From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 Received: from chimta02.algx.net ([216.99.233.77]) by speech.braille.uwo.ca with esmtp (Exim 3.35 #1 (Debian)) id 179qpy-000608-00 for ; Mon, 20 May 2002 13:20:46 -0400 Received: from ccrawford.acb.org ([216.51.9.68]) by chimmx02.algx.net (iPlanet Messaging Server 5.1 (built May 7 2001)) with ESMTP id <0GWF005406UN2X@chimmx02.algx.net> for speakup@braille.uwo.ca; Mon, 20 May 2002 12:20:48 -0500 (CDT) Date: Mon, 20 May 2002 12:17:07 -0400 From: Charles Crawford Subject: Re: interesting experiment. In-reply-to: <003201c2001b$fef19f40$b0005112@vantaa> X-Sender: ccrawford@198.144.194.210 To: speakup@braille.uwo.ca Message-id: <5.1.0.14.2.20020520121649.0211b910@198.144.194.210> MIME-version: 1.0 X-Mailer: QUALCOMM Windows Eudora Version 5.1 Content-type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii; format=flowed Content-transfer-encoding: 7BIT References: <5.1.0.14.2.20020520080504.021163a0@198.144.194.210> Sender: speakup-admin@braille.uwo.ca Errors-To: speakup-admin@braille.uwo.ca X-BeenThere: speakup@braille.uwo.ca X-Mailman-Version: 2.0.9 Precedence: bulk Reply-To: speakup@braille.uwo.ca List-Help: List-Post: List-Subscribe: , List-Id: Speakup is a screen review system for Linux. List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: Rich, This is indeed encouraging. Thanks. -- charlie. At 12:32 PM 5/20/02 -0400, you wrote: >Charlie Crawford, I aplaude your comments! >I believe that gnome will address many of these issues. I think that gnome >will be similar enough to windows that the transition will not be too >painful. Analogy is one of our most useful skills as human beings, so let's >take advantage of it. That said, I'm sure things will be buggy and perhaps >not as straightforward as we'd like to imagine, but since the software is >maluable, and the developers actually care about the blindness community, >these conditions will not persist. > > Rich > >----- Original Message ----- >From: "Charles Crawford" >To: >Sent: Monday, May 20, 2002 8:44 AM >Subject: Re: interesting experiment. > > > > OK, now I need to speak from the view of the American council of > > the blind with respect to this thread. > > > > We want to see alternatives to the dominant Ms-Windows operating > > system and applications that are accessible and user friendly. We realize > > there is a culture around Linux that we do not wish to displace or > > otherwise change, yet the culture demands a level of personal involvement > > and knowledge that is neither easy to obtain from the available resources > > nor easy to learn once those resources are found. Hence, the >participation > > of the wider blindness community is not likely unless there are new ways >of > > learning and using Linux that maintain the accessibility and lack of > > expense that are so attractive. > > > > It is not a matter of telling folks to read the manual when the > > manual is prefaced upon an expectation of understanding that is greater > > than the average person starting out. Neither is it helpful to assume >that > > everyone is going to be able to prioritize their time to dedicate to Linux > > in the same way as others have. > > > > This is not a hobby. It is an operating system for use by those > > who need the access and affordability of it. So let's admit that we need > > to accommodate those interests and find a way to do it that is not > > threatening to the current community of users. > > > > For the reasons above, ACBH is attempting to find the resources >to > > get the internal speech engine we need to put speakup inside the box with > > internal quality speech. That will expand the user base because we won't > > be hunting around for hardware that is slowly disappearing. > > > > Next we need to look at the usability issue. This does not mean > > we try and change the nature of Linux and it's syntax, but we do need to > > look at any avenues to either make it more easy for folks to learn the > > context through tutorials for example or possible other ways. > > > > In the end, Linux is a robust product that need not be seen as > > having only one road to access. So let's stop making assumptions about >the > > people who are only trying to use this cool operating system and start > > making an environment that supports all who want to use it. > > > > -- Charlie Crawford. > > At 04:34 PM 5/19/02 -0400, you wrote: > > >I think that most people know how to search for things on the internet. I > > > think you need to stop and think about the fact that not all people are > > >good at finding things and that's why we ask for help. If I could find >all > > >of the answers to my problems, I wouldn't be asking.:p Before you start > > >treating new people like their idiots, try to remember that we're all > > >different, we all learn in different ways, and sometimes we miss stuff. > > > > > > > > > > > >On Sun, 19 May 2002, Janina Sajka wrote: > > > > > > > All right, Newbies, Listen Up! > > > > > > > > There's something called Google. It's your friend. You use it > > > > with your favorite web browser. It's real easy and it's lynx > > > > friendly. And, it finds the answers to almost all of the "where > > > > do I find" questions I've seen on this list in the last 6 months, > > > > and puts them on the first screen of results. > > > > > > > > Learn to use Google. Keep it open in a second console. > > > > > > > > The field where you type in your search string is the fourth > > > > field on the main Google screen. The submit button is the next > > > > field. > > > > > > > > This is not rocket science. It isn't even hard. > > > > > > > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > > > > Speakup mailing list > > > > Speakup@braille.uwo.ca > > > > http://speech.braille.uwo.ca/mailman/listinfo/speakup > > > > > > > > > > > > >_______________________________________________ > > >Speakup mailing list > > >Speakup@braille.uwo.ca > > >http://speech.braille.uwo.ca/mailman/listinfo/speakup > > > > > > > > >_______________________________________________ >Speakup mailing list >Speakup@braille.uwo.ca >http://speech.braille.uwo.ca/mailman/listinfo/speakup