[bksvol-discuss] Re: petition to put the new books back on the front page

  • From: "Lynn I" <lynnskyi@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
  • To: <bksvol-discuss@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
  • Date: Sat, 11 Jul 2009 07:57:30 -0500

Hi Ann and everyone,

After reading your message, I've changed my mind about changing the browse 
link. I use place markers to get to it so it isn't difficult. I also added 
the page to my favorites. Actually, I don't often access content through 
"favorites" although I have many book marks. This discussion has prompted me 
to consider using the "favorites" feature more. *smile*

Blessings.

Lynnsky

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Ann Parsons" <akp@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: <bksvol-discuss@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Saturday, July 11, 2009 7:39 AM
Subject: [bksvol-discuss] Re: petition to put the new books back on the 
front page


Hi all,

Um, may I put forth some reasons for keeping the web site as it is?  I'm 
sort of playing devil's advocate, but hear me out.

First, Bookshare is one of those web sites that is navigated by many, many 
people, most of whom are blind or visually impaired.  Many of these folks 
are new to computers, are young children, are folks with physical 
disabilities and so on.  It is absolutely paramount that we consider the 
common denominator when considering web design for a page/site like this. 
The most important thing to consider here is the simplicity of the web site. 
In the old design, the New Books link was way, way, down the page, buried in 
a plethora of links about everything from press releases to News Papers and 
so on and on, the links continued and continued and continued until you were 
drowning in links, drowning in the plethora of information.  Folks, for 
somebody who knows little or nothing about web sites, a page with more than 
twenty links on it is a nightmare to navigate.  People like this do not know 
how to use a Links List.  they do not know how to use the placemarker 
feature of Jaws and Wind
 ow-Eyes, something you guys have forgotten too, I guess.  All they know is 
that if they press their tab key, they will go from link to link.  Have more 
than twenty links on a page, and people will become frustrated real fast, 
folks, real fast!  Granted, the Skip Navigation Link *does* work, but *only* 
if you understand how to use it.

You guys ever heard of Guide?  Well, it's a new simplified interface for 
working with your computer.  It's web navigation is *that* simple.  It 
doesn't even *have* the Links List or anything.

If you look at this new page, guys, putting the Newest Books under Browse 
makes perfect sense.  You wanna browse the collection, so you go to browse. 
Where would you put the  newest link, guys?  Then somebody's gonna want the 
Authors link and the Best Sellers link and on and on.  No, keep it simple. 
Keep it streamlined.  You want to browse, then browse, new old authors, 
titles, categories, whatever.   Those of you who are canny computer folks, 
use your Links List, use your placemarker, use your favorites, or put the 
dingdong link on your desktop.  Be proactive.  Be independent.  Make the web 
site work for you, don't make it more complicated than it needs to be.

Sorry for my rant, but really, there are several ways to make the Newest 
Books accessible to you, folks, you've just not explored all the 
possibilities.  My motto is "Why aggravate yourself?"

I have the homepage of both the Bookshare and the BARD site on my desktop. 
It'd be the easiest thing in the world to put a link to the newest books on 
your desktop.  Here's how.

1.  Go to the Newest Books page.

2.  If in IE, press f6.

3.  Do a ctrl-c.

4.  Go to your desktop, and make sure that no item is selected.

5.  Press the context Menu Key, or Applications Key, whatever you call it.

6.  Arrow down to New.  If new isn't there, press escape, go back to the 
desktop and press ctrl-space to unselect the items.

7.  Go back to the context Menu and arrow down to new.

8.  Press 'enter'.

9.  Arrow down to shortcut.

10.  Press 'enter'.

11.  You'll be placed in a wizard at an edit box.  Press ctrl-v.

12. tab to next and press the spacebar.

13.  You will find yourself at another edit box.  Add a name for your 
shortcut.

14.  Tab to finish and press the spacebar.  Voila!


Ann P.

-- 
AAnn K. Parsons
Portal Tutoring
Email:  akp@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Web Site:  http://www.portaltutoring.info
blog:  http://www.samobile.net/users/akp
Skype:  Putertutor

"All that is gold does not glitter,
Not all those who wander are lost."  JRRT

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