Untwittered

When little things happen throughout my day, they now come with an inner commentary of a limited character count; in the form of potential twitters or status updates that I'd never bother actually posting ('though no doubt there are some that would):

-> Ever since a friend pointed one out to me recently, I keep noticing dead chairs abandoned on nature strips.

-> Managed to cycle directly home without needing to stop at a single shop. Achievement!

-> Watched my toothbrush fall into the kitty litter this morning.

-> Two flat bike tyres in two days. Welcome back to Sydney's glass encrusted streets.

-> Looking at 2 fresh navel oranges on my desk, as I unwrap another block of chocolate. Office life: makes one want to eat junk.

-> Rental cars should be clearly identified at the back. So when you're stuck behind one driving really badly, you're more understanding and better know how to deal with them.

-> Waiting for the Voltaren to kick in.................

-> The banging started at 7.29. The builder's clock must be a minute fast.

Thanks to SMS, FB, Twitter, IM, micro-blogging etc etc, we now can easily communicate in single sentences, using shorthand grammar, with parts of speech omitted for speed and character limit. And a broadcast message to everyone you know is just as easy as one on one. But while that suggests that these technologies are changing the way we think, I suspect this tendency was always there and the technologies arose to enable our desire for bite-sized communication.

In the olden days, the postcard was a precursor - but only really suitable for travellers. Back then, no matter how little we had to say, we wouldn't phone up a friend and hang up after one sentence (...as a general rule. I'm sure some blokes would disagree). A fax message required a full A4 sheet of paper, electricity, stress and labour, and was thus a complete waste if it wasn't maxed out with information.

And so there was inherently a certain amount of padding required, to fill up the space and time in the call, letter, fax.

Now, the need for padding is gone, but we've just traded one kind of trivia for another. Communication is SO cheap and easy, many people don't even have to stop and think "Is this really worth saying?" Many love the sense of visibility and being-heardness that this brings so easily and immediately.

I'd consider a thesis on this theory, but don't think I'd be able to fit it in 140 characters or less.

Twitters I'm happily not responsible for:

"I can see a ferry"

"I love online grocery shopping!!"

"must remember to get a anniversary card for the parents"

"Just driven up the M1 in beautiful late July weather-pouring rain!!"

"off 2 have a late lunch. i've earned it."

"I just ate a cheese burger so big my gut has distended. Better have another one."

"spending time with tyler my son. watched americas most wanted"

"My gum is bleeding"

zzzzzzzzzzzzzz