RE: Price per Performance was Re: Seeking possible tasks for Dueling Operating Systems at CSUN

  • From: "Chris Hofstader" <chris.hofstader@xxxxxxxxxxx>
  • To: <programmingblind@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
  • Date: Fri, 7 Mar 2008 07:26:14 -0500

Jim,

My answer was a bit brash as well.  In the work I'm doing with BSO on the
delivery of accessible instructional materials, multi-lingualism/culturism
is at the forefront of almost all of my thoughts (look at the open source
AMIS, pronounced ahmee like the plural for friend in French and not Amos as
in Amos Otis, the former center fielder for the KC Royals) Daisy player and
the huge number of language packs available for it.  Thus, Kurdish, Urdo and
all the rest are often the top priority for many of our users, especially
the really young ones.


cdh
-----Original Message-----
From: programmingblind-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
[mailto:programmingblind-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of James Panes
Sent: Thursday, March 06, 2008 5:01 PM
To: programmingblind@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: Price per Performance was Re: Seeking possible tasks for Dueling
Operating Systems at CSUN

Hi BC,

Perhaps my choice of an example was unfortunate.

The point I was trying to make is that some features come with too high a 
price. A screen reader that can speak 100 languages or more is no more 
useful to me than a car that can do 200 mph is useful for most people.

When adding esoteric features causes the price of AT to be so high that most

people can not buy it, that is no different than the package not being 
available in your prefered language.

Fortunately, JAWS has utilities so that the user can expand its 
capabilities. This should, and does go heavily in its favour any time that 
businesses and individuals are making a purchase decision.

Regards,
Jim
jimpanes@xxxxxxxxx
jimpanes@xxxxxxxxxxxx
"Everything is easy when you know how."

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Chris Hofstader" <chris.hofstader@xxxxxxxxxxx>
To: <programmingblind@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Thursday, March 06, 2008 11:05 AM
Subject: RE: Seeking possible tasks for Dueling Operating Systems at CSUN


It is irrelevant to *you* if it is available in Kurdish but I'm certain some
people blinded by Turkish cluster bombs won't care if it works in English.
Price, for now, must be considered with a much lower priority than depth and
breadth of feature set as an underpowered screen reader causes people to
gain false hope and lose real jobs.

In an upcoming blog post, I will be announcing that I will no longer work on
AT that doesn't carry some form of a free (as in freedom with a lower case
"f") license.  It doesn't have to be GPL 3 but I'll probably be spending the
summer in the GNU offices up in Boston and all of my managing, specifying,
hacking, etc. will be on free software only.  I've loads of reasons for this
decision and I'm at a point in my career where my clients pay me handsomely
to work on free software so I have the luxury of refusing to keep my work
available to everyone.

I understand the price issues and think that a lot needs to be done in that
area.  I've also seen people lose jobs because the AT couldn't deliver the
features needed to perform a job for which they had been hired.  Free
software with a solid extensibility model is probably the only way to solve
both problems but the events that will make that possible are well off in
the future.

cdh



-----Original Message-----
From: programmingblind-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
[mailto:programmingblind-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of James Panes
Sent: Thursday, March 06, 2008 9:02 AM
To: programmingblind@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: Re: Seeking possible tasks for Dueling Operating Systems at CSUN

There are few people that would argue against JAWS being king of the hill
when it comes to screen readers, however, cost must be a consideration when
deciding on what system to purchase. This is why the shark has not eaten the

competition yet.

It is irrelevent to me if a screen reader is offered in Curdish, but I care
a whole lot if I can not perform basic tasks because a system with AT is
right out of my price range.

Regards,
Jim
jimpanes@xxxxxxxxx
jimpanes@xxxxxxxxxxxx
"Everything is easy when you know how."

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Chris Hofstader" <chris.hofstader@xxxxxxxxxxx>
To: <programmingblind@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Thursday, March 06, 2008 8:43 AM
Subject: RE: Seeking possible tasks for Dueling Operating Systems at CSUN


Price is only a valuable criteria if the AT serves the user with the
features he needs.  Absolutely free hardware, software and electricity in
English only is of no value to one who only Speaks Tagalog.

-----Original Message-----
From: programmingblind-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
[mailto:programmingblind-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of James Panes
Sent: Thursday, March 06, 2008 8:28 AM
To: programmingblind@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: Re: Seeking possible tasks for Dueling Operating Systems at CSUN

I think that an important part of the performance measure should be the
final cost of the configuration used for each system. This will help to put
Windows and Mac OS on a more equal footing. I honestly believe, however,
that UNIX will wipe the floor with both of them if this is made one of the
criteria.

Regards,
Jim
jimpanes@xxxxxxxxx
jimpanes@xxxxxxxxxxxx
"Everything is easy when you know how."

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