The Sin Of Noodle Posting

For those of you who have been keeping track with what I wrote before, you might already know what I mean by noodle posts. For those of you who don't, well…this is where I explain it all. Recently, there has been an upsurge of blogs all over. Where I'm from, it has been quite noticeable.

Of course, what is so noticeable about these blogs is that there have one thing in common. They are not just new blogs. They are blogs that talk about what they did during the day. They are the blogs that tell you exactly what they had for breakfast, lunch and dinner. That's right. They are what I call the "noodle" posts…

And it might be a bigger problem than expected.

It's understandable that new bloggers, appealed by the comercialised call of blogging would want to start blogging. It's understandable and it is really…not a bad thing. Then again, like all things that have a beginning, personal blogging requires a sense of growth in your post. Everyone, even me has had the so called "noodle" posts, but after a while…you do tend to outgrow it, because if there is one question that every blogger has to ask themselves is this.

Why should I keep blogging?

I find that noodle posts do not answer this question. No, think about it, would you want to spend the next 5 years or 1 year, or even 6 months writing every single physical detail about your day? You can't even do that in pen written diaries much less something you do online, because no matter how much you do it, it fails to put into perspective what personal blogging is about.

Why should you keep blogging?

That's what seperates seasoned bloggers and fad bloggers. Seasoned bloggers, for whatever reason they have or care to admit, will still have a reason to keep blogging. Their thoughts, their opinions are as varied as the days they post it on. Whether they understand it or not, blogging for those of us who have blogged for a long time isn't about writing for the sake of writing. It's about writing to express yourself. It's about the freedom to express and record whatever you want on your blog.

There is no freedom in writing because your friends are doing it. There is no freedom in writing something because you think your life today is confined to what you ate for lunch. There is no freedom when you don't realise that the whole point of blogging is about freedom.

Blogs without the freedom to express always choke themselves out of the blogosphere.

If you're a new blogger or you realise you have been writing noodle posts all this time, do what all of us have done, go out there, read, comment, learn, grow. The main reason I hear from my friends about blogging is that they can't write.

Yes and a baby can't walk at first too.

In the end it's about reaching out. It doesn't matter whether you can't write as well as some other people out there. Styles and forms come eventually and they will come the more you write and the deeper you interact with your closest blogosphere. It matters that you start writing, you start expressing yourself. It matters that you put behind the limitations of noodle posts for freedom that is only confined to your imagination and creativity.

Don't make the sin of continuing the noodle posts. Write, read and grow. You'll be happier fufilled when you reach that end. That much I can promise you.

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15 People Said A Couple Of Things: »

  • GravatarLei wrote from  Viet Nam on August 29, 2005 at 21:40 and said:

    Hi. Made my way here via ProBlogger.

    What a lovely post. I was just discussing this today with a few other blogging friends. The term “noodle post” is very clever. :)

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  • Gravatarmeekie wrote from  Malaysia on August 29, 2005 at 21:41 and said:

    *giggles* “a baby can’t walk at first too” sounds like my line.

    I can imagine you lecturing in the theatre. haha :p u can be quite a good one.

    i agree. Keep writing and eventually u’ll become better at it.

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  • Gravatarbob wrote from  Malaysia on August 29, 2005 at 22:59 and said:

    Talk about judgemental. “veteran vs fad”, “bigger problem”.

    what happened to:

    “No. I don’t have the authority nor the credibility to openly tell people how to be better.”

    As much as you like to self-style yourself into a wise, fallen angel veteran guru-type, there are NO rules for blogging, save for basic respect for others and plain old decency. Those who blog about every minute detail of their lives probably like doing it.

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  • GravatarKamigoroshi wrote from  Australia on August 29, 2005 at 23:07 and said:

    Lei: Hey thanks for plugging my blog in your blog. Yeah…coined the phrase pretty well…on the noodle as they say. :)

    Meekie: Whaaaat…it’s a commonly used line. :P Lecture? Me? Yeah right, then again…maybe that ain’t pretty far anyway. :)

    Bob: So speaks the troll who remains behind closed doors and thinks he know better about blogging eh? That’s blogging for you. :)

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  • Gravatarbob wrote from  Malaysia on August 29, 2005 at 23:12 and said:

    And again you resort to irrelevance when you can’t actually answer the question. Anonymity on the internet is almost a given, btw. You choose to reveal your identity, more power to you. It’s a choice.

