The Twitter Challenge. Hundreds go in, 140 come out.
It’s been a few weeks since I signed up for a twitter account, and I’m still getting used to the idea. I originally signed up with the intention of using it as a communication medium more than a blogging platform, but I’m being forced to admit that I might have been wrong.
There’s something very compelling about having to formulate your thoughts into just 140 characters. It’s an interesting intellectual exercise to convey your meaning in that space without losing detail. I tend to write out thoughts to their fullest and then tighten up the editing to fit it in the space.
At that point, the question about whether or not anyone actually cares that I’m sitting at my desk editing videos is moot. It’s a little mental challenge. Me vs The 140 character limit.
Of course sometimes you want to say a little more than that, and you get a post like this. Since this is the equivalent of talking to a brick wall anyway, I don’t worry too much about verbosity. In this context, I model my writing process (as I do everything in my life) on Penny Arcade. In this case, the specific quotes:
Tycho: It’s my copy of Tiresome Exposition Monthly!
Tycho: It’s a journal of needless exposition and those that expound! Nothing is too trite, inaccessible, or verbose for their catatonic editors. Just last month, they published my thirty page manifesto on “Why Bees Rules.” I’m well on my way to complete illegitimacy!
Yeah, that’s 2 minutes of your life you’re not getting back. You’re welcome.