Countering The YouTubeification Of The Blogosphere

Lauredhel has done something far too few bloggers these days do. She posted a video that she wanted to comment on, and then she posted a transcript of it.

I can't count the number of blog posts I've read that go basically "Can you believe this? [YouTube video] This is outrageous! I think this is the best response, though: [another YouTibe video] Indeed." It took me days to figure out that Mitt Romney had tried to show he was cool by singing "Who Let the Dogs Out" -- I just kept seeing the video posted and people commenting on it on the assumption that readers knew what was going on. (George Allen's "macaca moment," on the other hand, I understood right away -- because back in 2006 YouTubeification hadn't progressed as far, so when people posted the video they'd also say "Hey, watch this video of George Allen calling someone 'macaca.'")

YouTube is a great site. And sometimes, you have to watch the video for it to be worthwhile -- e.g. if you're posting a song you want people to check out. But most of the time, the content you're commenting on can be quoted or summarized in text. That way, your post can be followed by:
1. People like me who do most or all of their blog reading at work or in a public place, where they can't have the sound on.
2. People with slow connections who can't easily watch high-bandwidth content.
3. People who can't hear.
I'm lucky enough that if a video looks especially promising, I can make a note of it and watch it when I get home. Other people can't.