You’ve probably heard the phrase that “constraints = creativity,” so that’s typically why platforms keep things simple (“140 characters”) to start.

Over time, these things tend to get more and more expressive as people push the limits of the platform. (Twitter now has gifs, images, vines, embeds, etc.)

As an individual, it’s our responsibility to be creative and challenge the platforms. The platforms shouldn’t restrict us and our basic human need to create and express ourselves.

However, we should be careful about asking for total creative freedom at the beginning of a network. Sometimes blank slates are scary to people, and they’re often hard (& risky) to build as a product.