Robert Scoble writes:

TDavid reacts to my request for bloggers to make it easier to deal with them in email. Says that he doesn’t like email. Oh, neither do I, neither do I, but sometimes there are times when I need to get ahold of you privately and not in chat rooms or blog comments (and not via Skype or MSN Messenger either). What else is left? Email.

Here's another idea I've been kicking around: hold "office hours" with live chat using a product like SightMax.  I've been talking to Eric, the president of SmartMax Software which makes SightMax about the potential among bloggers. (Note: Eric hosts my blog) It doesn't require messenger, and provides for 1:1 conversations. You could create another messenger account, but that means you're offline for your regular contacts if logged on the same PC.  It might also be a good solution for live podcasting vs. chat rooms. 

I also find comments often aren't as effective- too slow to respond and I'm not sure if people actually read the resonses. Could this could be another solution?  Perhaps I should take it for a spin.  The question is, if I showed up for "office hours", would anybody wander in?