Re: Concern about the latest Window Eyes scripting move
- From: "Dennis Brown" <DennisTBrown@xxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: <programmingblind@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Tue, 5 Feb 2008 09:23:55 -0500
Great point, Chris. The competition, especially if they can afford
warranty-based software, would use it as a wedge against the product of those
who cannot afford the potential legal costs.
Thanks,
Dennis Brown
----- Original Message -----
From: Chris Hofstader
To: programmingblind@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Cc: Doug Geoffray
Sent: Tuesday, February 05, 2008 6:57 AM
Subject: RE: Concern about the latest Window Eyes scripting move
Having worked for GNU in the stone ages when we had to create the "No
Warrantee" for our software, I should state that placing any kind of warrantee
on a program from which one does not expect to generate a lot of income will be
very difficult and possibly expensive.
In some EU nations, some individuals have filed claims against all major
screen readers for being defective products for their disproportionate number
of bugs when compared to the mainstream software products. If a lone hacker
places a warranty on his work, he can get screwed in the worst of ways which
would be a huge reason not to make such scripts in the first place. Using the
GNU "No Warranty" and allowing an informal review board to check the source and
give an unofficial Good Housekeeping stamp would be the way to go. No one
wants to increase exposure to the individuals just trying to do something cool
and/or useful, in fact, to the contrary, we want to encourage people to build
these kinds of scripts without the burden of lots of legal action.
cdh
From: programmingblind-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
[mailto:programmingblind-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Richard Thomas
Sent: Sunday, February 03, 2008 3:54 PM
To: programmingblind@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: Re: Concern about the latest Window Eyes scripting move
Ken:
I agree with you you old guru.
Besides the IML should be faster than scripts and what about a compiled
language, faster still?
GW is opening up Com Objects they define as the method of using the scripts
so the interface should limit some potential problems.
Also, Professionally developed Commercial scripts with a warranty would be
the way to go for the applications I'd be interested in and what I would write
if I can master the techniques.
I know you are one of the JAWS Scripting gurus and look forward to your
comments as GW gets rolling.
Rick USA
----- Original Message -----
From: Ken Perry
To: programmingblind@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Sent: Monday, February 04, 2008 3:26 PM
Subject: RE: Concern about the latest Window Eyes scripting move
Well this is true depending on how they did it. For example they can
limit the objects a person can use no matter the language so if I only allow
you to use System and System.Windows.Forms then that is it. They most likely
did not limit people so what will have to happen is people will either have to
reject any scripts that are not open source or we will have to have a page to
go to where tested and approved scripts are.
I think this is going to cause other problems as well. It sounds great
that you can code in any language but the problem with being able to code in
anything is there will not be any one support for the scripting language.
Think of how much trouble people are having coding Jaws scripts when they get
started. Now they have added the decision of which language and made it so you
don't have one unified group to help you access the objects they give you.
True that if you know a language and know how to use com in that language it is
a simple reading of the objects Window-eyes provides but most scripts are not
wrote by professional coders they are wrote by people who need to be able to
use a program that doesn't work. Now it will take more for these people to
find support in what ever they choose to use if they can find support. It will
be interesting to see how they support their scripting.
If I was them I would say that GW micro as a whole supports VB and C# but
you can code in anything. Then they should put up a page that takes just those
two languages and supports them as well as they can. Further more they should
force authors of the code to submit the code if they want the scripts on their
page. This would allow people to still sell scripts they just couldn't have it
up on GW's page.
Ken
From: programmingblind-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
[mailto:programmingblind-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of John Greer
Sent: Monday, February 04, 2008 11:55 AM
To: programmingblind@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: Concern about the latest Window Eyes scripting move
Once I got over the initial shock and amazement at GWMicro's decision to
make Window Eyes scriptable. Especially in such a powerful way as to let it be
scriptable with many different scripting languages, I began to think. Would
that not also open Window Eyes and Windows up to a whole new world of script
based viruses? VBScript and Java Script are after all 2 of the languages that
have that sort of power. It just concerns me a bit that in GWMicro's rush to
become the top screen reader, that they may have actually open the flood gates
a bit too wide.
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