RE: Vibuntu Development Blog

[Bryen <suserocks bryen com>]

I invite you and all others who write about a11y stuff to register on
the www.planet-a11y.net feed aggregator site. 

Bryen

On Sun, 2008-12-14 at 23:12 +0000, Anthony Sales wrote:
> Hi Darragh,
> 
> I am in the process of writing up detailed notes on how I have made Vibuntu
> to go on the development blog ASAP. But I have spent quite a bit of time in
> the last week or so having to justify why I feel that there is a need for
> vibuntu, and whether it does offer anything new over other distros. I think
> you are correct about the difference between accessibility and usability, but
> one of my biggest bugbears is that when people claim something is accessible,
> and what they really mean is someone who really knows what they are doing can
> access it. If it requires a high level of technical competence to access it,
> then in my books it is not accessible at all to the vast majority of people.
> For me usability is a prerequisite of accessibility, if it is not usable then
> it is not accessible. Now I may be wrong, but I have been looking very hard
> for at least five years and I have not found a single distro that offers what
> Vibuntu offers at present. I am not claiming that Vibuntu is perfect, in fact
> there are a lot of flaws which I still need to try and iron out before I will
> really be comfortable with people trying it. I have also made it very clear
> in my blog and other posts that it is not really aimed at the existing Linux
> community per se, although many existing users seem to like it. I work in the
> British education sector, and my main motivation for creating Vibuntu is to
> try and get British Schools and institutions to try and use Linux, with both
> sighted and VI users. If I can offer them a simple free alternative to
> Microsoft and Jaws etc then I am going to try to get this to happen, even if
> I have to blow my own trumpet or talk like a second-hand car salesman! I am
> not at all egotistical,as anyone who knows me will tell you, and I would
> absolutely be over the moon if someone else produced an accessible Linux for
> beginners, because I would much rather be sitting on my fat arse eating a
> kebab and watching the telly than spending hours trying to solve other
> peoples problems, as I am not blind or partially sighted myself. I see
> Vibuntu primarily as a charitable project for the benefit of the wider VI
> community and I am very surprised at the amount of criticism I have received
> for trying to do this! Finally as I stated in my blog, I realise that 99% of
> the credit for Vibuntu lies with Gnome, Orca, Compiz and Ubuntu etc. I have
> just made a few small but significant changes by standing on the shoulders of
> giants! My goal is an accessible Linux distro that even a beginner can use
> and if I have to upset a few people along the way then so be it. 
> 
> Have a good xmas,
> 
> drbongo
> 
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Darragh [mailto:lists digitaldarragh com]
> Sent: Sun 14/12/2008 22:42
> To: Anthony Sales; ubuntu-accessibility lists ubuntu com;
> gnome-accessibility-list gnome org; orca-list gnome org
> Cc: Matthew Horspool (Learner); Mobeen Iqbal (Learner); Arthur Turner
> (Learner)
> Subject: RE: Vibuntu Development Blog
>  
> Anthony, 
> 
> Firstly, again well done. 
> 
> I'd personally like to see some posts on your development blog related to how
> you got so many administrative apps working with Orca as I see this as the
> most significant reason to use your version. 
> 
> I also have to echo the points raised by a few here, You really do need to be
> very careful in your wording.  Your version of Ubuntu is really not the most
> accessible distribution out there.  There is a major difference to accessible
> and usable.  To say something is inaccessible means it cannot be made to work
> no matter what configuration is used.  Usable on the other hand means it is
> available to the user with a minimum of knowledge and tweeking.  This is not
> of course to belittle the work you hav done.  I just really hate to see the
> work of so many diminished in stature due to some bad wording in a press
> release. Let's be honest.  If it wasn't for the work of people in the
> Speakup, BRLTTY, EmacsSpeak, SBL, Yasr, and other projects, none of us would
> have had the opportunities in Linux we have today.  
> 
> Keep up the good work. 
> 
> 
> 
> Darragh
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: gnome-accessibility-list-bounces gnome org
> [mailto:gnome-accessibility-list-bounces gnome org] On Behalf Of Anthony
> Sales
> Sent: 14 December 2008 20:16
> To: ubuntu-accessibility lists ubuntu com;
> gnome-accessibility-list gnome org; orca-list gnome org
> Cc: Matthew Horspool (Learner); Mobeen Iqbal (Learner); Arthur Turner
> (Learner)
> Subject: Vibuntu Development Blog
> 
> 
> I have set up a Vibuntu Development Blog at http://www.vibuntu.blogspot.com/
> for anyone who is interested! I will use this to document the development of
> Vibuntu and any relevant issues so that anyone who wants to create their own
> accessible remix of Ubuntu, or just modify their existing installation can do
> so easily. There is an RSS feed available if anyone wants to be automatically
> notified of new posts. I will still post any significant announcements such
> as the release of new versions and/or notable improvements on the mailing
> lists and forums, as well as continuing to asking for help, advice and
> suggestions and providing them when I can. I am planning to have a well
> deserved rest over the xmas break so it is unlikely there will be any major
> developments until the new year!
> 
> Thanks again for everyone's support, advice, suggestions and criticisms!
> 
> drbongo
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-- 
Bryen Yunashko
openSUSE Board Member