[bookshare-discuss] Re: can't play books on victor stream
- From: Ann Parsons <akp@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: bookmaven@xxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Thu, 15 Jan 2009 14:27:23 -0500
Hi all,
No, Bonnie, no, Bookshare has been planning this change for months.
They notified everyone, I'm sure.
It isn't even so much the fact that *all* humanware products do not
work with Bookshare that is so bad, it is the fact that the only press
releases we've received have been half-assed, we-think, solutions with
no time line, no real communication involved at all. Not only that,
the solution they offer is half-assed, excuse my language, but it is
the only word that applies here. The legacy site does work, but
apparently it is static and instead of telling people that, something
which is important to know, they just tell us to go there and use it.
It's like a plumber telling you to use the old bathroom in the barn
because he doesn't know when he's going to be able to fix the plumbing
in the house. this is unacceptable, period. It's not Bookshare's
fault, it's Humanware's.
Ann P.
Original message:
Let me say first that I have always loved bookshare. It occurs to me
though that in not being able to play books on the stream that
Humanware should not be blamed. When taking in to consideration the
varied technology used in downloading or scanning, it may be difficult
to accommodate every product no matter how hard a company tries. In all
honesty, Humanware is producing equipment such as the stream as they
have always done. It is Bookshare that has changed the way in which
books are downloaded and the form they take. This seems instead to be a
situation in which someone somewhere dropped the ball and either this
way of doing things was not tested enough before being put in to play
and becoming the reality we must all deal with or there was a lapse in
communication somewhere. It would not be the first time such a thing
has happened!
The question becomes how much a company is under any obligation to do
upgrades to a product when they are only doing what they have always
done. It seems that if bookshare or any company is making changes to
files, it is their place to make sure that Humanware or any other
company knows what and how they are changing their format so that
customers will be able to download books and play them. I have thought
about writing this all night before deciding to do so, because I know
that in expressing this opinion I may hurt the feelings of those who
feel a fierce loyalty to Bookshare and prefer not to have to think
about all this another way.
In the future, when upgrades are necessary, Humanware has a
responsibility to all users in making products that work as they should
with Bookshare or any other company they have supported thus far.
Bookshare made this change, Humanware did not. Who should accommodate
who? The answer seems obvious.
Let me say that I use Bookshare a great deal, enjoy what it has to
offer, appreciate all who volunteer and scan and those at Bookshare who
make possible all the books I have enjoyed and hope to continue to
enjoy in the future. Humanware is only making a product as they have
always made it. I believe this to be Bookshare's problem, but I imagine
with time and communication between these two companies the
difficulties being experienced by those of us with Victor streams will
be solved. That is my hope.
--
Ann K. Parsons
Portal Tutoring
EMAIL: akp@xxxxxxxxxxxx
web site: http://www.portaltutoring.info
blog:
http://www.samobile.net/users/akp/blog
Skype: Putertutor
"All that is gold does not glitter,
Not all those who wander are lost."
Email services provided by the System Access Mobile Network. Visit
www.serotek.com to learn more about accessibility anywhere.
To unsubscribe from this list, send a blank Email to
bookshare-discuss-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Put the word 'unsubscribe' by itself in the Subject line. To get a list of
available commands, put the word 'help' by itself in the subject line.
Other related posts:
