There is a great line in an Ursula K. LeGuin book "A Wizard of Earthsea" where the lead character says: "For a word to be spoken, there must be silence, before and after." When I was in journalism school one of the things they taught was to remember that silence can be jarring to people -- if you ask a question, and get an incomplete answer, simply sit, looking at the interviewee and saying nothing -- many times they'll feel the pressure of that silence and start talking again, often saying something much more interesting. In rhetoric, I learned that great speakers use the move from quiet to loud to great impact -- often saying the most important things not in a full-throated roar but in a whisper that causes the audience to lean forward and *listen* so as not to miss anything.
In the Web 2.0 world we're living in now, the art of silence is increasingly a lost one -- success is measured in numbers of comments, followers, friends, techmeme success and so on. It's easy to be consumed by the "more-ness" of it all -- using new communications channels to shout louder...and louder. In this din, it is worth remembering the power of silence to make a point. Silence before allows room for anticipation...there is something coming...there is a sudden hush....I should pay attention. Then the brevity of the word -- as simple and concise as possible -- and then silence again, to allow for consideration, absorption, understanding, thought.
Years ago, I heard a sermon by someone making the point we all needed to allow time for thought. He noted that in early written word there were no spaces between the words -- and that the actual translation of "to read" meant "to pull apart" and that the ability to read was greatly increased by the concept of white space -- the visual equivalence of silence.
What a concept -- silence as a tool in the communications toolbox. Why not?