What we really need is some tutorials/rough guidelines on how to
import/use wxWidgets and other GUI based libs, but then again, who's
going to do this/find it necessary?
If you want to talk more about this kinda stuff, just email me
off-list so we don't tick off the mods.
Alex
On 8/12/2011 3:13 PM, Robert Cole wrote:
I agree with you there. I took a class in which Python was the
main language taught, but the problem is that all I learned to do
was to create a program which takes in a birthday and gives a
person a personality characteristic about himself/herself
according to some formulas. Unfortunately, I have taken classes in
C++ as well, but it was basically the same--creating programs
which use minimal skills, and basically do something very, very
simple like printing diamond shapes made of asterisks on the
screen.
I read these posts on the Orca list as well as the Ubuntu
Accessibility list, and I just feel awful because I hardly know a
thing. I have a little bit of vision which allows me to use the
eZoom plugin in Compiz, but I don't think that it is going to
last, and I definitely do not plan on switching back to Windows. I
just wish that there was some way that I could help, so long as I
would have the time to do so.
In any case, thanks for the links.
On 08/12/2011 11:54 AM, Alex H. wrote:
Hi,
It's sort of little of this little of that, the Python
Tutorial at python.org is a good read, but it does go into
planet Esoterica as you go and it takes quite a while to
really get what is going on. Also, http://www.sthurlow.com/python/
is a beginner's point of view on Python. It starts out
stupidly simple but at least it's harder to get lost that way.
I hit the wall when it comes to actually....using it. Sure
it's good to be able to write abstract tidbits of code to make
math easier on yourself, but what about doing something
useful? This is where the resources are lacking.
Alex
On 8/12/2011 2:45 PM, Robert Cole wrote:
I know that this is slightly
off-topic, and I apologize for it, but what resources are
you using to learn Python, Alex? I have a book which I
ordered online for beginning Python, but I was curious as to
what you are using? Thank you.
On 08/12/2011 11:09 AM, Alex H. wrote:
Hi,
On 8/12/2011 1:44 PM, Christopher Chaltain wrote:
All laudable goals, but let's not
lose sight of the gains we've also
made. I switched from Windows to Linux a few months ago,
thanks to the
vinux distribution. I tried doing this several times
over the last
decade, but I wasn't successful until just now. I think
this says a lot
about how far the state of Linux accessibility has come.
Agree. I'm not using Linux as my main OS, but it has
certainly become less annoying to use as of late. Before,
I was die-hard CLI. Now I can actually use the GNOME
environment without cringing at how laggy Orca is in
Firefox and huge lists of files. Obviously there's room
for improvement (e.g, Orca performance in Firefox can
still use a big boost and accuracy check, as well as
general responsiveness is not as good as the Windows
counterparts with NVDA). That being said, things are a bit
better and will hopefully improve steadily.
Universal access across
distributions and operating systems is a
laudable goal, but how realistic is it really? Is this a
situation where
we'd just be tilting at windmills? I mean if everyone
could agree then
we wouldn't have so many distributions and operating
systems in the
first place.
This is Linux's biggest fault. On one hand, you have 200+
distributions to pick from, and probably only 10-15 of
those are actually accessible without having major issues.
And that's probably a bit too positive. I don't just mean
they stuck Orca in and left it at that, I mean actually
having a snappy, well-put together OS that isn't going to
need a boatload of configuring for the nooby. For noobs
and Linux, Ubuntu and/or Vinux is really their only GUI
option where they can use various Windows apps natively
under Linux and gradually move into the Linux world.
People will probably say we should all use Arch, but not
everybody can just pick up a Linux book and start
configuring their Arch system to their heart's content. As
far as consoles go, Speakup is the solution, or Emacspeak,
it's the GUI in all its flavors that really puts us blind
and other disabled people on the brink of falling behind
the pack.
Finally, I don't consider these
questions to be trivial. I have a job
right now that requires I have access to Linux, I can
access wireless
networks, I can use IRC, I can read email and so on. I
need answers to
these questions now if I'm going to keep my job. I can't
wait for these
questions to be answered or these issues to be addressed
until after we
have universal access across distributions and operating
systems. I just
can't wait that long.
