Considered article...short blog post...twitter...???

When it was difficult to create and distribute news stories (i.e. before the advent of the PC and the internet) generally speaking a lot of thought went into the creation of an article that appeared in the major newspapers (OK I know there are glaring examples that debunk this statement but notwithstanding some journalistic crap there was a time when people spent a lot of time considering a story).....

Fast forward to the last 5 years (last 2 or 3 actually) when we had the creation of the blog post. Most often short (400 - 600 word) posts which did not always result from a lot of time spent considering what was being written..It was like a stream of consciousness (much like my blog!) that provided the writer with an ability to create and distribute something as if they were a global media empire (even if nobody actually read the post)..Still the blog post does provide interesting insights into products, people, industries and companies...They do serve a purpose that seems useful...albeit not in the ilk of the major newspaper story but value nonetheless.

Then over the last year we have been introduced to the 140 character (not word!) twitter post. Kind of like a group SMS but to VERY long (in the cash of Ashton Kutcher - 1m followers) list. I have been really interested in what wisdom people provide in 140 characters...The answer is not much..Things like....

"L.A. really hot today"

"Trying to get a cab downtown but none around"

"Check out the new photo of XXX"

"Stop press. Britney Spears got her period and used....a tampon. First woman to do so, obviously" - this is another real one...I am not making this stuff up.

"6 year old Xbox console blew up in a cloud of smoke. MSFT are sending me a brand new 360 pro for only $160 (RRP $300). Good outcome."

While I think this is all pretty BORING lots of people are both twittering (not surprising as everyone likes to pretend to be important and broadcast their thoughts--like I am doing in this blog! and I twit as well.) more amazing is that people are signing up in droves to follow people issuing 140 character pearls of wisdom like the ones above....The following of mindless banter bit I don't get....Ok if it was something like....

"cured cancer this morning. cure is at http://www.curedcanceryippee.com/"
then I can see why someone would follow this guy...or perhaps

"Guarantee that the ASX will go up 100 points tomorrow" and they were accurate day after day then again I get it but things like Ashton's latest posts today......

"If you could pick one body part to have a spare of what would it be? check this out .." Or

"it's sad that ppl don't C pirating movies off the net as stealing. its eventually going 2 reduce the quality of films"..Do these really add anything to anyone??

More importantly where next...I suspect we follow the existing trend and the next big thing will offer media savy people the ultimate short hit of cool and incisive content...Here comes the 8 character post...insightful things like

"Work?"
"Think!"

slowly giving way to

"Poo"
"Fart" etc.

So you heard it here first....

"bugger"