Hi Nick! can't you debate and exchange ideas without insulting the other parties?It seems you are better off in swearing land man!Because it seems there is no rational thinking behind your E-mails man!So I would advise to you think twice before you type a reply! ----- Original Message ----- From: "W. Nick Dotson" <nickdotson@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> To: "Glenn at home" <GlennErvin at cableone.net>; "Speakup is a screen review system for Linux." <speakup at braille.uwo.ca> Sent: Friday, March 31, 2006 1:36 PM Subject: Re: New Linux PDA For Blind People > OK, for those foolish enough to try it, maybe a rationale, "post disaster > or terrorist act, one can't see the screen because of smoke, so one still > needs to be > able to access the device to seek rescue". I'd respond, do you really > think people would be rational enough to remember what to do, and to > function that > way when they're used to thrashing around with a mouse. But, if you want > to beat your silly heads against a wall, there's one "best for all" > defense. While > in fantasy land, anyone want to suggest another befiting the ideal of > societal mandates in the post Reagan/Thatcher/Bush/NeoCon era of "I got > mine > bugger-off". (grin) > > Nick > > > On Thu, 30 Mar 2006 20:23:39 -0600, Glenn at home wrote: > > Ten years ago, I'd said that the government should not mandate > accessibility > into software, but now, it would be so cheap, when the price was spread > out > over the cost of the product to the general public, that I now believe > that > it should be law, that a device needs to be usable with and without a > screen. > I mean, it may have a screen, but it should be just as easily usable if > the > screen was covered. > I'm guessing it might cost a dollar or 2 over the cost of any particular > product using software, if it was mandated. > Glenn > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Lorenzo Taylor" <lorenzo at taylor.homelinux.net> > To: "Speakup is a screen review system for Linux." > <speakup at braille.uwo.ca> > Sent: Thursday, March 30, 2006 2:14 PM > Subject: Re: New Linux PDA For Blind People > > > -----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE----- > Hash: SHA1 > > The voice in a blind-friendly mainstream product should be no problem for > a > sighted person. If they don't like it, they don't have to turn it on. > It's > that simple. The concept I'm going with here is that a blind-friendly > product > won't make a company much money. This is the excuse given by all the > companies > out there who are making tons of money off the government agencies and > blind > people themselves who can make the sacrifice it takes to buy such a > product. > So > why not make the mainstream product blind friendly at no cost to the > consumer? > The voice could be turned off by a sighted person if he/she doesn't like > it, > or > better yet, it could be very easilly turned on by a blind person if he/she > needs > it. Voice synthesis is extremely cheap to implement now, so it wouldn't > cost > the manufacturer any additional money to make it work, and it wouldn't > reduce > the functionality of the device. > > As for the open source mandate in MA, I think it's a good idea. It's the > proprietary nature of screen readers for the unfortunately most popular OS > that > makes it difficult to work with for some blind people. The screen readers > for > Windows are based on proprietary technology and for the most part only > work > with > proprietary technology. This is changing slightly, but not enough. This > is > what > makes blind people think the state of MA is doing a bad thing by trying to > cut > costs by switching to a superior open source technology. Just think what > the > state was doing when they forced everyone to use Microsoft formats, or > Microsoft > forced the state to use their formats, whichever you like. > > Lorenzo > - -- > Keep American Idol great! Vote for Mandisa! > -----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE----- > Version: GnuPG v1.4.2.2 (GNU/Linux) > > iD8DBQFELDwiG9IpekrhBfIRAurTAJ9Px4P1N9DM9586a6B0V85BIb7yjQCgh+Fr > dC/+Z2UTJJ7gXnx6334kNUA= > =dq8D > -----END PGP SIGNATURE----- > > _______________________________________________ > 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 > > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > Speakup mailing list > Speakup at braille.uwo.ca > http://speech.braille.uwo.ca/mailman/listinfo/speakup > > > > -- > No virus found in this incoming message. > Checked by AVG Free Edition. > Version: 7.1.385 / Virus Database: 268.3.3/298 - Release Date: 30/03/2006 >
