Blog Prologue: Why I Quit Social Media and Returned to Tech Blogging

From early in my career, I’ve had a strong connection to writing. I launched my professional blog, sqlcast.com, to document what I was learning in the data space, and contributed to leading technical platforms like MSSQLTips.com and was invited as speaker to multiple conferences. LinkedIn played a big role in sharing those tech blogs and connecting with fellow data professionals.

Like many others, I paused writing during the pandemic. I briefly shifted to short-form travel vlogs on Instagram, exploring life and travel from a different angle.

At the start of this year, I took a break from social media. While scrolling through LinkedIn, I noticed a clear shift. What was once a platform for thoughtful insights, technical deep-dives, and expert discussions had become flooded with shallow, engagement-driven content. The signal-to-noise ratio had dropped. Long-form thinking was fading — and it was impacting not just me, but a new wave of data practitioners hungry for real substance.

I’ll admit, I contributed to the noise too with my bite-sized videos — with one exception. My most viral Instagram post with InsideAmazon(mirror view reflection of Mt.Rainier), That realization pushed me to step back from social media and return to what I value most: writing with purpose!

I’m launching junaithhaja.com and Signal Over Noise(LinkedIn Newsletter) with a renewed focus: exploring the intersection of Data, AI, and social good. This blog will prioritize thoughtful, practical insights over fleeting trends — especially in areas like:

• Modern data infrastructure and scalable architecture on AWS

• The role of AI in public systems and policy

• Responsible machine learning in real-world settings

• Designing for sustainability and long-term impact

• Free mentorship for Data Practitioners

This isn’t a comeback. It’s a conscious return to deep technical exploration, clear communication, and ethical engineering.

If you’re looking for real-world insights on data and AI — beyond the buzz — you’re in the right place.

Let’s build, learn, and reflect — one post at a time.

— Junaith Haja
Harnessing Data and AI for social good, one blog at a time.

#DataEngineering #AIForGood #TechBlogging #MachineLearning #CloudNative #AWS #EthicalAI