Yes indeed. Universal access? What does this actually even
mean? To me, it means not just the visually impaired user
of technology, but the deaf and physically handicapped.
Speech recognition under Linux is lacking or so I've
heard, and there's probably other areas where Linux
doesn't even scratch the surface of what needs to be done
for other disabled individuals to effectively use their
machines. Having universsal access will probably never
happen. Nobody really likes getting involved in the
nitty-gritty, and all the really awesome coders are
finding big buck jobs and using Windows, or at the most,
Linux as a server for websites etc.
People need to start coming to major conclusions if we
want something to get done on a more global/distrowide
level. I'm on some other a11y Linux lists for various
distros, and all they seem to do is bitch and moan about
needing to make plans, and then argue amongst themselves
about how to target accessibility in their distro, which
leads to lots of quoted messages and arguments about the
argument that started the initial argument about arguing
about accessibility and usability, which in turn brings in
another longwinded string of stuff hardly related to
accessibility in the first place. In short, instead of
coding, they're all just trying to figure out how to
implement a11y and the result is almost no progress, at
least in my eyes. Why don't people just start coding and
experimenting rather than checking with the big elitists
if it's OK? The community will decide in the end if their
efforts are good or not.
Now, to back up my whinefest, I'm actually learning
Python. It's been slow going, as I have a real life, but
I'm going to eventually try helping instead of blowing hot
air.
Oh, and yeah, a unified hotkey on any Linux distro to
bring up accessibility options would be welcome. Now we'd
just need to get the actual access there. Fluxbox, IseWM,
and other obscure windowmanagers, anyone? Oh, what about
Puppy Linux? Still not accessible. Why? It's too hard. Boo
hoo!
Alex
On 12/08/11 10:30, Frost wrote:
Hello all,
Sure would be nice if some of these accessibility
functions
could be added to the LSB the way the filesystem is.
We have Alt+F2 and
type orca, Mickeysoft has Windows+U...dunno what Apple
has. Because it
sure as hell be nice to press a certain keystroke and
get the accessible
installation, plus it sure would save a hell of a lot
of posts on, "How
do I install Ubuntu, or GRML, or Arch, or Debian,
etc., etc., etc.
Universal Access isn't very universal at all with no
standards from one
distribution to another, let alone from one operating
system to another.
When are we going to make universal Access
universal? When will
we be able to press a key, no matter which LSB
compliant distro and get
an accessible installation, or have a screen
reader/magnifier start up?
When are we going to stop monkeying around with the
trivial crap and
actually do something intelligent for ourselves? When
are we
handicapped going to become part of the Linux
Standards Base?
Michael
_______________________________________________
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.
The manual is at http://library.gnome.org/users/gnome-access-guide/nightly/ats-2.html
The FAQ is at http://live.gnome.org/Orca/FrequentlyAskedQuestions
Netiquette Guidelines are at http://live.gnome.org/Orca/FrequentlyAskedQuestions/NetiquetteGuidelines
Log bugs and feature requests at http://bugzilla.gnome.org
Find out how to help at http://live.gnome.org/Orca/HowCanIHelp
_______________________________________________
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.
The manual is at http://library.gnome.org/users/gnome-access-guide/nightly/ats-2.html
The FAQ is at http://live.gnome.org/Orca/FrequentlyAskedQuestions
Netiquette Guidelines are at http://live.gnome.org/Orca/FrequentlyAskedQuestions/NetiquetteGuidelines
Log bugs and feature requests at http://bugzilla.gnome.org
Find out how to help at http://live.gnome.org/Orca/HowCanIHelp
_______________________________________________
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.
The manual is at http://library.gnome.org/users/gnome-access-guide/nightly/ats-2.html
The FAQ is at http://live.gnome.org/Orca/FrequentlyAskedQuestions
Netiquette Guidelines are at http://live.gnome.org/Orca/FrequentlyAskedQuestions/NetiquetteGuidelines
Log bugs and feature requests at http://bugzilla.gnome.org
Find out how to help at http://live.gnome.org/Orca/HowCanIHelp
--
Sent via Thunderbird.
|
