How To Get The MOST Out of "Motivate Thyself"

Image courtesy of basheertome

To follow up on yesterday’s post, I’d like to go over a few new features and explain how you can use them to get the most out of this blog.  First of all, if you came here yesterday from your RSS reader or Email you probably only saw SOME of the changes I made to the theme.  Be sure to go to the HOME page so you can see the new ‘featured’ layout.  Not only does it look more ‘slick’ , but it showcases the content in a more effect manor.

Secondly, you’ll notice the category tabs that now reside under the header.  I went ahead and re-associated my categories to more specifically reflect the posts.  Hopefully this will allow for some of my older posts to be seen and not just buried forever.

Now, as far as comments are concerned.  You’ll notice the ‘reply’ link directly under each comment.  Click this if you want to reply to THAT SPECIFIC COMMENT, instead of EVERYONE.  Also, you can now create a VIDEO COMMENT.  Just click on the ‘record or choose video’ link under the comment box and you will be able to sign in to your Viddler account (you need one to create a video comment, but it’s free to sign up if you haven’t already) and then record your response right then and there.  It’s really awesome, if you ask me, and sometimes a bit easier if you have a ‘winded’ comment and don’t want to type it all out.  Also, I really look forward to actually WATCHING some of my readers and not just reading their words.

In regard to the video comments, I plan on using them much more myself.  To be honest, my time is becoming more and more limited and typing out replies is just ONE MORE THING on my plate.  This might sound petty, but being able to just SAY what I want to say as apposed to typing it is more appealing to me.  So I hope you don’t mind me speaking my comments more and more.  My hope is that it will actually create MORE discussion, not less.

If I were to point out one specific way to get the most out of “Motivate Thyself”, it would be to post/say a comment and look at my initial post as the STARTING point for learning and discussion, not the beginning, middle and end.  Often times I find that it’s only after writing the post and then reading the comments that I truly grasp the entire focus of the content.  And sometimes I even change my mind after reading what some of you have to say.  I would love it if the discussion could keep going and we could dig a little deeper.  Commenting once and then never returning to that particular post is certainly not going to allow for deeper discussion.  So if you want to get the most out of “Motivate Thyself”, see yourself as a true participant in the discussion, not just a drive by reader.  Just some thoughts. (I only say this to encourage further discussion, not complain.  I enjoy ANY comment you feel you can share.) 

I hope you’re enjoying the new face-lift and look forward to seeing (notice I said SEEING) some of your comments in the near future.  Until then…

Eric