If you want to succeed in the online world, both personally and professionally, being concise and on-topic will go a long way to ensuring both your happiness and the happiness of others online.

I'm not certain if it's a sign of the times (microblogging and text messaging) but it seems as though there are a few individuals out there who just haven't gotten the word that leaving 5, 10, 20 or more short 1 sentence posts or comments is considered quite rude.  It also points to a lack of complete thought.  Even more distressing are those who leave messages or comments where the topic of their message does not jibe with the topic at hand.

Some quick tips to those who may have accidentally stepped into either of these online faux pas:

• Take a few moments to think through what you would like to convey to the audience.  If need be, write it in Notepad or some other editing tool prior to posting your final thoughts.  This will effectively eliminate over posting or commenting.
• Check the previous posters/commenters.  See how they are writing to get a feel for how you should proceed.
• Check and then double-check the topic.  Are you in an area that is specifically for a quick "what am I doing?" message?  If you are clearly in the wrong area, search the site for the proper place to post your message or comment.

These short little tips will help make your life on the web a lot easier in the long wrong.  Nothing says "I don't care" like off-topic posting or over-posting.