Hero Inc.

While setting up shop back home for a few days post vacation, I ran across the latest Time magazine that was showcasing an article entitled “How Twitter Will Change the Way We Live“.  In this article, Johnson made a case for why twitter is relevant, currently, and his initial hesitation to join.  This case may have been enough to encourage others that twitter is more than a reverse peep hole into one’s life, but I still think of Twitter as my own personal archnemesis.

I have friends who have twitter accounts and “tweet” often, but I just don’t get it.  I don’t care what you had for breakfast.  I’m not really up to share my daily bowel movements or steps I take with my right foot.  Twitter could possibly maybe have more functions than this but that’s all I see it.  Hell, it’s almost becoming MySpace as the older generation continues to join (Oprah, Larry King, Tony Kornheiser, and etc.)  Even without Ashton being the main twitterer I wouldn’t join.  Besides, if I have to hear about the next technology bringing about hyper-local marketing, I’m going to scream.  It’s just another buzz word that’s still years away thanks to the terrible cell phone infrastructure (conversation for another day).

Anyway, back to the title of this post.  The Time article mentioned above in passing context the idea of a Twitter spawn that would be based around the use of nothing but punctuation.  Why does this sound so strange while typing only 140 characters is a 500 million dollar idea?

Therefore, let me introduce you to the next internet phenomenon, Punct. The name is based on a play of Ashton’s famous Punk’d and what the new service will be used to convey feelings/thoughts, punctuation.  The rules are simple:

1. Only the basic set of punctuation characters can be used in order to keep global appeal high  . , ? ! ; : – ( ) [ ] { } | \ / < > ‘ ~ @ # $ % ^ & * + = ” …
   
2. Each “punct” must be no more than 10 characters in length
3. “Puncts” can only be single lines, which  means no ASCII art or cool bunnies (Sorry Will)
4. Overall goal is to show your emotion, thoughts, or current state with only punctuation.  With enough people being creative, a whole new language could be created for those with severe ADD and not enough time to read messages that are longer than 10 characters.

Four simple rules for an even simpler concept.  Still confused at the depth you could take this?  It’s simple.  The rules of punctuation already dictate emotion/thoughts. Here are a few samples:

• period (.) ==> a declaration, the end of a thought
• exclamation point (!) ==> excitement, loudness
• comma (,) ==> taking a break, listing of items, separation of thought
• question mark (?) ==> questioning, confusion, thinking
• ellipsis (…) ==> statement of things left unsaid, annoyance
• semi-colon (;) or colon (:)==> linking multiple similar thoughts, clarifying confusing lists
• braces ({}) ==> new dental braces or leg injury

I’ll even allow text based emoticons since those were always fun during the mid 90’s.  Here‘s another great site of someones emoticon creations.

Now that my million dollar idea is out there, I’ll sit back and wait for the money to be sent.  Here’s a final honest thought for this post.

==|:-)}       <—  Get it?  It’s “Honest” Abe Lincoln