More Voice is not always a good thing

I have been on several flights this week. One thing that stood out to me on each leg of each trip is that there is way too many announcements going on once on the plane. I realize that there are safety messages that must be said based upon FAA, but there is simply overkill.

This got me to thinking about communication in general. When is a message too much? You want your audience to appreciate (and listen) to everything that you say. When you try to say too much, you lose your audience, or worse yet turn them off.

When I am flying I don't need the pilot playing tour guide, "we will be flying over Springfield and taking a left at Centerville". This information is of no use to me as we are 33,000 ft (or more) and I can't tell Paducah from Chicago at this height. Also, the pilot comes on during the middle of the flight when many passengers are sleeping. Thus waking them and making them angry.

In your communication are you talking just to talk? Are you telling people stuff that means something to you but not to them? Be sure to understand and respect your audience and your message will be much better received.

Now, if I could just get an airline or two to read this...and turn down the volume of their announcements while they're at it...

Why is launching a website so difficult?

Six months ago I bought the domain name www.sergetraylor.com through google apps. Still, I am yet to be able to get a site posted. Why? Well, it is not that the site is not created...it is. It is sitting on my hosting account's server waiting for a domain transfer to go through. You see, for about 3 months I have been trying to send my domain name from google (godaddy) to webhostingpad. Seemed like it would be simple enough. I read all of the instructions, followed them to a "t" - only to get denied. So I tried again - denied again. I called up godaddy and they mentioned that I needed to make my site public. This was never in any instructions.

So, now it has been 9 days since I changed that setting. I received an email to confirm the transfer...still nothing.

It is amazing how difficult these companies make it to do things that should be so simple. I am finding that if you are not someone who builds and manages sites everyday that you don't stand a chance in this world. That is too bad. Everyone has a site now and it seems that there should be tools available for anyone to get a site out on the web. Keep those web designers employed by those who want a professional looking site, but let someone like me be able to get my own site up within 3 months time.

Well, I have been talking around and found a friend who will host my site and also take care of the domain transfer. Sorry webhostingpad, looks like you just lost a customer for life.

Let's count the days until my site can go live...my bet is within 7. Check back soon.
www.sergetraylor.com.

Serge