A note about 140 characters

Many of my friends have been reluctant to use Twitter, and I've heard the argument before - 140 characters is too few, arbitrary, and authoritarian. But really it's no different than text messages and I'd argue it's better than AIM. I like lists, so I'll just list my reasons.

1. 140 characters encourages you to be creative if your message does not fit.
2. It's roughly the same limit as on text messages, and no one questions text usefulness.
3. AIM encouraged quick responses, often sacrificing grammar and syntax. This is not the same format in Twitter where you have time and the ability to sculpt your message. Language also became more interesting because of AIM. Emoticons, abbreviations, and phrases that allowed quicker communication came about. The point of language is to easily communicate.
4. Being succinct is a useful skill to learn, and while 140 characters is arbitrary, it is a good limit for a complex phrase, or two simple sentences. I've found when I want to write a complex idea, it's rarely difficult to get it within 140 characters as long as I think about it for a few seconds.
5. Twitter does what Facebook messages cannot - it travels well. Probably the coolest thing I've seen so far on Twitter is Shaq twitting messages saying "first person to come up to me and touch me on the shoulder gets two tickets to tonight's game that I'm holding." All I can suggest is that it's cool, and it's only the beginning.
6. Twitter is for adults. Not that teens and kids can't use it, but adults aren't afraid to, whereas they might be more reluctant to get on Facebook, and they're either in a band or crazy on Myspace.
7. Best of all, I can follow you without you following me, or you can follow me without me following you. We don't have to be friends.