Why Text Messages are 160 Characters in Length

Have you ever wondered why the text messages on your phone are limited to 160 characters?  Well you can thank German fellow Friedhelm Hillebrand. He is considered the father of the text message according to the LA Times.  He invented these blimps of messages to inform workers on a jobsite big things going on back at the homebase/office. 

He determined the average postcard mailed out had only 150 characters so he decided to make it 160 because people were already used to this amount of characters.  This length meant that business people could adapt easily because the majority of emails we send out in the office are no longer than 160 characters anyway.  Imagine if  we were all limited to 160 characters and you had to get your point across.  Business emails would be much more concise and in all likelihood more business would take place and less BS.  I say we make a limit to business emails longer than 160, and make everyone to learn our Generation Unnamed grammer!  We have already been Twitterized so we might as well make the Generation Y, and Baby Boomer’s come to our level of communication.