4 ms·
Why does Twitter limit to 140 characters?
I wonder how they came up with that number. Is that the size of one TCP/UDP packet or what?
- lotharbot 16y agoIt's based on SMS [0], the standard that allows telephones to receive text messages. The message size in SMS is limited to 1120 bits, which works out to 140 8-bit characters (or 160 7-bit characters.) One of twitter's design goals was to be usable from the broadest set of mobile devices possible. [0] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SMS http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SMS
- gcao 16y agoThat sounds a good reason. Thank you!
- anigbrowl 16y agoSMS/text message length, minus the site identifier; lets people use the service via cellphone. As for why text messages are restricted to that length, word is that the guy who developed the first system felt 160 characters was plenty for most communication needs, based on the average length of a random sample of sentences and considering the tedium of having to enter the message via the 12 buttons of a then-typical telephone keypad. So ultimately, it's arbitrary but practical.
- gcao 16y agoThank you!