The beginning of #100daysofDocs
Reading the docs is slowly becoming a fun habit of mine. However, I have not been able to read it consistently. I could go three days of reading, but miss out on two days afterwards.
Today, I was about to make a post on X and I used the 100daysOfCode hashtag. I thought to myself if we could have a hashtag for reading the docs, just to get people see how fun it can be, and the practical benefits of doing it.
I immediately made a post about it. I am excited to get started, and the anticipation of reading the docs for hundred days is quite exhilarating.
For you who is reading this and willing to get started, let me clarify a few things.
- You do not have to finish the whole docs in the 100 days.
The goal is to have fun reading, and expand your knowledge of what is possible. Like Aaron Francis said it is all about building your recticular activating system, this will help you map your way in the docs whenever you need information about one or two topics.
- Reading the docs is getting raw information from the source.
Kelvin O. Omereshone once said that reading the docs is getting knowledge from the same source the tutorials you are watching got the knowledge from.
I find this to be true because the docs is the true main source of knowledge. It is like a manual a manufacturer adds to a product.
- Progress is not linear.
The goal is not to read two pages or five pages a day, feel free to do that if you can, but the aim is to read and understand at least a sentence or two. Once that is done, you share what you understood with others and also use the hashtag: #100daysofDocs.
- Build momentum by practicing some of the concepts you learn.
You will definitely learn some concepts as you read. My advice is you take out time to practice the concepts you learn. This could help you build momentum, and if you share this acquired knowledge it could be a valuable resource.
- Get ready to be “the guy”.
Reading the docs is something most developers don’t want to do, they feel it is totally unnecessary. This can be true from their own point of view.
Picture this, you are among the few developers who go to the source to get raw knowledge and practice it, you get the full thought process on how the product works and you know how to use it better. Do you think that is not enough to be the most knownledgeable developer about that particular product?
Check out this article by Aaron France about reading the docs like a book.
As you begin this challenge feel free to tag me or two amazing individuals I mentioned. See you out there!