Thanks, Darrell. I will confess some personal interest as I'm contemplating switching banks. Darrell Shandrow writes: > From: "Darrell Shandrow" <nu7i at azboss.net> > > Hi Janina, > > Very well done, and I hope it gains some positive results. > > Darrell Shandrow - Shandrow Communications! > Technology consultant/instructor, network/systems administrator! > A+, CCNA, Network+! > Check out high quality telecommunications services at http://ld.net/?nu7i > All the best to coalition forces carrying out Operation Iraqi Freedom! > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Janina Sajka" <janina at rednote.net> > To: "Speakup is a screen review system for Linux." <speakup at braille.uwo.ca> > Sent: Saturday, January 31, 2004 12:12 PM > Subject: Re: online banking with Bank of America: not quite accessible > enough > > > > Hi, Darrell: > > > > I've already written to Lainey about it. Here's the text of my message > > to her where I also included the message from Cheryl: > > > > > > Hi, Lainey: > > > > Are you able to help me forward the concern described in the attached > > email? I'm afraid the issue is sufficiently obscure, technically, to not > > make much sense to the first tiers of tech support people. Besides, they > > wouldn't be in the position to do anything about it. > > > > The bottom line here is that they're excluding users based on bad > > judgement. They've got their log very wrong, technically speaking, and I > > can prove it. > > > > If you read the message this woman is getting--which I also get, it > > seems very justified--the bank wants you to connect using secure, > > encrypted communications channels so that your information can't be > > stolen by someone who's eavsdropping. Unfortunately, the way they're > > actually determining whether or not the connection is encrypted isn't > > accurate and yields false results, as in this instance. Technically > > speaking, they're not actually testing for encryption, they're inferring > > based on what browser the user is using. My advice to this individual > > will be to simply lie--something that one can do with these browsers and > > masquerade as Netscape or IE. But, that's not a proper solution. > > > > The truth is that looking at what browser the person is using isn't > > going to really tell you whether or not they're practicing safe > > computing. As it happens, the old, and now sometimes denigrated text > > browser lynx, actually provides twice the level of security available in > > Netscape and Internet Explorer. Lynx SSL encryption, to be technical > > about it, provides 192-bit encryption, compared to Netscape and IE's > > 128-bit. In encryption, the higher this number is, the stronger the > > encryption is. > > > > Frankly, this isn't much different than denying service to someone > > because they wear the wrong clothes. While the users of these browsers > > may be a minority, they are a growing minority because of the growing > > popularity of Linux even among users who are blind. > > > > The fix is also not difficult or expensive for B of A to implement. But, > > it's a decision that obviously needs to be made at a high enough level > > inside their IT department. > > > > B of A has been doing an outstanding job of making their extensive on > > line services accessible. Every few months I go poke around on their web > > pages and I'm always gratified to see more and more services being made > > available accessibly. This is making B of A very attractive to potential > > customers nationwide. It would be a shame to exclude some of them for > > bogus reasons. > > > > Anything you can do would be much appreciated. > > > > -- > > > > Janina Sajka > > Email: janina at rednote.net > > Phone: +1 (202) 408-8175 > > > > Director, Technology Research and Development > > American Foundation for the Blind (AFB) > > http://www.afb.org > > > > Chair, Accessibility Work Group > > Free Standards Group > > http://a11y.org > > > > _______________________________________________ > > Speakup mailing list > > Speakup at braille.uwo.ca > > http://speech.braille.uwo.ca/mailman/listinfo/speakup > > > _______________________________________________ > Speakup mailing list > Speakup at braille.uwo.ca > http://speech.braille.uwo.ca/mailman/listinfo/speakup -- Janina Sajka Email: janina at rednote.net Phone: +1 (202) 408-8175 Director, Technology Research and Development American Foundation for the Blind (AFB) http://www.afb.org Chair, Accessibility Work Group Free Standards Group http://a11y.org