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  • GravatarKamigoroshi wrote from  Australia on August 29, 2005 at 23:19 and said:

    You know it’s not that. :) I’m not critisizing or commenting about other people blogs directly which is what the last post is supposed to mean my dear Bob if you bothered to read it properly. Come on…you’re smarter than that. Use your “noodle”. :) Besides…this is the net…we’re a community. That’s what this post is for…the community. You take some…then you give it back.

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  • Gravatarbob wrote from  Malaysia on August 29, 2005 at 23:31 and said:

    Can’t, the noodle’s busy cooking in its mug.

    I’m awed by your generosity. Wah…

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  • GravatarYuna wrote from  on August 30, 2005 at 07:03 and said:

    Kamigoroshi does have a point that the noodle blogging won’t get you too far if you want more readership, more spot lights and more recognition, or even more money. It’s perfectly fine if you are writing for yourself and not care about 5vistors/day vs 5000visitors/day. So I take that Bob really doesn’t care but his own noodle, then, cook your noodle as long as it makes you happy Bob.
    But for anyone who cares about growing their blogs to attract more readers, noodles have to go. Who would care about reading someone’s new shoe size? (unless you are one of those celebs) People want fun and informative readings so they can get something out of your posts… It’s just common sense.

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  • Gravatarhoney wrote from  Australia on August 30, 2005 at 17:24 and said:

    lets see… if im a noodler i would record the things i do everyday… the moments that occur and well…. come up with a building design for me 10 years later that very much reflects my life and me…. haha…. thats from a archi point of view…its not fantastic or brilliant but its bold…well.. theres nothing wrong in that i guess…. =) go noodles!!

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  • Gravatarjulian wrote from  Malaysia on October 10, 2005 at 09:25 and said:

    Kamigoroshi, will you make an exemption for food bloggers? Otherwise they’d be out of a job, lol

    People do often choose to ‘noodle’ post… ’tis a fact of blogging life. The least they could do is write well and they make it entertaining. In many ways I kind of see Dooce as a ‘noodle’ blog (I said kind of, don’t shoot me), but hey… I read her all the time! Got her RSS feed and all :P

    Truth be told, I’ll take ‘noodle’ blogs over ‘angry, angsty and depressed’ blogs any day of the week, and twice on Sunday… it sucks much more to read someone who whines all the time as if they’re the only ones with problems on the planet.

    Nice blog. Cheers :)

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  • GravatarKamigoroshi wrote from  Australia on October 10, 2005 at 09:37 and said:

    I think it’s preference. Though, it was in reference to the people who think they can go far in the blogosphere by just posting “Noodle” or more accurately “I had noodles for lunch today” posts. “Noodle” posts are just a faze, it’s ok if we go back to it every once in a while. But for heaven’s sake…unless you’re really good, at least grow out from it if you would like to be a blog that more than just your close friends come back and read.

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  • GravatarChris wrote from  United States on December 7, 2005 at 00:24 and said:

    I love the post. Very good information, keep up the good work.

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  • Gravatarshirazi wrote from  Pakistan on June 13, 2006 at 18:42 and said:

    Nice post and nice blog. Best of luck with exams.

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  • Gravatarememjammer wrote from  China on September 17, 2007 at 23:49 and said:

    So I was off work and surfing and found this place and thought I would join up. I don’t have much more to say right now except I need to start reading some of the older posts to get up to speed before I can start posting.

    Em

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  • GravatarKeith wrote from  United States on January 20, 2008 at 07:12 and said:

    Noodle blog I like that. Not a big problem when regular bloggers do it but when high ranking ones do then you pick them up on searches and you could just kill Google for ranking that junk. Thanks for letting me rant. Nice to meet you.

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