Re: [orca-list] Orca with the Skype Public API

[Janina Sajka <janina rednote net>]

Hi, All:

I also don't want to belabor this thread, but feel bound to respond just
briefly to a couple points:

*       Michael's points in his email are very much on point, imho. I
*       would only one additional fact. Skype also chose to implement
*       their own, proprietary telecommunications protocol, as I
*       understand it. Certainly they are not alone in such efforts.
*       Cisco, for instance, has something called Skinny, which is their
*       proprietary Vo/IP protocol.

        The Vo/IP applications previously referenced here might, or
might not, support some particular proprietary protocol. Asterisk does
support Skinny. I know of none that Support Skype's.

        More to the point, we have both SIP and IAX as fully open
protocols, which can (and have) been implemented on multiple platforms.
Yes, you can find SIP apps on Windows. Indeed, we have developers using
SIP clients on Windows calling into Open A11y meetings.

        The point here is that it may be inappropriate to devote
community resources to supporting technologies that are locked to the
proprietary benefit of ownders who have not supported accessibility.
Yes, Skype should do this work themselves. They benefit directly,
specifically, they benefit financially, from Skype implementation. It is
at least a point of discussion to what degree volunteer, and paid
community resources should be donated to someone else's pocketbook,
especially when that someone isn't returning the favor.

*       My second point, is to clarify, hopefully, that I never intended
*       to tell anyone what they could and could not use. If anyone took
*       such a meaning from my posts, I'm sorry I wasn't more clear.
*       Freedom means the freedom to choose, among other things it
*       means, imho. My comments were only intended in terms of
*       community resources, not in terms of personal preference and/or
*       choice.

Janina

Michael Whapples writes:
> Without trying to drag this topic on longer, without progressing it,
> here are some thoughts.
>
> Skype took the decission to have skype closed source and not to make the
> communication protocol public, so limiting what outsiders can do to
> improve the software. As this was their decission I feel they should
> take some action. I know that cross platform GUI toolkits don't offer
> accessibility, but they could consider an approach like openoffice which
> uses the java accessibility api on platforms where native accessibility
> isn't available/possible.
>
> As has been pointed out, there are other voip systems which are
> accessible on linux. Some might say skype is better (I won't say as I
> don't really know about which has the best quality, etc), but if you are
> planning to change to another operating system you should be prepared to
> learn new apps as all the windows ones won't be available. Also if you
> really feel there are some windows apps you can't live without, you can
> always set your system up as dual boot or set up a virtual machine with
> windows, so you can load windows for those apps.
>
> Returning to the original question of using the skype public api. I
> don't know enough of what can be done with it, but I feel it might not
> be the best way forward for the main orca developers to spend their time
> on. Reasons being:
> They will be only adding support for one app, and that support might be
> limited and not feel like a native app. Windows screen readers might use
> the public api of skype, but are they using some of the MSAA information
> (I think QT would be providing some MSAA information) to achieve some of
> what they do?
> QT are making accessibility information available through dbus, and if
> at-spi is changed to support dbus, this won't just add support for
> skype, but will make most qt apps accessible.
> If orca were to use the skype public api, this would only make skype
> accessible to a small number of users, none of the other accessibility
> tools would be able to use the work put into making it useable with
> orca. If at-spi could use the information QT is putting to dbus, then
> all other accessibility technologies using at-spi would find qt apps are
> accessible as well.
>
> I hope from this people understand my view, its not that I say to
> everyone don't use skype, but rather that at the moment there are
> possibly more important matters for further development of accessibility
> on linux, and that the skype team should take the responsibilities which
> go with their decission for the licensing/availability of their software
> and make some way that ATs on platforms without native access to it can
> gain access.
>
> From
> Michael Whapples
> On Fri, 2008-01-18 at 09:04 -0600, Bryen wrote:
> > I don't see it as a question of judgement.    I see what Janina said as
> > a balance of resources.   Skype has paid staff dedicated to the
> > development of their own resources.   Wouldn't it be better to directly
> > communicate with Skype and express your concerns that they are not
> > behaving accessibly?
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> Orca-list mailing list
> Orca-list gnome org
> http://mail.gnome.org/mailman/listinfo/orca-list
> Visit http://live.gnome.org/Orca for more information on Orca

-- 

Janina Sajka,   Phone:  +1.202.595.7777;        sip:janina a11y org
Partner, Capital Accessibility LLC      http://CapitalAccessibility.Com

Marketing the Owasys 22C talking screenless cell phone in the U.S. and Canada
Learn more at http://ScreenlessPhone.Com

Chair, Open Accessibility       janina a11y org 
Linux Foundation                http://a11y.org