Google & Press Releases: Too Many Notes

By Paul Kedrosky · Saturday, October 20, 2007 ·

JOSEPH My dear, young man, don't take it too hard. Your work is ingenious. It's quality work. And there are simply too many notes, that's all. Cut a few and it will be perfect.

MOZART Which few did you have in mind, Majesty?

               - Amadeus (1984)

I had a straight-outta-Amadeus feeling today in reading a note from the people at BusinessWire. They explained that Google had told them that henceforth press releases that it picked up off BusinessWire would have to be between 2 and words, which is eight words shorter than Businesswire was told by Google a few months ago.

Why 22? Why the change from 30 to 22? We regular press release readers -- and fans of Amadeus -- want to know which notes Google is of a mind to cut.