RE: Seeking possible tasks for Dueling Operating Systems at CSUN

  • From: "Chris Hofstader" <chris.hofstader@xxxxxxxxxxx>
  • To: <programmingblind@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
  • Date: Thu, 6 Mar 2008 11:05:13 -0500

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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