I agree with this ... unless publishing enriches your life and/or the lives of people you care about.

Yes… I agree. However, I imagine one handwritten letter to a friend or loved one would be far more enriching for most people than 100 published blog posts.

I'd argue that the weight of literary history is leaning heavily against you ...

Great question!

For me a large part of publishing is getting to hear the thoughts of the clever people in my readership.

If I'm obviously wrong, anyone can point that out to me, but if I'm only subtly wrong, it takes popularity to have the right person read the article and correct me.

For me, the most rewarding part is to help people. I love getting a random email saying “thanks” for a few sentences I jotted down that saved someone else time or money or made their life better somehow.

My most valuable example actually came from a tiny web app I created. I got a email telling me that someone had lost 212 lbs and my app was part of their success. I was sure the number was a typo so I responded and confirmed. When I reached out 6 years later they said:

“I weigh 163.8 this morning down from a high of 387. It has changed my life and the weight has stayed off (but I'm never off the program).”

I think your words, no matter how simple, would be powerful to others.

Often we are so focused on scale and quantitative data we forget to value impact like this. Sounds amazing!

What was the tiny web app?

It’s called Quick Calories.

https://calories.joeldare.com

In a world where so much is done online, one's reputation and job opportunities, too, might depend on what you can show for yourself online. No matter what business you are in, building an online presence is highly recommended. Creating content that goes viral can draw clients, get you a better offer from your current employer's competitor, or reveal other income streams that might allow you to leave a current job that you hate.

This seems like a long shot and a very optimistic view of a public presence. It’s equally likely anything you put online will be used against you in the future.

I doubt the risks out weigh the minute possibility of a benefit.

You don’t need a public presence in code or writing to be a valuable person.