Jon Worth Profile picture
Oct 7, 2017 8 tweets 2 min read Twitter logo Read on Twitter
A couple of weeks into Twitter’s #280characters experiment, a few thoughts. I’m still on 140 chars so this has to be a classic thread. (1/8)
Idea some languages need more characters than others (@jack’s justification for 280) is true. But that doesn’t justify doubling to 280 (2/8)
but more up to something like 190 chars for German. No language, translated, is double the length of English. (3/8)
Meanwhile in English 280 char tweets are too dense to scan, and are harder, slower to read than 2 x 140 char tweets. (4/8)
The Twitter thread has emerged as the way to tell longer stories on Twitter. One 140 char tweet is enough for quick comment. (5/8)
Twitter’s roll out of 280 has been bewildering, typical of the firm. I’ve no idea how was chosen who gets it & not, who gets it next. (6/8)
Also this whole thing shows Twitter doesn’t know its strength. The constraint of 140, the norm it created, the conciseness, is vital. (7/8)
Twitter ought to conclude - after this 280 char experiment - that this doesn’t work, and ditch it. Back to 140 for all! (8/8)

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More from @jonworth

Sep 30, 2018
Let’s put to one side the substance here. The EU is not like the Soviet Union. Hunt, I think, is just about smart enough to know this.

But what makes him make such a statement?

1/8
The Tory Party considers Hunt a wet. He backs Chequers. He was a Remainer. He says he wants a Brexit Deal.

He can’t out-EU-sceptic Rees-Mogg or Johnson while he’s in Cabinet.

2/8
He’s previously said that only Putin would rejoice were there to be a No Deal Brexit
dailymail.co.uk/news/article-6…

That’s only slightly less ill judged than his Soviet comments.

3/8
Read 8 tweets
Aug 13, 2018
Let's do a little thought experiment in light of this tweet from @robfordmancs:


This builds on my earlier thread:


1/8
Prerequisites for this:
- someone ousts May in a Tory leadership election in Sept/Oct
- Govt majority lost, meaning a new GE in Oct/Nov 2018
(both of these are of course open to question - but bear with me!)

2/8
How do the Tories and Labour approach #Brexit in such a General Election campaign?

One presumes that the Tories (with 75% of their membership pro-Brexit) aim for a hard Brexit, something akin to the Chequers deal (or harder). They'd NOT want a #peoplesvote

3/8
Read 8 tweets
Aug 13, 2018
In my most recent blog post I argue that when a political crisis hits in 🇬🇧, 🇪🇺 is going to have to contemplate extending the #Article50 period.

Blog post is here:
jonworth.eu/the-political-…

This thread examines some of the aspects of extending Article 50 (or not)

1/12
First some background - I have an older blog post here about why extending the Article 50 period would be a good idea:
jonworth.eu/transition-per…

And the relevant part of Article 50 is shown here - unanimous agreement of EU-27 needed to extend

2/12
Extending the Article 50 period is not something either side really wants.

BUT No Deal #Brexit is the thing both sides should absolutely fear, especially 🇬🇧 but even the 🇪🇺, whose Member States (especially 🇮🇪) would take a major GDP hit.

3/12
Read 12 tweets
Aug 7, 2018
This @politicoeurope piece and infographic by @kbolongaro about the #Brexit and the ham and cheese sandwich has been widely retweeted.

Do read the whole piece - don't just rely on the infographic.

politico.eu/article/brexit…

1/15
But let's just say for a minute that, spurred on by national sandwich sentiment post a No Deal Brexit, the UK did want to make itself more self-sustaining in its food production, what could it do?

2/15
First some stats: Defra has useful stats on UK food import dependency here: gov.uk/government/sta…

The first Excel table shows how import dependency for food has been growing (the UK now imports 40% of its food), and the second Excel download lists value by food type.

3/15
Read 17 tweets
Jul 18, 2018
Most charming & amusing Russian 🇷🇺 experience to date here in Ulan-Ude...

When planning this trip people asked me: do you speak Russian? Answer: no. But I am armed with Yandex Translate. It has a RU-EN offline dictionary, and can speak it all too:
itunes.apple.com/us/app/yandex-…

1/7
You can do pretty complex things with Yandex.

But trying to book a bus 🚌 ticket 🎟 online from Irkutsk to Bratsk was a step too far.

Irkutsk = Иркутск
Bratsk = Братск
is easy enough.

Entering names, gender etc., sure.

But nationality?

2/7
What is my nationality?

England = Англия
Great Britain = Великобритания
UK? = Объединенное королевство великой Британии и северной Ирландии

None in the list...

Enter a confused but helpful hotel receptionist.

3/7
Read 7 tweets
Jul 1, 2018
Something about this #Seehofer "resignation" does not add up.

A thread.

1/9
Merkel went to Brussels and got a framework for a deal on refugees, the sort of thing that Seehofer was pushing for. A bit thin on the details, but Merkel did not return empty handed.

2/9
The normal CSU reaction to this would have been to have claimed a minor victory, to show how Bavaria's interests were being taken seriously, and move on somewhat.

3/9
Read 10 tweets

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