Has the Web robbed us of civility? Instant messages tend to end without any fanfare or farewell, most of the time we just stop typing. I have one friend who does make signing off a huge production, a full two minutes of "l8r", "c-ya", "great talking to ya"'s and the like. I admit it, it bugs me. I've become so used to the brevity of the Web and instant messages that it's an odd throwback to a friendlier time.

The debate over how much to say on the Web makes me wonder what we're missing by writing shorter and what if anything, we're gaining in writing longer. I think there's a place for both, as long as the expectations are clear. I don't go to a weblog looking for 3000 words, I expect longer pieces to be harder to find.