By: Stefan Hauptmann

Stefan Hauptmann — Thu, 09 Sep 2010 15:22:00 +0000

Thanks, Dirk, for your comment. Your numbers are interesting. We, too, think that restrictions like limited characters are a problem – therefore our recommendation to introduce ‘light’ restrictions like a colour-change.
Your 2nd point, informal vs. formal communication: Microblogging is a tool. And as all tools can be used very differently (think of knifes), so an microblogging environment can be used differently, too. I think organization sciences that deal with formal vs. informal communication can help us to shape the right tools for the future. Contributing here is one part of our agenda.
Regards Stefan

By: Dirk Röhrborn

Dirk Röhrborn — Thu, 09 Sep 2010 11:50:00 +0000

Thank you, Stefan, for this interesting insight. We have analysed out internal Communote system and found that more than 57 % of all microblog post have less than 300 characters, 67 % less than 400 and about 75 % less than 500. So 400 chars might be a pragmatic size. From my experience it is not really helpful to restrict this number and rather make sure that long posts do not disturb the readability of others. We will blog soon in more detail on this issue.
I have long been of the opinion that microblogging is mainly informal communication and thus, “microblogging-posts can be ignored without having negative consequences” as you state. However, I have to admit that we are more and more using our Communote system for formal team communication, too. More and more messages that would have been transmitted via email before are now distributed via the microblog. This also includes formal messages, e.g. project status updates, problem escalations, communication rules etc. Once a microblog serves as the main communications medium for a project team members cannot ignore these messages.

Comments on: Microblogging: Making improbable Communication probable

By: Stefan Hauptmann

By: Dirk Röhrborn