Just like most others, i'm guilty of this as well: i use 20 words when 5 would have been enough. While this is a nice skill to have if you're into writing 1000 page books, it absolutely SUCKS when you're "writing for the web":http://wdvl.internet.com/Internet/Writing/.
An average web surfer's attention span is calculated in the seconds rather than the minutes. How many words can you read in 7 seconds? That's how much time you have to capture a web reader's attention before he clicks the "Back" button on his browser or clicks away on another link. Perhaps 20-30 words, max.
Writing for the web: purists will argue with me that they ain't no such thing. Good writing is good writing and i'll write whatever i damn well please. It is my space to use (or misuse) as i see fit.
All you others, "click here to read Dave Winer's take":http://davenet.userland.com/1999/05/24/editThisPage.
