Today, crusaders, (and part of yesterday) is the end of an era. The age of the 140-character thought is over. Prepare to expand your abbreviations (and perhaps some horizons) 280 characters are here. Go crazy, folks.
Truth be told, it’s not as exciting as I once thought it might be. Sure, it’s nice to see some take the time to spell out w/, b/t, btw, and b/c now, but it’s hard not to brace for the inevitable new and less excusable crimes against the English tongue.
And of course, I think a strong argument could have been made for keeping those among us who have not yet figured out how to clearly and politely articulate ourselves in 140 characters within those parameters until we have proven ourselves worthy of the extra characters. But Twitter had other thoughts…
I hope as we all embark on this brave new journey with characters to spare, that we use them wisely, use them respectfully, and above all use them kindly, and let us never forget the value of things left unsaid.
With that, I’ll leave you with one last thought from the Bard himself…
My liege, and madam, to expostulate
What majesty should be, what duty is,
Why day is day, night night, and time is time,
Were nothing but to waste night, day, and time;
Therefore, since brevity is the soul of wit,
And tediousness the limbs and outward flourishes,
I will be brief.— William Shakespeare (@Wwm_Shakespeare) November 8, 2017
…bi-daily smile…
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