My knickers have been in a tighty whitey twist!
I have had a decision to make and I have made part of it- at least.
However, it didn’t come without a bit of thinking.
At this point in time, I have decided to keep the Swisssh Website on the Net. The domain name was up for renewal. Then, next month the annual server fees for the website come due. If I were to give up the domain name, someone would buy it and hold it for ransom. Then if I wanted to use it again, I would have to pay the company holding the name an exorbitant amount to get it back. Such is the Net. Since I have a goodly number of hits a month on the Swisssh Website, it wouldn’t be cheap.
I renewed the domain name.
It’s not the first time I have decided to “review the situation”. Swisssh takes up a lot of my time. It has evolved over the past 4 years (Birth date: July 20, 2006). Swisssh is not the fanciest website on the block. I’m still using the same programme to put the site together and upload it to my server that I always have. It does limit doing some of the “fancy” things other websites do- but it uploads fast. I am familiar with what I can do.
I can make changes and additions quickly and still keep it fairly simple and straightforward.
I have changed the look of the site a lot since January.
The biggest change?
Now readers see just one page instead of four- coupled with the fact the page is called the Swisssh Radio Page. The other changes you may have noticed already.
Basically- less stuff.
So, I’ll keep “swissshing” for now.
The other half of the decision- my conundrum, is regarding Swisssh Radio. Swisssh Radio was three back on March 7th. I enjoy Swisssh. I like the music.
I should. I chose every song. I should like listening to it- shouldn’t I?
I have also reviewed the positives and negatives of running an Internet Station before in much the same way I consider the advantages or disadvantages of the website.
Sometimes I get new ideas. Sometimes I leave it the same. I think it’s rather healthy to re-assess from time to time.
First of all money is a consideration. I pay for two servers every month. That allows people like you to listen. If I don’t get advertising or donations, I end up paying it myself each month. That’s not too bad but if I need to update equipment it becomes costlier.
Secondly, a few weeks ago, I received an e-mail that made me feel incredibly bad.
A portion of the e-mail I received said this:
“ Swisssh Radio sounds awful.
You have a problem. It's over-modulated and well... swissshy.
I'm not making this up.
Two tin cans strung together with string and a cat in heat singing
from one end would sound better, though granted, not as entertaining.
Did I say "swissshy"?
Add "muggy" to that list also.”
Needless to say, I was taken aback. This was from someone I repected. I have Swisssh tuned in all day long on an Internet Radio. It always sounds good to me.
Maybe I have a tin ear.
Maybe the sound of cats in heat is like a Beethoven Symphony to me.
Perhaps I like muggy, over-modulated, swissshy sounding radio.
I asked a friend- who has helped me with technical problems since the birth of Swisssh Radio, to listen. I just asked him to listen to see if Swisssh “sounded” Good to him.
I didn’t tell him I received the e-mail.
He did listen one day- all day.
He couldn’t hear anything wrong.
I e-mailed a few friends.
They all said the same thing.
“Sounds good to me”.
One friend listens through a surround sound and wondered what she should be listening for.
I said- “I don’t know.”
Now this person who sent the e-mail may read this blog.
I want the sender to know that I am not adverse to hearing comments good or bad but this series of negative remarks was just a huge “kick in the balls!”
It really brought me down. I agonized about the sound for days.
Just ask Tom. I drove him nuts!
I don’t have unlimited funds to add a bunch of fancy-dancy equipment. I know the author is in the same “dinghy” in this ocean of sound called Radio.
I have a 64k player and a 128k player on the Swisssh Website. It was suggested I try a 192k player. I honestly don’t think many of my listeners would detect the difference. After all Swisssh Radio is not on the Net for “audiophiles.” I appreciate that there are stations out there at 192k- but there’s a heavy duty price to pay per month to broadcast T 192k.
So, I am still thinking about Swisssh Radio’s future.
Maybe eventually the Copyright Board will bring all net stations to their knees.
Maybe when SOCAN actually forces Tariff 22 to include Internet Radio- which is not mentioned in the tariff currently, that will be the death knell.
In the meantime, I can pull the plug on Swisssh Radio myself. It just takes a second in the studio to push one button. Maybe I will one day when I feel right about it.
You’ll hear the dead air.
I certainly would have a lot of free time to do other things, however, a guy has to have a hobby- doesn’t he?
Stay tuned!
