Don't know if many web surfers are reading the Rocky Mountain News' DNC-timed experiment with the Twitter micro-blogging service -- but they should, because it's hilarious. The 140-character limit on texts forces brevity in the extreme, which could conceivably be a good thing, especially after you've perused a James Meadow article or two in the print version. However, what works on a cell phone may not click in a different format -- particularly in the case of Twitter tweets that focus on superficial celebrity gawking, as did several of the ones that popped up on the Rocky's live DNC update page shortly before 5 p.m. yesterday. Dig the following fourteen minutes' worth of items:
RMN_Bill: Howard Dean is working the press area. The Tonight Show is interviewing Howard Dean for a segment tonight with Jay Leno; Monday, Aug. 25, 4:51 p.m.RMN_Tobie: Mathew Modine, Barry Levinson just walk in. Monday, Aug. 25, 4:47 p.m.
RMN_Ryans: those who plan on trying to levitate the U.S. Mint may have some work to do, since only a handful of people are here. Monday, Aug. 25, 4:47 p.m.
RMN_Tobie: Zooey, Anne, Ellen all talking together at La Rumba. Monday, Aug. 25, 4:45 p.m.
RMN_Bill: Napolitano: "Let's get our country back on track by electing Barack Obama as our next president!" Monday, Aug. 25, 4:45 p.m.
RMN_Tobie: Ellen berstyn walked in has a dune linen long jacket and pants, just ate a mini crab cake. Monday, Aug. 25, 4:45 p.m.
RMN_Tobie: Zooey dechanel..wearing a little blue sailor dress and black tights. At la Rumba Monday, Aug. 25, 4:37 p.m.
Those dogged Rocky personnel were close on the last two monikers: It's Ellen Burstyn and Zooey Deschanel. Then again, who cares? Making sure that people's names are spelled correctly is so last millennium. And what's the 21st century journalistic ideal? More reporting about crab cake! -- Michael Roberts
