Limitless

The exercise of Plurking is a format that restricts us and brings us to our limit.. We have 140 characters to share a thought, an experience, a revelation, or an assignment. With practice I realized that this is actually quite a lot of space to work with. It is really no different than a text message or chat, and as it applies to our everyday life, we have learned to removing the excess to words in order to give them meaning. Failure to recognize this change in language and ignore such constraints distracts from the presentation of a clear message. When communication is drowned in words with no value, it becomes lost altogether. To see this whole idea disregarded in class was frustrating to me because I think that when we set such limits we shift our thinking and challenge ourselves to write with a higher standard. This is something we are all capable of, and in this case it was an ongoing exercise as a legitimate lesson beyond just the scope of the class, but as a demonstration of how technology is affecting language.

I want to share an example of some Plurk posts that frustrated me for a certain lack of value, and a failure to communicate any real message.
Norbertrojszasays
Watchmen plays right into the theme for the class
Norbertrojszasays
it was a funny movie because there is the big blue dude who is like god and the other super heros that are total lame heros
Norbertrojszasays
the whole movie is about the other total alterity play
Norbertrojszasays
yeah i was amazed when i watched it how nanotextesk it is have you seen the movie yet, (its ok it makes me want to see the book)
Norbertrojszasays
like an apitizer to a meal the movie was flashy but after the this class watching that movie reminded me a bit of the filth
Norbertrojszasays
the whole movie there was something "filthy" missing

This really fries me. When someone seems to talk, just to talk. It is an abuse of discussion and does not allow the exploration of other thoughts, both for the person speaking and for those listening. This is the ultimate goal of communication. Reflecting on limits, I think about the communication contained in a single glance or even an emoticon. There is a value to creating rich language that goes far beyond the words themselves. It is like writing a haiku. In low’s blog I read a great interview that I think fits perfectly here. On how to write haikus Jack Kerouac says, “It has to be completely economical, no foliage and flowers and language rhythm, it has to be a simple little picture in three lines.” Writing a haiku has unique constraints, but the value of writing this way has application to all things we do. It is language distilled.

To make a point I challenged Norbert to a Plurkfight in which he had to tell his life story in a single post.
He replied:
Norbertrojszasays
krakow tarabalus oslo vancouver ferndale bellingham happy child till ferndale then disapointed now happy again married don't like concerts

There it is. It really says what I need to know, and without description it reveals so much. He may want me to understand, feel, or believe something specific, but language and art are rarely going to convey something as intended. This is the beauty. When I am free to interpret on my own I find a vivid picture and a personal significance that is far more memorable and worthwhile.

The lesson of the limit is absolutely essential to good writing. These exercises have continued a process I began in journalism classes, internet based communication, and into my professional life as a guide and teacher. Essentially it is the practice of investing greater and greater value into the smallest unit. We approach the limit of our potential and in doing so; prove that we can move beyond. This is true of technology, of language, and of life.