the writing itself can be satisfying, because writing helps clarify thoughts, and to provide a time capsule for my future self. None of these goals imply that I should only write long posts about technical work. Following Jeff’s example, recently I’ve been trying to jot more small thoughts down, especially with photos as appropriate. Here’s a recent example on tempering chocolate.