Re: My LEtter to FS
- From: Troy Burnham <tburnham@xxxxxxxxx>
- To: jfw@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Mon, 11 Apr 2005 13:48:05 -0500
Amen to that Chris. I have 6.1 installed but I'm about to go uninstall it
because for one thing it completely locks up when I try to go on the
For-the-People site, and for another thing there's absolutely nothing in it
that I'll use that isn't in 6.0. I agree with you and everybody else who
says just fix the bugs and don't give me so many bells and whistles that I
will never use.
I more than likely won't jump ship over to Window-Eyes because I'm not a
power user and Jaws does everything that I need and then some, but I also
don't plan to pay for anymore SMA's and will never go beyond Jaws 6.0, and
I may even go back to 5.0 and stay there.
Troy
On Monday 4/11/2005 01:12 PM, Chris Skarstad said:
>Hi
>This is also a first for me, not upgrading to thenewest version when it was
>released. I've just heard too many damn horror stories, and even in the
>past, I downloaded new versions and found out that there were bugs. But
>since then I've gotten a bit wiser about how all this stuff works.
>
>I was a beta tester for FS. I don't know if you guys knew that, but I was.
>I saw first hand what some of you guys were saying. Some guys in the
>development team were reporting *real* errors with the JAWS program itself,
>but the programmers absolutely insisted on not paying attention and just
>doing what they wanted. They did eventually fix the bugs myself, and others
>mentioned by the final release, but it was only in the final addition that
>they fixed them, and I believe they probably did it to shut us up.
>The acsent is constantly on new features. They figure, we have to give
>reasons for folks to upgrade. They have it in their mind that if they have
>some kind of fancy hyper-cool new feature designed to make the lives of all
>JAWS users easier, people will say oh I just gotta have that, I'll
>upgrade. They have come up with some cool things, one of my favorites
>being the virtual labels. But the idea I'm trying to get across is that in
>their minds, it's more profitable to them to add new features to keep
>people happy. But the more new features you add, the more bugs get put into
>the product, and some times native support for popular applications gets
>broken in the process. So that's what's making a lot of folks angry. I
>would have no problem with them releasing an update, or a patch, or
>something to fix all these errors and bugs. Give me a screen reader that
>works, not one with a bunch of toys I'll never use.
>
>
>At 09:55 AM 4/11/2005, you wrote:
>
> >Interesting letter, I would check the spelling before sending it off to
> >Freedom Scientific.
> >
> >----- Original Message -----
> >From: "Bruce Toews" <water_drinker@xxxxxxxx>
> >To: <jfw@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> >Sent: Monday, April 11, 2005 0:08
> >Subject: My LEtter to FS
> >
> >
> > > Here, before Mames tells us to stop the thread, in case he's still
> > > monitoring the list, is my letter to FS.
> > >
> > > Subject: Disappointment with Recent JAWS Developments
> > >
> > > First, I want to say that I know there are some very good people working
> >for
> > > FS. This is not directed to them. However, I do not know of other avenues
> >to
> > > take in expressing my concerns, and I feel these concerns need to be
> >expressed.
> > >
> > > I have been a JAWS user for several years now. I purchased the
> product and
> >all
> > > related SMA's out of my own pocket. I believed, and still believe, that I
> >was
> > > making the right choice.
> > >
> > > However, it seems to me that FS is making not just an inadvertent
> >distancing
> > > from their customer base, but seems to be making a concerted effort to do
> >so.
> > > The result is a series of upgrades and updates with little useful new
> > > functionality implemented, with few bugs being fixed, and a growing
> >feeling
> > > among the average JAWS user, the people without whom there would be no
> >JAWS,
> > > feeling that they have no say. The frustration is mounting, the anger is
> > > increasing, and that frustration and anger are, I feel, quite justified.
> >Never
> > > was this made more clear to me than when I tried, through proper channels
> >in a
> > > public beta process, to report a bug with JAWS and the TripleTalk
> >synthesizer.
> > > The response I received back was, in essence, Yes it's a bug, live with
> >it. I
> > > no longer have a TripleTalk synthesizer, but as the bug sent through all
> > > incarnations of JAWS 5 without a fix, I can only assume the bug is still
> >there.
> > > Access Solutions tells me that FS had promised to include the JAWS
> drivers
> >for
> > > the DecTalk USB in JFW 6. I don't know about JFW 6.1, but in JFW 6.0 this
> >did
> > > not happen.
> > >
> > > The horror stories I am reading from users on the JFW list have led me to
> > > decide not to upgrade to 6.1. This is a first for me, becasue I am
> one who
> >very
> > > much likes to put new software through its paces, which is why I tried
> >several
> > > times to offer my services as a beta tester (by way of reward for which I
> >was
> > > given several ridiculous runarounds, I gave FS personal information to
> >which
> > > they would not be otherwise entitled, and was finally told my services
> >would
> > > not be required). A lot of these horror stories would, I am sure, have
> >been
> > > avoidable if FS would reimplement the public beta process, the removal of
> >which
> > > is just another example of the programmers isolating themselves from the
> > > end-users.
> > >
> > > FS has further not endeared itself to the general usership by adding
> >features
> > > at additional cost which the competition offers at no additional cost. Iw
> >will
> > > soon become just as cost-effective to purchase Window-Eyes as to pay for
> >the
> > > upgrading JAWS requires, and given the apparent focus on stability which
> >GW
> > > Micro is exhibiting, some users may well see this as preferable.
> > >
> > > We need FS to concentrate on stability, on bug-fixes, on evoking loyalty,
> >not
> > > rage, from its user-base. Loyalty cannot be counted on to sustain JAWS's
> > > popularity in the future, if that loyalty isn't earned. The march over to
> >the
> > > competition will happene, gradually, but it will happen. I am still a
> >loyal
> > > JAWS user, becasue I prefer the JAWS interface. I have, until now,
> >defended FS
> > > and JAWS against many criticisms. But I find the product FS is
> putting out
> > > these days, combined with the concerted effort to alienate its customer
> >base to
> > > be indefensible, and I have moved to the side of the critics. I have both
> > > products on my system, and they are both up-to-date. My loyalty to
> JAWS is
> >not
> > > bulletproof, and the more bullets FS fires into it, the weaker it
> becomes.
> > >
> > > I invested in this. I saved my hard-earned salarty to purchase your
> >product. If
> > > I hadn't invested, if I didn't believe in my investment, I wouldn't care.
> >But I
> > > do care, because I want to be a part of the solution, not of the problem.
> >I
> > > want JAWS to work because I have put several months' salarty into it. I
> >want it
> > > to work because I don't like finding out I made stupid decisions. I want
> >it to
> > > work because I truly do like JAWS.
> > >
> > > Finally, I urge you to consider this question. The sentiment toward GW
> >Micro
> > > from its users is one of increased loyalty. The sentiment to FS from its
> > > customers is one of increased bitterness, anger, alienation and outrage.
> >Why is
> > > this the case, and when will FS decide that it is not worth it and aim
> >toward
> > > stabilizing the loyalty of the existing users, the paople who pay your
> >salary
> > > in the long run, the people for whom FS claims to be in business?
> > >
> > > --
> > > Bruce Toews
> > > MSN/Windows Messenger: water_drinker@xxxxxxxx
> > > Web Site (including info on my weekly commentaries): http://www.ogts.net
> > > Info on the best TV show of all time: http://www.cornergas.com
> > > --
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