Is the second paragraph dead? Technology and users are tending to create and consume information in ever decreasing chunks, forcing content creators to create shorter fragments of text and other media. This paper examines this phenomenon, and provides examples of where and why this is happening. It examines the role of metadata, and how this can be used to provide effective, personalized communication in a fragmented digital world. Categories and Subject Descriptors H5.0 Information interfaces and presentation; H.3.5. Online information systems. General Terms Design, Documentation, Human Factors Keywords Information design, fragmentation, metadata, personal communication, blogs, web sites, email, learning objects, pervasive space