A blog can also help you. If I was looking for a programmer and you came to me I would say, just from the cursory browse I did of your blog, that I can tell what your attitude and skill level is. That should work in your favor.

I define bad as harmful. Your are correct that the first post or the first 50 posts may not be the best representation of your skill or thoughts. The trouble is that few people get past the first 50 posts. Then they leave it incomplete and aging. If what you say does damage to your career or business then it was not a good idea. If what you write just shows that you need to work on grammar, punctuation, and spelling, then no I don’t think that does much harm, unless you wanted to be a writer.

I wrote my piece as a part of two posts on the subject. I did so because years ago, I was asked very frequently if companies should have web sites. Today we say they all should. I still think that you should not if you are going to present yourself and your company poorly. It drives people away. If it is worth doing, it is worth doing it right.

I think that where it concerns business, blogs are just another marketing tool, like printed ads and TV commercials. They’re like that news section from “Web 1.0″. They should be used with care, since they’re explicitly sending a message; unlike when a personal blog outlines its author’s character.

I’m still wondering though: if a blog never leaves the 50-posts barrier, is it not worth starting?