24 Antipatterns to Avoid in 2024 🚫2️⃣0️⃣2️⃣4️⃣🚫 🤖💩🤡🤯
Tags: watercooler, productivity, parody, marketing
Published: 2023-10-24 13:09:50

**Avoid** these common **antipatterns** when blogging in 2024 (or no matter when) to prevent getting misunderstood for a [mock tech influencer](https://www.reddit.com/r/cscareerquestions/comments/o8zdqu/these_tech_influencers_are_the_reason_why_you/).
 
## 1. Adding "2024" or any other future date 🔮
 
I did it here to demonstrate folly and futility, but I used to do it unironically when I was more [superstitious](https://dev.to/devteam/got-coding-superstitions-8im) concerning search engine optimization. I don't know why @avinashvagh did it in this post, which is in fact quite useful.
 
{% post https://dev.to/avinashvagh/react-ecosystem-in-2024-418k %}

**Post dates make a lot of sense!** When I see a post from 10 years ago, I will treat it with a grain of salt or skip reading it unless it's some foundational basic evergreen like a UNIX console or SQL tutorial.

But adding "2024" to a post published in October 2023 **feels misleading**. It might make sense for a long-term release roadmap or an upcoming event calendar though. Think of unexpected changes like **Twitter getting renamed** to "X" or the hype around **Bun** in 2023. Who would have guessed in 2022? 
 
## 2. Posting something for the sake of posting anything 🎲
 
Again, like this very post, some people will post **anything**. Well, I hope this parody post has some entertaining value demonstrating the absurdity of some common stylistic devices. Still, it's sad that most community and social media websites **seem to reward quantity** over quality.

{% post https://dev.to/ingosteinke/stop-rewarding-quantity-20o8 %}

## 3. Overusing "artificial intelligence" 🤖💩🤡

Some people will even post text output from chatGPT and other [bullshit](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/On_Bullshit) generators. If you do, at least do some fact-checking! Here is a post that **quotes chatGPT**, puts the prompt in its headline and adds, "What's your answer?" Maybe some human being will help him eventually.

{% post https://dev.to/hazho/what-if-we-no-longer-rely-on-email-what-could-this-cause-bk6 %}
 
Please don't! Here are some more good reasons why I'm **not excited** about so-called artificial intelligence (which is neither intelligent nor capable of generating art unless it is a tool used by an actual artist).

{% post https://dev.to/ingosteinke/artificial-intelligence-and-controversial-ideas-about-future-technology-1chj %}
 
## 4. Overusing listicles 0️⃣1️⃣2️⃣...🔟

### 5. ... and superlatives everyone must read!!!1

Why do numbered lists attract readers? [Listicles](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Listicle) have been mocked as a typical [clickbait](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clickbait) cliché, but post titles like "**24** things **every dev MUST** know in 2024 - **no. 4** will ..." seem to appeal to readers. But why?

Like this one I saw today: a lot of links, a lot of likes, and some useful resources buried in a list that seems rather random than curated. Not bad, but not the only step required "to become the best developer in the world".

{% post https://dev.to/triggerdotdev/17-javascript-repositories-to-become-the-best-developer-in-the-world-15f3 %}

### 6. Putting your own resource on top of the list 👑

just saying ...

It might seem too obvious and desperate and it might make readers abandon your post without clicking on the link.

### Intentionally funny

I don't know if @grahamthedev knows why people like listicles, but I know why I like his **parody** post "that will 🧨 **blow people away**".

{% post https://dev.to/grahamthedev/13-more-amazing-tips-for-writing-listicles-2hl5 %}

I like episode one as well: [13+ 🤩 amazing 🤩 tips for writing ✅ listicles ...](https://dev.to/grahamthedev/13-amazing-tips-for-writing-listicles-5eja)

## 8. Misnumbering 🔢

Finally, another long-tail search term: "misnumbering". [Off-by-one errors](https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Off-by-one-Error) can be critical in coding and **unintentionally funny** in editorial content.

## 7. - 24. Overpromising

Don't fuel expectations that you know you can't keep! I wanted to show an off-by-one example by adding number 5 to a 4 items list, but 6 out of 24 is even better! So ...

```coffeescript
if (!!empty(promise) == true) {
  return void(0);
} // else { return; } // catch(e){}
```

That's all. Feel free to like this post and subscribe to my channel - but be **warned**: most of my DEV blog posts are serious contributions about web development, with a few funny or sarcastic exceptions like this one!

## Conclusion

Please **avoid these common blogging antipatterns** to prevent getting misunderstood for a want-to-be / mock "tech influencer" annoying readers who have been around for a while and confusing those who haven't!