Those that are verbose and tangential are doomed in this day and age***

A tweet can only be 120 characters long, but Facebook’s status updates can be a whopping 420 characters. Wow! Ten more*

Uh oh. That was the Twitter maximum.

This wordy woman needs more characters than that. I am fast approaching the Facebook**

Well, this wordy woman who never could get to the point and loves tangents is starting to have a problem with the Web. Facebook is killing small time blog comments. I’ve stopped leaving comments on other people’s blogs, as I’ve noticed I am wanting to hit the “like” button, find none, ruminate for a moment, only to discover that the only thing I’m thinking is “like”, feel ridiculous, and move on. I can only assume others are feeling similarly.

My goodness, I've used the word "only" a few too many times, and would prefer to comment on it rather than think about revising what I've written. What's a sloppy thinker to do?! 

Of course, there’s also the attention span issue (which might also have something to do with my lack of willingness to think about editing). If we’re becoming used to reading small bits of information, if one exceeds those limits, readers are lost. I am, too!

I just read An Important Post about retaining one’s blog visitors in the Era of Facebook, and I know I’m doomed. I’ve been doomed since I first started blogging, since I’ve never followed the Three Big Rules of Blogging:

1. Keep it short.
2. Keep it simple.
3. Keep one’s blog limited to one subject.

My wordy writing? It’s becoming limited to That Which is Private (for the most part). Yes, folks, I’ve threatened to stop blogging a number of times, and though I’m not exactly threatening to stop now, well. . .it’s winding down, isn’t it? Like a relationship that’s run it’s course. . .things simply peter out. . .

The couple sits at the restaurant table and hasn’t a word to say to one another. Everything has been said. Every secret has been revealed. Though every day brings much that’s new, it’s been too long since those delights have been shared, and so. . .

*characters to go.

** limit.

***There's actually Four Big Rules of Blogging. The 4th is: Make sure your titles are readable by search engines. This one, obviously, is not. Nyah. Nyah. I did it on purpose. As they say, "You're only hurting yourself." I can't help it. I am, by nature, a contrarian, so if "they" say do it This Way, I  will probably not. Ah well.

Image note: Willem de Kooning Woman V 1952-53

I once found De Kooning's work scary and offensive. No longer. 

What does it have to do with this post? I'm not sure, but it feels about right.