[infoshare] Opposing Freedom Scientific's Secure and Compatible Braille Display Initiative Petition
- From: "Luis Guerra" <free_speech@xxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: <"Undisclosed-Recipient:;"@freelists.org>
- Date: Mon, 19 Oct 2009 00:13:45 -0400
Opposing Freedom Scientific's Secure and Compatible Braille Display
Initiative
View Current Signatures
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Sign the Petition
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To: Freedom Scientific LLC.
On August 11, 2009 Freedom Scientific announced its "Secure and Compatible
Braille Display Initiative" which it says is being introduced in the name of
security with respect to its JAWS for Windows screen access program. This
announcement may be found at:
http://www.freedomscientific.com/news/pressroom/2009/secure-compatible-braille-displays.asp
The announcement explains that, "The goal of this new program is to follow
Microsoft's move to signed drivers to improve security and compatibility for
customers who use a Braille display."
According to Freedom Scientific, this policy will go into effect with the
64-bit version of JAWS 11, which is soon to be released; Users of 32-bit
versions
of the Windows operating system will not be affected.
In the same article, Freedom Scientific points out that "most new computers
now come with 64-bit Microsoft Windows preinstalled," implying that in the
very near future, it will no longer be possible to purchase a new computer
with the 32-bit version of the Windows operating system.
Put into layman terms, Braille displays require a screen reader in order to
work. Freedom Scientific has steadfastly refused to provide Braille display
manufacturers with the driver development kit required to enable a
particular Braille device to communicate with JAWS. Instead, the
manufacturer must first
pay an outrageous sum of money before support for the Braille device will be
permitted. What's more, this charge to the Braille display manufacturer is
not a one-time fee but is imposed annually.
In his article posted to the GW Micro Blog entitled A Thought on Braille
Driver Signing, posted on August 15, 2009, Doug Geoffray, lead developer of
the
Window-Eyes screen reader wrote:
"I have a hard time accepting the concept of requiring digitally signed
Braille drivers in the name of security when the JAWS mirror driver itself
isn't digitally signed by Microsoft."
You will find Mr. Geoffray's article in its entirety at:
http://www.gwmicro.com/blog/index.php/all/?title=a-thought-on-braille-driver
-signing more=1&c=1&tb=1&pb=1#c434
One might ask how Freedom Scientific can play the gatekeeper to its JAWS
product where Braille driver support is concerned. The answer is simply and
for
no other reason because it can. It is certainly not because Freedom
Scientific's Braille displays in and of themselves offer any higher level of
security.
This petition contends that Freedom Scientific's Braille driver signing
program is not in the best interest of consumers and will only serve to harm
the
Braille reading community as a whole.
In the September, 2009 FScast, a Podcast produced by freedom Scientific
Product Manager and Host Jonathan Mosen, Mr. Mosen asked Glen Gordon,
Freedom Scientific's
Chief Technology officer, if he could site an instance where a virus had
been introduced into the operating system upon the installation of a Braille
display
driver. Not only did Mr. Gordon deliberately evade this question to which a
yes or no answer would have sufficed, but he gave the reason that driver
signing
is a preventative measure and compared it to having fire insurance.
Freedom Scientific is surely aware that in order to justify the expense of
driver signing, the Braille display manufacturers will have no other choice
but to raise prices at a time where they are doing all they can to lower
costs in these economically turbulent times. Under the same pretext of a
heightened
level of security, perhaps Freedom Scientific should require that
manufacturers of mainstream keyboards, mice, and other common hardware have
their drivers
signed before allowing them to be supported under JAWS.
I for one am shocked, appalled, and amazed that Freedom Scientific would
impose such limitations and restrictions not only upon its own customer base
but
also on those organizations which manufacture products that supplement the
information that JAWS provides. This draconian and self-serving policy is
not
at all in keeping with the pro-Braille spirit exemplified by the Braille
Readers are Leaders Initiative set into motion earlier this year by the
National
Federation of the Blind in honor of the Bicentennial celebration of Louis
Braille. Instead of offering an additional opportunity to expand the usage
of
Braille, it stifles the ability of the blind consumer to choose the Braille
display that will best meet his/her needs.
I sincerely believe that what Freedom Scientific is doing is flat out wrong
and that continuing down this path will have far reaching and negative
repercussions
for Braille users worldwide. Please sign this petition to let Freedom
Scientific know that penalizing people for using Braille displays other than
the
Braille Focus is wrong!
Sincerely,
The Undersigned
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Click Here to Sign Petition
View Current Signatures
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The
Opposing Freedom Scientific's Secure and Compatible Braille Display
Initiative
Petition to Freedom Scientific LLC. was created by National Federation of
the Blind in Computer Science and Open Braille API Initiative and written by
Earle Harrison (earle@xxxxxxxxxxxx). This petition is hosted here at
www.PetitionOnline.com
as a public service. There is no endorsement of this petition, express or
implied, by
Artifice, Inc.
or our sponsors. For technical support please use our simple
Petition Help
form.
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