It might be frustrating, but Twitter is still an art form

By Alex Veeneman on June 7, 2012


The 140 characters you have on Twitter make it a frustration at times, but at the same time, it’s an art form in communication.
(Photo courtesy of Twitter)

Come June 10th, I will reach an anniversary of significance—not my birthday, nor a lifestyle change or achievement. That day is the second anniversary of when I became 1 of 140 million who use the social networking site Twitter. As I noticed the date staring directly at me in the app on my BlackBerry, I began to make a couple of observations, but notably this. Twitter, in its continual popularity in the realm of social networking, is an art form, but at the same time, a frustration.

It only takes 140 characters, a sentence or two, to compose a tweet. It is a distinction of communication in its own right because of the niche popularity of the abbreviated English language conveyed through text messaging. It flows well (usually), and perhaps can allow a simple mere thought to be a succinct, robust starter for a conversation.  The course of the conversation is ultimately dependent upon the tweets that follow, but it is an example of the eclectic distinctions that make the English language a unique international language. It is an art form in its own right.

However, there is a frustration to this great electronic art form, and it’s strangely exactly the same thing that makes it an art form—the 140 characters issue. Many users have been in a position where at the end of the composed thought, the bright red negative sign appears, turning the Tweet button from bright blue to an odd shade of grey. The thought needs to be trimmed to fit the requirements of character usage. The challenge of cutting down the thought without the destruction of its original intent seems to be a very daunting task. But, never fear, for it is something that can usually be accomplished, and in the end, can still be appreciated as an art form.

Whilst I appreciate that many believe that this anniversary is indeed of mild significance compared to another event (and I’m inclined to agree with them), it is a time to recognize this century’s newest art form, and to look at what role tweeting will have for the future.

Yes, it may be frustrating, but it’s still, in a small little way, an art form to me.

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