Back Online At Last… What A Catch Up!
Randy’s Ramblings – January 18th 2008
In this issue
* Back Online At Last
* Trying Audio – I’d appreciate your thoughts
* Sign off
____________
* Back Online At Last
How is 2008 starting out for you, I realise I’m a
little late wishing you a happy new year – but hey,
I still do 
In case the holidays caused you to miss what I’ve
been up to – here’s a quick catch up…
We moved house on the 16th of december and handed
over the keys to our old house on the 20th, since then
I’ve had no internet connection and was visiting my
daughter on a daily basis to check support emails.
I never got a chance to do any of my usual promoting
or log into any forums due to not having all my passwords
written down somewhere (There’s a lesson there!!)
Plus with my 2 grandsons wanting to help me with
the keyboard (constantly), it did make any other work
practically impossible!
(I still say I’m too young to be a grandad – There must
have been a time travel incident at some point???)
The net result being that I got nothing done and had
to wait for my new internet connection.
Why it takes so long is beyond me – however I finally
got reconnected a week ago.
After deleting around 5000 sp@m emails – I was still
left with a few hundred that I would have liked to read.
I’m around half way through those now….lol
And then there were my favourite forums to catch up in.
So now I’m somewhere near.
Thankfully – even though 3 weeks offline and a week of
catching up acheived nothing in terms of work effort….
The fact that there are links out there on the net and
messages in my autoresponder meant that I was still
bringing in an income – So it really does pay to set
things up correctly. (one day I might manage to…hehe)
Anyway – here we are, another year in our lives is in full
swing again, so will this be your year?
I honestly hope so,
and I am here to help in the ways I can. As are many
good marketers I know…. That said the buck really does
stop with you. So I hope you have made up your mind to
do what is neccessary this year.
Right on with a freebie….
(thought you’d like that) 
********
* Trying Audio – I’d appreciate your thoughts
(You’ll need to go to the click a link to listen)
I noticed a site called www.odiogo.com a little while
ago and thought I’d give it a try.
It basically turns your words into an audio file
so people can listen instead of reading your posts etc.
The idea, apart from allowing more people who have
less time available to ‘hear’ what you’ve written, is that
you would be able to submit your content to podcast
directories and thereby gain more traffic and links.
That sounds great in principle, and I’ve since seen a
debate on SSP forum where people seem to love it.
Now to be honest – I had my posts converted long before
everyone started discussing it…
However – I have to say, I’m not a fan!
People who have listened have told me they sound fine,
but I’m not convinced.
I guess I really don’t like the fact that there is no
emotion in the voice, no fluctuations and no personality.
Don’t get me wrong, like many I hate the sound of my
own voice recorded…. but I still think I’d rather hear a
real voice than a computer generated one every time!
So here’s where I’d value your thoughts and comments
You can go to odiogo and hear my post
(Scroll down a little to get to the posts)
And if you prefer those – just book mark the site to
use it again – I won’t be adding the player as I really
am not keen.
You can also get yourself a free account -
it’s very straightforward and easy to set up…..
Alternatively…
Here is another freebie for you valued at $37
That will take you straight to the zip file for
Web Audio Plus – a piece of software with resell rights,
and video instruction to making your own audios.
(Like I’ve done on the ‘Me’ link above…
if I’ve done it correctly – you should see a link to an audio
page and be able to hear me reading this part of the post)
Provided my player works – I’d really value your comments on
which you prefer….
The computer voice at odiogo or my own ??
And don’t worry about my feelings, I realise that you don’t all
live around the corner from me – so it could be that my
acccent presents problems in your understanding,….
I will however try and use my ‘Telephone Voice’ … [haha]
Isn’t it funny how everyone has a telephone voice?
What would be funny would be saying the famous
“Yorkshiremans advice verse” … and seeing how many are
really baffled – in fact I’ll try it … but first let me tell you to read the
translation below – or you may not believe it to be English,
Here goes – I’ll speak it in a Yorkshire voice… but write it here
in grammatically correct English…..
Hear everything, See everything and say nothing,
Eat everything, Drink everything and pay nothing,
And if you ever do anything for nothing,
You should do it for yourself!
So how was that?
Hopefully it gave you a giggle – or you’re still sitting there
looking totally puzzled
Anyway – Do let me know your thoughts and be sure to grab
either service free if you are considering adding audio to
your sites.
I suppose I best wrap up here – or this ramble will never end.
Meanwhile if you haven’t already – be sure to take a look at
SalesLetterABC now that I’ve launched it…
I really believe it’s a product that everyone will enjoy using
at some point… and will find extremely useful.
(Plus the feedback has been fantastic!! – thanx)
Here’s the link
www.SalesLetterABC.com
That’s it from this extended catch up editon -
other than my usual sign off coming next…
********
*Sign off
As ever I really mean it when I say -
Here’s hoping you’re …..
Loving Life, Living it with Passion, And Passing it on!
Til next time
Warm Regards to You and Yours,
From Me and Mine.
