(2) You can’t skim them
There isn’t an easy way to skim video, especially a short video. People that watch video comments, watch from start to finish and get the entire context of what you are saying. This doesn’t always happen with text.

(3) They convey tone better than writing
Writing in the perfect tone can take several drafts before you get it right. With video, you can clearly convey the tone of what you are talking about. Little things, like facial expressions, pauses, and intonations, often make a big difference.

(4) It is easier to communicate in greater detail
Most of us don’t invest the same time posting comments, as we do our own blog posts. Because time is so limited, we aren’t as thorough as we’d normally be, and detail suffers. With video comments, it is easy to convey all the specifics you feel are important, without writing a multi-paragraph comment.

(5) They are more personable
Lets face it, our blog are very personal. At times, comments can lack the personality that blogs need. Video is a outstanding way to convey the real you.

How I am using them:

(1) I follow blogs that use video comments in my RSS reader (under a dedicated tab), so when I need to specifically find sites that I can record a comment on, I don’t have to hunt and peck.

(2) I include my comments rss feed in my newsletter to produce a video newsletter of sorts (powered by Nourish). Since I include my comments in my weekly newsletter, I find it easier to post comments that give complete context, which makes for a better read.

(3) Once I get a couple of video comments, I tweet about it and encourage others to join the dialog. This gives my readers a valuable reason to check out the same post.

How to get started:
If you have a wordpress blog, there are a few plugins that do this for you. A good one is Riffly.

If you are using the Disqus comment system, like me, there is a preference to allow video comments automatically. Just adjust your settings, make sure you have a Seesmic account, and start recording.

If you don’t have Disqus or WordPress, you are in for an uphill battle.

The biggest barrier to bloggers posting video comments is the comfort factor. Once you start publishing enough content, and put yourself out there, it will become second nature. I am confident bloggers will find that they will build stronger connections with their audience, and accomplish more posts than through traditional means. Good luck, and I encourage you to record your first video comment on this post!

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A few things I wanted to accomplish with this redesign:

1. Create a visual hierarchy of my active networks on my main page
2. Make the homepage more palatable for non-bloggers and first time visitors
3. Integrate my FriendFeed lifestream with my blog
4. Install ‘Disqus‘ for comments and ‘ShareThis‘ for posts

I am still very happy with WordPress. They’ve made it very easy to migrate from the hosted to non-hosted version. The project took me less than four hours to: setup server, install wp, export and import posts, hack up CSS for homepage, integrate plugins, and QA / final touches.

I’d be interested in hearing some feedback on how I could make the site better, or maybe something I may have missed.

A few of my favorite things about the redesign:

• Easier to comment
• Easier to share posts
• Easier for first time visitors to see what I am all about before diving into my blog
• Easier to subscribe to blog + lifestream via Nourish

Please leave me some feedback on what you like/dislike? I appreciate it, thanks!

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