When you're writing a diary entry, you'll note that there are two boxes for text: One called "intro" and the other called "extended". If you are writing a longish post, it makes sense to put just a few sentences (or first paragraph) in the intro box and then put the rest of the post in the extended copy. This allows people to click through to the main text and keeps the main Diary page more concise and readable.
And Kos (if you perchance read this), is there a way to limit the intro size, as you do on PolState, and force everything past, say, 50 words on to the extended page?