Re: [orca-list] contacting skype users

[Janina Sajka <janina rednote net>]

You're only going to get interoperability through consensus standards.
Skype is not such a thing, and isn't likely to become one for those of
us for whom free and open licenses are a nonnegotiable requirement.

Therefore, you need a telephone number to dial into. This doesn't mean
users need to use a traditional telephone, it just means that you aren't
going to get another way to include Skype as part of the mix.

Skype can dial into the pstn. It would be nice if it could dial SIP and
IAX, but I'm unaware that they support any free and open protocols.
Guess they want to control the world.

SIP and IAX clients can also dial into the pstn--or to other SIP and IAX
devlices. On Linux I currently use twinkle from the console with a nice,
high-quality headset for this. The gui of twinkle is KDE, so is not
accessible in the near future.

Please note that your pstn phone number could be pretty cheap--on the
order of $2 per month, even, though if someone actually does dial over
the pstn to reach it, the cost will be metered per minute. However, this
meter can run as low as half a penny per minute, dependening.

Janina

Michael Weaver writes:
> i am very new to voice conferenceing so i don't know anything 
> about voice applications such as skype or any of the other linux 
> or windows applications although i have used msn to do keyboard 
> chat.  i am aware that a while ago on this list there seemed to 
> be some heated discussion about skype not being accessible with 
> orca or that it isn't a priority because there are other linux 
> apps.  i don't want to end up ruffling any feathers so to speak 
> on the subjecct but a group of us in my local area have started a 
> group to lease if you like between different blind organisations 
> and try to provide services ie it training etc and none of the 
> group at the moment apart from me use linux.  one of the things 
> they are wanting to do is to use voice conferenceing so we don't 
> have to awl meet formally and the chairman and vice chairman are 
> wanting people to use skype.
> if i am not gothe to be using skype are any of the linux 
> alterantighes ie ekiga able to contact skype users?
> i ask this because i did have windows running on my desktop only 
> spyhunter has put all applications out of action and i have not 
> been able to fix it when i got a trojan on my system and tried to 
> use spyhunter to remove it and it keeps uing up with a security 
> message for the spyhunter guard or something so i am just using 
> linux and my braillenote for internet access and email at the 
> moment and i have not yet been able to encourage my group to use 
> linux although it is something i have offered to help teach the 
> basics of if we were to provide it training but the group is only 
> interested in teaching  windows screenreaders such as jaws and 
> nvda etc at present.
> _______________________________________________
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> 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
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