Barbara J. Hamby

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A Lack of Gratitude

Sometimes I get impatient with my website when I don’t think it’s operating exactly as I wish it to. Usually any glitches are caused by operator error, as I am well aware. When I have to utilize huge web sites, such as government agencies or cruise lines offer, I really get impatient with their failings.

I can only imagine how difficult it is to monitor many pages of forms and technical data and keep everything running smoothly. But that’s why their webmasters get paid the big bucks--or so I assume.

Having run into a time-consuming and irritating discrepancy on a cruise line website today, I tried to remain calm and keep my usual cheerful attitude. Not easy--not even possible. Eventually I completed the required forms on line. Until they have been fed into the computer, or laboriously completed by hand and mailed in, no tickets will arrive.

My next assignment, should I choose to accept it, will be to reserve online the shore excursions we want to take in each port. It may take a few days to work up the courage to tackle that. It can be done in person on board the ship, but sometimes the reservations fill up and we might miss out on something we’d really like to see. Also, there are often long lines at the shore excursions desk.

I’m well aware I should be more appreciative of the opportunity to use the web for so many tasks that are much more complicated without it. I should be more grateful, I’m sure. I’ll think about it.