On Sat, Apr 29, 2006 13:25:48 PM +0930, Tim (ignored_mailbox@xxxxxxxxxxxx) wrote: > If disabled people want some kind of help, it is better for them to > seek it out, in the manner that they want to. One quick comment/reminder on this: generally speaking, I'd agree, but this strategy (which is nothing more that what's happened so far) just won't work here. The specific problem I've reported in my article, and tried to address with the open letter, is just that: * many disabled people seem to NOT want any kind of FOSS related help. They want to NOT use it. They do NOT want to change. The help they are *already* "seeking out, in the manner they want to" is to be spared the whole issue and keep using Windows, period. All the FSF-speak about "Free as in Freedom" doesn't mean anything at all to them, when they don't see it as an insult. See Pietrosanti's comments, or the Boston meetings ones in my article on this exact point. So, in this particular case, if one just waits for them to come asking for help, hell could freeze over before that happens. * since disabled users *have* legal arguments to enforce their perspective, and Microsoft *is* already exploiting them to block OpenDocument and, indirectly, all FOSS, all FOSS users have a concrete problem here. One which won't go away by just being ready for when an help request comes. This is why I'm suggesting that LUGs and similar groups make the first step, each one in its area: to establish links, know each other, make sure that developers receive the right feedback to increase accessibility and that disabled users understand why they can't ignore issues like document ownership, interoperability etc.. anymore > consistent hotkeys... if achievable it would mean that users can > use different systems without too much difficulties. ... > a really stupid annoyance with many programs that would be easily > fixable: Use normal language, with proper punctuation in message > dialogues. Speech synthesisers read them out more intelligibly that > way. Exactly, thanks. These two examples explain PERFECTLY why I think that organizing focused install festivals and similar events would be an excellent way to keep public sector doors open for FOSS. Hell will freeze over if you wait for a disabled user to come to a LUG or a bugzilla page to file similar issues. He'll just keep using windows. Period. Because it would probably require him many hours of cursing at non accessible installers before he can even start to _encounter_ the problems you mentioned. If you make the first step and send an invitation saying something like "hello, we are testing the accessibility of some "new" software: would you be available to spend an hour or two next week to test it? We'd take care of all the logistic, provide an already configured computer/laptop...." is a totally different thing. Ciao, Marco -- Marco Fioretti mfioretti, at the server mclink.it Fedora Core 3 for low memory http://www.rule-project.org/ [media giants] have no idea how to do business with resourceful human beings rather than passive vegetables. So they run to [the] government for protection." -- Doc Searls on the SSSCA, in Linux Journal
