Hello, Gareth & Janet, I've just joined this list today. Dan -----Original Message----- From: ntnm-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:ntnm-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Janet Price Sent: 01 May 2014 19:07 To: ntnm@xxxxxxxxxxxxx Subject: [ntnm] Re: Fw: Electronic newspapers: some observations Sorry, I have just joined the list too and was thinking of a reply to Gareth and accidentally hit the send button Janet Sent from my iPad > On 1 May 2014, at 19:03, Janet Price <price.janet@xxxxxxxxxx> wrote: > > > > Sent from my iPad > >> On 1 May 2014, at 18:35, Gareth Williams <edward.williams123@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote: >> >> Hi all >> >> I have just joined the list, and partly as a test to see if it is working, and also to stimulate discussion, I am forwarding a copy of some observations I have sent to RNIB. >> >> All the best >> >> Gareth >> >> >> -----Original Message----- From: Gareth Williams >> Sent: Thursday, May 01, 2014 1:15 PM >> To: RNIBSolutions@xxxxxxxxxxx >> Subject: Electronic newspapers: some observations >> >> Hello >> >> When the production of electronic newspapers moved from TNAUK to RNIB on 1 >> April, I determined to make no comment of the "things will never be the same >> again" variety or, indeed, any other comment, for a month, so that >> production would have a chance to settle down. The month has now elapsed, so >> I would like to make a few observations. >> >> 1. On the whole, I feel the transfer has worked fairly smoothly. The website >> is uncluttered, and it is simple to download the paper of my choice. I read >> the Guardian regularly, using the Victor Reader Stream, and my comments are >> based on this paper alone. I have tried both the html and epub versions. >> >> 2. I greatly miss the facility to receive my paper by email and its later >> availability. Previously it arrived, almost without fail, just after >> midnight. I would then transfer it to the Stream before going to bed, and >> read much of it before getting up. It now seems to appear at about 2:30 >> A.M., so I am deprived of this pleasure. The only way round this is to >> download to my iPhone, and the availability of the text on this device is >> the one big advantage of the transfer. Nevertheless, I find the text more >> navigable using the Stream, so would prefer earlier availability of the >> material. >> >> 3. My biggest complaint is the layout of the text. Two levels of headings >> are included, one for individual articles, the other for the different print >> pages. I fear this is due to a sighted interpretation of what the blind >> person requires. I am not in the least interested in what page the >> particular article is on. I would much prefer that this level of heading be >> used for the categorisation of the articles. So, for example, in the >> unlikely event that I want to go straight to the Obituaries, I can do so >> quickly by moving through this heading level. This was possible in the past, >> when I used to convert the .doc text to html using the SpeakOn software. In >> the event that I wish to discuss an article with a sighted friend, or vice >> versa, I am sure we will find the relevant piece without wasting a level of >> heading on moving from page to page. >> >> 4. The results pages of the sports section are never included. They were >> always there in the past, as was the diary of forthcoming sporting events on >> a Monday. The Guardian quiz is included on Saturdays but, annoyingly, not >> the answers. >> >> 5. There is marginally more garbled text in the new version. >> >> 6. It would be an improvement if the name of each newspaper included its >> date. I rarely read all I want to of the Saturday paper before the following >> Monday's arrives. This causes a confused numbering which could be avoided by >> inclusion of the date. >> >> 7. Would it not have made more sense for you to have consulted your users >> more than a fortnight before the transfer was to take place? You would then >> have had time to incorporate into the system any improvements suggested. >> >> I hope you consider my observations constructive, and look forward to >> receiving your response in due course. >> >> Gareth >> > --- This email is free from viruses and malware because avast! Antivirus protection is active. http://www.avast.com