Randy
www.MonthlyBargains.co.uk
www.lotteryprofits.ws
www.RandolfSmith.com
www.YourCopySmith.com
www.SuccessAndYourHead.com
www.7KeyElements.com
www.SalesLetterAbc.com
P.S. Don’t forget to check the GiveAway Of The Day on the blog
www.randolfsmith.com Everyday
P.P.S. And do visit SalesLetterABC if only for another freebie
(check the peelaway ad in the top corner), and get working
on making 2008 – A fantastic year for YOU !
www.SalesLetterABC.com
If you survived my Ramblings, pop your details in the boxes and I will email whenever I update my blog as well as send you a heap of Useful Marketing Gifts
Hi, Randy
So pleased you are back up and running. It funny how you can miss emails from truly honest people like yourself. Felt like i had lost something and did not know where to look. Anyway, glad to have you back…
Listened to the computer generated speech and now realize that this sort of thing requires quite a long way to go. With its lack of emotion and inflection, i was very soon bored by the experience. I can see that it may well suit some users however, but definitely not myself.
I do not think that i have heard your own voice before and because i used to work around a few agricultural shows in Yorkshire for a good number of years. I found myself reminiscing and thinking about some of the very good times that i had.
I really do prefer your own recording with that so special accent that makes us all individuals. Even though we all have local accents to our own areas that we live, we do still have own unique way of delivery and that is the reason why i do not thing a computer generated voice will be able to deliver a lively and often funny side of our voices.
I was really pleased to hear how your grandchildren get involved when you are at the keyboard. I think that they maybe do not want you to over do things.
My best regards to you and yours…
Vince
I am just like you. I don’t care for the computer voice. I did enjoy your recording – like your accent – could understand you even if you do talk rapid fire. Did not recognize one word in your “sayin”. Certainly would not recognize it as “English”.
My audio was full of static and feedback. Three times it quit but I could get it started again by hitting the stop button and then play again. Is this a fault on my end? I am not using VISTA (have read there might be some player issues there.) Just thought I would ask on this climb up the information mountain.
Glad to have you back among us.
Thanks Vince & Carol
(and Colin too on the forum)
Colin had problems Carol – due to Vista…
Other than that – I noticed it loads slower in IE than FireFox – but they both worked fine for me.
Trying it in IE though made me discover how bad the site looks in that browser ….
Nothing like FireFox!!
IE had bolded all the text – and doesn’t start the post til well over half way down the page ????
I need to find a really cheap techy I think….LOL
Anyway – I’m hoping others agree with the thoughts so far, – although it’s more work – I really prefer human voices…lol
Paula has her actress voice on her blog, very professional… and she made me think and wonder if my accented and rougher voice would still be better than a synthesised one.
Randy
http://www.SalesLetterABC.com
I thought the audio was great, no problems with sounds or anything and I AM on Vista.
It was good to hear another Yorkshire accent, you can tell that you are a DJ. Sound just like the guys on the radio!
Cheers Dan…
I did wonder if you would be the only person to understand the Yorkshire Verse…lol
(Wish I had pictures of some of the signs on our back lanes – like the classic “Tek Care – Lambs ONT Road!”)
Randy
http://www.7KeyElements.com
P.S. – If you’re going to comment, your names will link to your sites…but do feel free to add another beneath your sig
Thanks to Dan – the ones with 5000 drugs or po rn links are now all captured – and then I delete them en-mass!
I like those “Luk ewt, fallin rocks” signs
Not once have any rocks fallen out of the sky when I’ve gone past a sign….
Hi Randy, yep, I like it too, much better than the Stephen Hawking robotic voice. I also added audio to my blog – I like the idea of people being able to listen as I know a lot of people don’t like reading for a longish period of time on the screen – have to say that I don’t ramble as much as you, though, lol
Paula Brett
http://www.PaulaBrettBlog.com
Randy,
I didn’t even listen to the computer generated voice. There would be no substitute for listening to YOU, so I’m not going to bother. I think you should do that more often.
Hy Randy,
Very good to have you back on-line.
Loved the post, keep it up mate.
Hugh
Welcome back Randy!
Sooo…. that’s what you sound like?
I must say I really enjoy your voice and I was able to understand you, except for maybe one word and that quote. I prefer your voice to the generated one. There’s no substitution to hearing your real voice with your giggle (okay, laugh) – your sense of humor shines through.
Peggy
http://peggybaron.com/blog
Hi, Again
Good to see all the comments for you Randy.
Carol was asking about the static and feedback when listening to your audio. Well carol this is what was introduced with the last version of flashplayer, you can un-install it and use one of the older versions like a lot of people have done. It’s the sound of those dang chipmunks that i can’t stand…
Sorry to hijack this randy, but i did not know how to get this message to carol..
Forgive me buddy…
Vince
Vince – nothing to forgive…
I appreciate your input – very much
(it’s to do with techy stuff – so I wouldn’t have a clue…lol)
Thanx again and I hope Carol see the added comment
Randy
http://www.SuccessAndYourHead.com
I listened to both voices. Mr. Robo seemed to be quite clear, but I think I would grow tired of him if it was a steady diet.
I liked yours, but is a bit vague, low or light. However you might describe it. I think I would prefer yours over the long haul.
Keep up the good work. And welcome back. I hope you are settled in and a happy now.
Justin