WJ.1：開刊，為什麼寫週刊

The articles on my blog are usually quite "heavy," with each post starting at around 4,000 words. In order to ensure the quality of my blog content, writing can be a burden and requires a lot of energy and time.

I remember setting a goal for myself a couple of years ago to write a blog post every month, but I only managed to keep it up for 6 months before stopping. After I became busy with work, I couldn't find the continuous, uninterrupted time to sit down and write. Looking back, the only times I was able to consistently produce articles were during the May Day and National Day holidays. This resulted in a low frequency of written output and a monotonous theme, which went against the original intention of writing a blog.

In my 2021 Year in Review, I mentioned the "input-output" process of knowledge in my workflow. When I read, I quickly extract excerpts using "Drafts," which is a form of "fragmented intake." Then, on a weekly basis, I integrate and organize the excerpts into "LogSeq."

The image below shows the notes after a simple organization:

However, I feel that this is still just "input" and does not allow me to diverge my thoughts for better "output." Some friends have also criticized me for producing too little. Writing blog posts is my preferred form of "output," but I want another way to express myself through writing that is more lightweight and frequent, just like my old blog from 2014-2017, which was full of casual and unpolished thoughts.

Last week, I happened to discover that one of my readers has a weekly newsletter column on their website. I also found that some classmates have their own weekly newsletters, which also incorporate a certain level of depth and reflection. I really like this form of regular output and sharing.

The simplest way to benefit from reading is to write down your inspiration and ideas, and immediately publish them on social media, even if they are not mature. The process of writing is a step in deep thinking, and valuable comments from others can help you constantly refine your thoughts or bring you new clues. Accumulating these experiences will naturally lead to profound insights. It is difficult for a person to improve their thinking depth by reading and taking notes in isolation. - Silicon Valley Wang Chuan's Weibo

After careful consideration, I have decided to write a weekly newsletter. Although there may be occasional delays, since I have started, I will use this regular output as a way to motivate myself to move forward. Its significance to me is to encourage efficient input and bring readers closer. I have noticed that my blog covers both lifestyle and technical topics, but readers prefer to read about my personal life, especially the annual year-end summaries. Haha, there are always classmates urging me to publish the year-end summary at the end of each year.

Now that I have explained the motivation behind starting a newsletter, what will be shared in the newsletter?

If it is just a collection of notes and recommendations without quality, it won't have the desired output effect. Therefore, each issue of the newsletter will be divided into two parts: thematic reflections and recommended sharing.

Thematic Reflections: A specific theme will be chosen for each issue, which will be the main content of the newsletter. I will share observations and thoughts related to the theme, similar to casual essays. For example, the theme of this issue is "Why Write a Weekly Newsletter."
Recommended Sharing: This will be roughly divided into technical sharing and lifestyle sharing. Technical sharing will include good tools I have come across, high-quality technical articles, technical challenges and details encountered in my work. Lifestyle sharing will include my own experiences, reading materials, and reflections.

Now it's time for the "recommendation" section~

Weekly Recommendations#

On Expiration#

Last week, I finished reading "Paradox 13" and it depicted a scenario where the main characters faced a shortage of expired food during a doomsday situation. This reminded me of a quote from the movie "Chungking Express":

I don't know when it started, but everything has an expiration date. Mackerel will expire, canned meat sauce will expire, even plastic wrap will expire. I started to wonder, is there anything in this world that doesn't expire?

In this world, is there anything that doesn't expire? There is no eternal existence.

On Nintendo Games#

Last week, I came across a video about Nintendo titled "This Video Explains How Awesome Nintendo Really Is? [Business 02]." Whenever people talk about Nintendo games, they think of "fun." Gunpei Yokoi laid the foundation for Nintendo's game style:

"A shortcut to avoid the lack of creative ideas in games is to compete in terms of CPU, graphics, and sound quality, using high performance to compensate for the shortcomings of the game itself." - Gunpei Yokoi

In the end, gameplay is what truly attracts players to a game. Nintendo's strategy of expanding its user base ensures that their games are suitable for all ages, even for young children. Reggie Fils-Aime, the former president of Nintendo of America, said in an interview with the Toronto Star:

"We're thrilled that our competitors don't focus on the children and family gaming market. It's actually a very important market because 5-6 year-olds today will grow up and still be loyal users when they're in their teens and twenties. And when you play games like Kirby, The Legend of Zelda, or Mario Kart with your family, it strengthens the bond between family members."

It is difficult for China's environment to give birth to such a great game company. Restricted game licenses and a single notice can destroy an industry, causing panic and uncertainty. Everyone is focused on making quick money and using various monetization methods, making it really difficult to create a high-quality domestic game.