What do you think?
Normally I am not concerned with opinions.
Hah!
This time, though, I am actively seeking your views.
As you have probably noticed, I run a little plugin called Odiogo. This is the yoke that gives an audio rendition of my post. You know the one? It looks like this – 
I have been running it for the last couple of months, and I thought it might be useful for some people.
I had visions of people downloading all the soundfiles onto their iPads or whatever they’re called and listening to the wisdom of Grandad all day.
However [and there is always a snag?] I have had some problems with it in the past where it slowed down the site considerably. I don’t like that.
So what I want to know is…… Do you ever use the audio? Is it handy? Is it a waste of time and space? Is it a good idea or a bad one?
While you are at it, you can throw any other insults you like, but confine them to the design or the plugins or whatever.
I’ve had enough personal insults for one day.
I have never listened to it.
I had heard your voice before on the Podcast with Baino, Jeff and Brian, so when I read your posts I hear your voice in my head.
I’d say dump it.
i listened to it once because i thought (foolishly) that it would be your voice reading, and i like it when people tell me stories.
i was disappointed.
Nah, get rid of it if it’s significantly slowing your site.
I never listened to it. I guess my eyes are better than my ears these days anyway. I’m a great lover of the written word.
If using Odiogo was an attempt to make your site more accessible to the visually impaired, that’s great but it’s not really necessary as there are very many pieces of screen-reading software out there and many RSS Readers are compatible with these. (I assume that any visually impaired internet users would use these.)
If it slows down your site, then dump them, as a faster site will make your site even MORE accessible. 🙂
I’ve never used it either. For those with visual impairment or poor reading skills, I guess it would be a boon, but for me, the mechanical voice with an American accent is out of step with the pure Irishness that oozes from every post you write. If the audio option was created using your own voice, I might reconsider!
Throw me in with everyone else so far. I think it’s a great idea for people that may have issues reading the site, but I personally don’t use it.
Wow! This is not looking good for Odiogo!
I am terribly sorry that it isn’t in my own dulcet tones, but the idea of reading out my own posts and recording them gives me a queasy stomach. Not to mention the time it would take!
My goodness people, how insensitive you are. Right now there is a little american man with a strangely computerized-sounding voice reading these comments and sobbing into his pillow. It can’t be easy finding a job with a voice like that, you know…
I thought it was your voice and it was a form of self hatred that drove you to kill off US tourists? Used it the once, never again.
Granny,
Loving your rambles BTW, it’s refreshing to read content thats both interesting and comical. Anywayz, your eyes are on the verge of imploding, don’t know if that’s attributable to your age or all the ham shanking your at in the country, so you’ll more than likely need something like this yourself down the road. Despite myself not actually using the feature, I believe you could potentially exclude a portion of our valued society or perhaps disadvantage their bloggering. Besides, surely anyone reading blogs can’t be in a hurry, so I beg you, leave the phonetic feature in.
Adieu
As an alternative try out http://blogbard.com, all it requires is a simple link, no overhead to your site.
Tom
Remove it from your site.
Put it in a paper bag.
Place it on a neighbors front step.
Light it on fire.
Ring doorbell.
Run away laughing.
Tried it once …. never used it again
And the votes pour in. And the Tally Men are saying it’s a rout for the Anti-Brigade.
So far all are aginst with the exception of DogsCock [Incidentally, DogsCock, I’m Grandad. The beard is a givaway. Granny’s isn’t half as distinguished. You’re welcome anyway]. And of course K8 has to get all weepy about the bloke reading the posts.
Tom, on the other hand, has come up with a neat alternative. Thank you, Tom [and welcome]. I have signed up for BlogBard and the new thingy is on the sidebar. I have disabled Odeogo.
What do yiz think????
I’m an ignoramus.
I never listened to it, but thought it was yourself.
I run Eircom broadband and sometimes find stuff very slow to run. I was trying to show someone the John Bird and John Fortune Youtube clip about the banking crisis last week and had to abandon it. (I think there must have been a telephone engineer running backwards and forwards between the computers bringing 1 kb at a time)
So, I don’t use Odiogo.
Well, when you aren’t funny, I give the audio a listen and the little twirp always screws something up so bad I at least get a chuckle.
Maybe when your business goes in the tank, you could do one IRL recording a week?
BTW: have you visited bitstrips.com to make a comic strip of you and the family/villagers?
Sixty – When I’m not funny????? Sometime, when I have an hour or two to spare [maybe next year?] I’ll have a look at Bitstrips. I like the look of it!
LEAVE IT! But that voice gives me a head cramp!
RAGE-PA
Uh oh. Seems like I’m one of the only people who thought it was great, maybe I wouldn’t use it personally, but I could send the link to my folks who like hearing what you write. Maybe get rid of that software but find an alternative. I like the feature though.
Not even an accent.
You would Darragh.
Can’t see why anyone would use it. On public service websites, yup great for accessability but not on a personal blog.
Piss Flap(thats my random piece of abuse, not directed at anyone in particular)
For what it’s worth, I’ve never used it. Actually, I didn’t even notice it was there!
I do listen to it grandad. Seriously, it is one of my first stops when I head to my cosy bed in the evenings. Hmm…going to bed with grandad…never thought I would see the day.
RAGE-PA – You want me to leave it so you can get head-cramp? Strange. Try drinking two bottles of whiskey instead?
Darragh – I’m experimenting. The vote is against you so far, but I’m trying alternatives.
Laurie – Darn it!! I did so enjoy our cosy evenings in bed. I’m hoping the alternatives I find will be up to scratch [if you don’t mind an itchy bed?]. The one I’m trying at the moment doesn’t seem to be updating though. 🙁
Dear GranDad, I tried it a few times. But didn’t like the quality. Did you use it regularly yourself???
I’d love to listen to it if it had your lovely Irish brogue, but I think I’ll stick to reading your posts and imagining said brogue rather than listen to your words spoken with a north american accent.
I was curious about it, so listened one day. In my opinion, it sounded monotonous & distinctly computer generated – i.e. utter bollocks. It’d be nice to hear YOU actually ‘tell’ your posts, as I suspect you have a lovely Irish accent, but then if you did that, you’d have a heap of complaints because none of us would get any work done, as we’d be listening to you 🙂
Jayne – If you are really desperate to hear what I sound like, then try Kilos of Craic
I had it on the old blog , didn’t bother with it when I moved
Problem solved.
I have removed the plugin which sticks the icon on each post. However, the feed is still available by clicking the Odiogo icon on the sidebar.
So, Laurie – move over in the bed, and I’ll read you a story……