I agree what you said.  In fact, splitting Microsoft can only benefit
those developers that make some softwares competative to MS.  Not just to
the blind but to every user, this action will create a lot of
inconvenience like incompatibility.  But, because most user do not have
enough money to argue, this concern will be put to the last.
Ren


On Tue, 23 May 2000, Bill Gallik wrote:

> All fellow-members of VICUG,
>
> I thought this would be the exact forum to voice some of my concerns
> about
> the pending break-up of Microsoft by the Justice Department.
>
> Now, before anybody jumps the gun and assumes that I am a Clinton-basher
> and want to
> cause the current administration any embarrassment please put those
> thoughts aside.  That is certainly not my aim.
>
> My concern, however, is that the break-up of Microsoft could pose
> serious problems for the blind community and
> the progress of accessible software.
>
> Let me make my point this way; how many of you know of software
> vendors that have politely (and in some cases not so politely) told us
> that there is not enough money in it to make certain their software is
> accessible for
> us.? I can come up with 2 right off the bat; Intuit Systems (Turbo Tax
> and Quicken) and AOL (NFB is
> currently engaged in a lawsuit for their lack of concern).
>
> With this in mind, is there any reason that we in the blind computer
> user community  should feel confident that a
> divided Microsoft would pursue accessibility?  I for one do not care to
> take that chance.
>
> And, yes, I am aware that Microsoft has not been perfect in showing
> concern
> for blind accessibility (witness Internet Explorer 3.0), but nobody is
> perfect and this company has made a policy of voicing
> concern over accessibility.
>
> So my ultimate question is - are any of you interested in filing a
> "friend of the court" brief
> in defense of Microsoft as it currently exists? Or pursuing a letter
> writing campaign on behalf of
> Microsoft?  Surely some of you feel as I do - that is that
> Microsoft has afforded us a great deal of access and the risk of losing
> that commitment is not
> an acceptable risk for us to assume.
>
> For those of you that agree with my concern, any ideas as to how we
> could approach entering this thing on
> the side of Microsoft?
>
> Just thought I'd open this up for discussion - hopefully not too late!
>
> Bill Gallik
> [log in to unmask]
>
> Bill Gallik
> [log in to unmask]
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Kelly Pierce" <[log in to unmask]>
> To: <[log in to unmask]>
> Sent: Monday, May 15, 2000 5:46 PM
> Subject: Re: NET: online training
>
>
> : Crunch adds more information to the discussion about the online
> tutorial,
> : encouraging us to be supportive and actually try new and innovative
> : approaches before considering effectiveness.
> :
> : kelly
> :
> :
> :
> :
> :
> : ---------- Forwarded message ----------
> : Date: Mon, 15 May 2000 07:15:25 -0500
> : From: crunch1 <[log in to unmask]>
> : To: Kelly Pierce <[log in to unmask]>
> : Subject: Re: NET: online training
> :
> : ok, people, how can i shoot down this idea, let me count the ways, you
> all
> : might wait until after a class has completed, before you talk about
> how it
> : can't be done, i have been on audio-tips, and i am using w e 3.1, and
> guess
> : what i can do both, i cdon't have a multi channel sound card, i happen
> to be
> : using double talk p c.  also the audio is fantastic. let's see for
> $400.00
> : you get at home training teck support, etc.  lets  try to be
> supportive for
> : a change.
> : ----- Original Message -----
> : From: Kelly Pierce <[log in to unmask]>
> : To: <[log in to unmask]>
> : Sent: Sunday, May 14, 2000 5:02 PM
> : Subject: Re: NET: online training
> :
> :
> : > Linn has some additional ideas about the online training discussion
> that
> : > started about a week ago.
> : >
> : > kelly
> : >
> : >
> : >
> : >
> : > From: Lynn Schneider <[log in to unmask]>
> : >
> : > Another reason I would recommend against taking this course is that
> most
> : > blind folks have older computers without multichannel sound cards,
> making
> : > interactive teaching very difficult. Also, the Livestream client
> they use
> : > on Audio Tips is not reliable enough to do something like taking a
> class,
> : > especially for the majority of blind folks who are still on low
> bandwidth
> : > connections.  I spent many hours on Audio Tips in the past and
> really
> : > enjoyed it, but it was not uncommon for the audio to be less than
> clear
> : and
> : > connections were often lost with the server.  I have a lot of
> respect for
> : > Kathy Anne and I have absolutely no doubt that she would be an
> excellent
> : > teacher, but I'm not sure this was well thought out, and it is
> : *definitely*
> : > too expensive.  I love this concept, but I'm not convinced yet that
> the
> : > technology is really ready for something like this.
> : >
> : >
> : > VICUG-L is the Visually Impaired Computer User Group List.
> : > To join or leave the list, send a message to
> : > [log in to unmask]  In the body of the message, simply
> type
> : > "subscribe vicug-l" or "unsubscribe vicug-l" without the quotations.
> : >  VICUG-L is archived on the World Wide Web at
> : > http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/archives/vicug-l.html
> : >
> :
> :
> : VICUG-L is the Visually Impaired Computer User Group List.
> : To join or leave the list, send a message to
> : [log in to unmask]  In the body of the message, simply
> type
> : "subscribe vicug-l" or "unsubscribe vicug-l" without the quotations.
> :  VICUG-L is archived on the World Wide Web at
> : http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/archives/vicug-l.html
> :
>
>
> VICUG-L is the Visually Impaired Computer User Group List.
> To join or leave the list, send a message to
> [log in to unmask]  In the body of the message, simply type
> "subscribe vicug-l" or "unsubscribe vicug-l" without the quotations.
>  VICUG-L is archived on the World Wide Web at
> http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/archives/vicug-l.html
>


VICUG-L is the Visually Impaired Computer User Group List.
To join or leave the list, send a message to
[log in to unmask]  In the body of the message, simply type
"subscribe vicug-l" or "unsubscribe vicug-l" without the quotations.
 VICUG-L is archived on the World Wide Web at
http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/archives/vicug-l.html