Twitter has gone and messed up blogging.  Really, it has.  Those short posts that we used to spend 15 minutes on?  Well, that was just to scratch an itch to comment on something.

To hit that little nagging tickle in the center of our backs, we used to have to take the time to stand up and rub against the edge of our computers.  Twitter is like a cheap plastic back scratcher in the shape of a bird.

The other problem with Twitter is that it’s sometimes just not adequate.  At this very moment, I’m engaged in a long-term discussion, alternating point by point.  And I know from experience that these debates annoy people.  Somebody who follows both participants gets the whole stream… and it’s already difficult enough to manage Tweets for interest on Twitter.

So, here we go.  I don’t know what the “Longer Twitter” category will be used for, but I’m thinking it’ll be a good way for contributors to post very short items that they don’t want to spend an hour writing, but that require 141 characters or more.  It may also be good for bringing those lengthy debates back here, to be read only by people who are interested.  If it’s called “Longer Twitter,” the alternating points style of commenting might feel more appropriate.

Anyway, this is the Internet.  We’re experimenting.