Re: [orca-list] Off topic discussions

["al Sten-Clanton" <Albert E Sten_Clanton verizon net>]

If I ever write on this list to ask about adding a feature to Orca, and I
know of that feature because I found it in JAWS, I'm sure going to mention
JAWS in my message.  We don't need to avoid the W-word or the J-word to
avoid engaging in philosophical or technical battles that belong elsewhere.


For most people, including most blind people, comparison is crucial in
deciding what sort of software is "compelling."  Much of the comparing will
be with proprietary software; it can't be helped, and shouldn't be
discouraged.  There are more agile thought processes to keep topics on their
right lists.

Arguably, the most off-topic thread I've seen on this list is the recent one
about whether Vinux will or will not direct us into a "blind ghetto."  I
wouldn't ever have started a thread like that here, but I eventually felt
diriven to add my piece to it.  It's the kind of topic that can pop up at
just about any gathering of blind people, and in large measure, that's what
this list is.  (I just hope I have the sense not to join in again, if
something else that far off-topic shows up here.)

 Beyond that, I think my opinion on this is pretty close to Will's, though
more tentatively.

Al

-----Original Message-----
From: orca-list-bounces gnome org [mailto:orca-list-bounces gnome org] On
Behalf Of Krishnakant
Sent: Saturday, February 28, 2009 3:56 AM
To: Willie Walker
Cc: Orca E-mail List
Subject: Re: [orca-list] Off topic discussions

On Fri, 2009-02-27 at 11:40 -0500, Willie Walker wrote:
> Hi All:
>
> I really like the fact that the orca-list is full of friendly, 
> constructive people helping each other.  This is fantastic and shows 
> we have a great community.
>
> However, debugging/griping/learning about topics other than Orca are a 
> bit off topic.  I'm at a loss for what to do here.  On one hand, it's 
> people helping people, which is good.  On the other hand, it adds 
> messages that are considered inappropriate discussions by others.
yes very true, although we must be a bit flexible at times since things
might link back to orca discussions indirectly or padagogically.

> Here is my semi-strong opinion...
>
> <opinion mode=semi-strong>
> For example, moral diatribes about Linux vs. Windows are perhaps 
> interesting and entertaining to some people dipping their toes into 
> the open source space for the first time, but they are also old, 
> tired, boring, uninsightful, and unconstructive to others who have 
> been around the block a few times.  I'd prefer those kinds of 
> discussions be held somewhere else.  Instead, let's keep our focus on 
> a problem we can
> solve: making Orca a compelling application for users.
I completely agree.  The problem however is that people come here to compare
orca with jaws or some thing else which should be equally discouraged, then
the root problem mentioned above will be automatically disabled.

We are here to provide freedom to blind people and open up new avanues in
daily and professional computing and the only way is to make free and open
source a compeling option and not a "comparative " option.

So such discussions should not be initiated in the first place.
If there is a feature request it should sound like "this feature would give
X bennifit and would impact the y functionality positively ".
and not "I think jaws has this feature so lets have it because then I will
find it easy to shift ".

> Another example is questions about how audio or accessibility is 
> integrated/included on a particular operating system distribution 
> (OpenSolaris, Ubuntu, GRML, Vinux/Vibuntu, Joe Schmoe's Change the 
> World Distro That Looks Like Everyone Else's Distro But It's Named Joe 
> Schmoe So It Must Be A Better Distro).  They should be held elsewhere.
Totally agreed and this will also help the questions go to their respective
places.
As a side note, if such question are very urgent for some people, try asking
them on the irc channel for orca rather than crowding the mailing list.

> If audio or accessibility doesn't work on your favorite distribution 
> of the week, report it to the operating system distribution.  They are 
> the ones who need to solve those kinds of integration problems and 
> they are the ones who need to know about it.  If you have a link to 
> the bug report that you filed with the operating distribution, you 
> might post it here as a means to help other people know that the 
> problem is known and has been logged.  Diagnosis and debugging an OS 
> integration issue, however, probably should take place with the OS 
> distribution and not on the Orca list.
Very true and just sending a link on this list to the bug report is more
than sufficient.

> Issues or suggestions for using Orca to access Thunderbird, OOo, FF, 
> GNOME in general, etc., or people wanting to become part of the Orca 
> solution, however, are definitely welcome.  That's the kind of focus 
> we need.
and EVINCE!!! I was about to bring up the topic in my next mail *smile *
> </opinion>
May the sanity of the list last for ever.

happy hacking.
Krishnakant.


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