Twitter Social Network: Why "140 Characters" Works

Do we think in 140-Character Segments? 160-Characters: Reserve 20 for Admin and give 140-Characters for the Message. How can we talk this way?

Humans love to communicate. Twitter Text-Communication is unique in certain respects. There are also parallels between Digital Text-Communication and Spoken-Word Conversation.

A look at the parallels reveals a shared characteristic responsible for the Twitter experience being a user-friendly environment.

The Tweet is qualified by the limit of 140-Characters. The Spoken-Word Conversation organically occurs in groups of sentences of a like duration.

The 140 character Tweet is remarkably similar to what we already do during Spoken-Word Conversation. 140 Characters translates nicely into 3 sentences.

3 Sentences is a paragraph. One paragraph is an acceptable quantity of information to be communicated when "you have the floor", & it is your turn to speak.

The Art of Conversation is an interaction where people take turns speaking. The length of your turn to speak is qualified by certain limits.

Less than a 3 Sentence Paragraph is ok, but more than that much info may be too much for the modern listener's attention span.

Some still say the brevity of words will lead to cliche. As usual, it all depends on your mindset.

Tweets are surprisingly well suited to a stream of consciousness mindset. Works like Joyce's, "Ulysses", fit nicely into the 140 Character, Tweet-Friendly sections.

Another kindred spirit is the Haiku mindset. These poems require an economy of words intended to deliver a quality message.

When they are carefully chosen, a few words can go a long way. Well placed words can trigger an experiential reaction in the listener.

Here is a Haiku or two:

1. A Blink of the Eye / With Wisdom & Compassion / In Between a Gap
2. A Day in Summer / A Wind Blew on the Sunshine / A Bird Sat Chirping

Sometimes Haiku can be cryptic, and that is part of the premise. Twitter is predisposed to an enforced shorthand that can be ambiguous.

You want to express the thoughts inside your head, but you are limited by the "character counter" positioned on the right corner of the Twitter text-box.

The Tweet is Tricky because you have to balance conflicting limitations.

Take a step back and listen to what the post is saying before you hit a "tweet button" that sends your inner most thoughts out to the world.

Ask your self, "Where else, (besides inside your mind) do these words make sense?" You owe this step to your audience.

After a few quick edits, you may discover that with a little bit practice you can say alot with only 140 characters.

by A. D. Camerone 7/09/10
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