I almost regret my incendiary comment above. I made it first thing upon waking up... However, I was referring to the actual Twitter API, which seems to have frequent issues. If the Twitter engineering culture is based on a bunch of "because I like it this way" solutions rather than "because this is the right way to do it," it may explain some of what I perceive to be their shortcomings.
One should be self-expressive, but I don't think syntax is an opportunity to be so. Regardless of whether it works a certain way, there's very likely an objectively right way for it to be done.
One should be self-expressive, but I don't think syntax is an opportunity to be so.
Sure it is. Textual expression is a function of both form (syntax) and content (characters). Not only that, but TMTOWTDI enforces overlap between the right way to do something and the coding preferences of the implementor.
Okay, fine. It's some form of self expressions; but it's petty self expression. Writing in all lowercase is unlikely to establish you among the classics, even if your readers can still understand all of your sentences. That sort of "creative syntax" would be expected in graffiti, not Hemingway.
