Some plausibly false assertions made in your article:
“It’s a specific example of how you can adapt your behavior to have a much broader impact.”
You cite this premise as though it were a preordained, universally accepted value. The generic “broader impact” is not helpful when you’re simply encouraging people to be more prolific. Your argument that “most people” are shy is an arbitrary argument, either based on your personal experience or based on wishful thinking. Let’s face it, most blogs are a waste of time, not because they lack content, but because people just don’t know when to shut up.
“there’s no reason to silo this information in a private email exchange.”
There is if it’s redundant, or lower in quality than what’s already out there, etc. When in doubt, research before publishing.
“are you maximizing the value of your keystrokes?”
That’s a nonsensical measure of value. Am I only to concern myself with my keystrokes? I think it might be a good idea for a lot of people to minimize their grasp of other peoples’ attention. Granted if it’s something you’re going to share with several people, then by all means put it in one place and point people toward it. On the other hand, writing a public version of your message intended for a specific person is a lazy man’s or impersonal man’s way out of a true one-on-one exchange (something to be valued as much if not more than a public conversation).
“Finding the 1% of stuff that’s actually worth looking at is easy. The populist magic of PageRank/TrustRank means we never need to see or even know that the other 99% exists.”
Absolutely wrong. You’re suggesting that the majority is usually right, or that aggregate feeder systems represent a value system we can all appreciate. If you don’t re-read your own sentence and understand why that’s so very wrong, I’m not sure any explanation on my part will help.
“Most people are so timid about making anything public…”
An arbitrary statement, without any basis in studied speculation much less fact.
I can think of plenty of people who ought to be more timid about pouring their pointless dribble into the public space. The fact that you aren’t bothered by it or are willing to put up with it does not, I repeat does not, indicate that everyone in the world thinks like you or will appreciate having more people make more junk public.
Anyway, as I’ve made abundantly clear, I disagree with you on this one.