About the filter (what to hold back), I think everybody has their own filters, and you can’t make many general rules for what should be said and what should be left unsaid.

But I think that everyone should be conscious of their own filters. Being aware of your own filters (often through reflecting on others’ filters) is an important part of “online maturity”.

The filters apply across the board: Facebook, blog, Twitter, LinkedIn, comments on other sites, etc.

Jan Karlsbjerg’s last blog post..108 in 2008 - Three Month Status Report

Always stimulating ideas from you, Jan.

Let me see if I understand this: Are you saying that this video sounded a bit like an endorsement of “cat blogging”?

The question of filter makes for an interesting discussion. How much should/could we hold back? How big/funny/clever should an idea be to merit a blog post?

And we probably both agree that even the smallest/dumbest idea is worth blogging about if we present it in a way that makes it likely that our readers will enjoy it.

Perhaps the proof is in the pudding. Here’s my experience: If I find one blog post on the first page of a blog interesting, I’m happy. Actually, for people who even seem interesting, and if I have a bit of time, I’ll also root around a little more to find something interesting.

What about you?

I don’t write for the purpose of drumming up business, evangelizing a cause, etc.

I definitely have a strong filter for the stuff I post, because of the permanence. I only post stuff if I think it’ll still be clever/funny/etc. years from now. And that’s where I had the big disconnect with what you were saying in the video: It sounded like blogging was an outlet for even very small inputs/ideas/thoughts. It sounded a bit like blogging was a new girlfriend, as in “Ooh, when I meet Linda I’m gonna tell her about this and this and that and this”. There was very little filter and a lot of excitement about the blogging aspect/idea itself.

Jan Karlsbjerg’s last blog post..108 in 2008 - Three Month Status Report

If, for the sake of argument, we agree that I actually DO achieve that to some degree - part of the answer is a lifelong excitement for writing, an inborn drive to connect the dots (especially the ones that don’t seem immediately obvious) and practice practice practice. I think writing is like cooking that way.

But let me turn the question around: You have been blogging longer than I, and as such are probably in the vast minority of bloggers. Most people give up after a few posts or a few months of blogging. What makes you go on?

Anyway, how do you channel all of that bubbliness into purposeful (and patient) blogging: Connecting the dots, writing meaningful articles rather than short observations.

Jan Karlsbjerg’s last blog post..Quote of the Day