They were going to call it O-Tube, but that sounds dirty

The weekly White House "YouTube" addresses aren't going to be on YouTube anymore. Instead, the videos will be hosted by a customized player. In the absence of a formal explanation, some are suggesting conflicts over YouTube's privacy policies.

As Cnet chronicles, the White House has been under criticism since the beginning for choosing Google-owned YouTube as its video hosting platform. The change may silence criticism of the White House, but it won't solve any of the root privacy concerns circling around Google and YouTube.

Could the White House have used its bully pulpit to make YouTube more secure? It certainly would have been a better service to internet users - after all, the folks who follow the President's weekly addresses probably view hundreds of other videos on YouTube as well. President Obama could have been vocal in calling on YouTube to change its policies to better serve its users.

Of course, it may not be about privacy. YouTube is more than just a video site - it is an online community. The President's Weekly Address is just one of millions of videos; and being on a site like YouTube invites comments and video responses. Maybe YouTube is too public a forum; perhaps the White House is unwilling to sacrifice their message monopoly to engage in a legitimate back-and-forth debate.

Like we needed a study to tell us this

A Nielsen study has revealed that most YouTube viewing happens at work. No surprise there: cubicle life offers a high-speed internet connection and plenty of co-workers to forward hilarious emails.

If you're trying to get a message out through online video, this is something to consider deeply. If most people are watching at work, what does that mean you have to do to make your video effective?

It certainly means that the shorter your video is, the better. If someone is watching at work, it's probably while taking a short break from their job. By keeping your videos to around 90-120 seconds, your viewers will be able to concentrate without looking over their shoulder for the boss. Sometimes it's tough to make your point in such a condensed time frame, but that's one of the challenges if you want to be an effective communicator.

Content and language are also considerations. Most people love an obscenity-laced tirade delivered at the top of one's lungs, but some clips would take on a whole different meaning at work:

And when you're developing your content, it's worth remembering that people who watch videos at work often receive them from a friend or co-worker. What reason are you giving for someone to click "forward" and send your email to someone else? Why is your video interesting and/or funny?

Online video is a critical medium to deliver political messages. But writing, filming, and editing is a time-consuming process; you might as well keep your audience in mind so you can realize the rewards of your work.