Re: [orca-list] my thoughts/decisions about orca

[Thomas Ward <thomasward1978 gmail com>]

Hi Michael,

I have to agree with you on all points. Sadly it was not that long ago
I was actually considering using Linux full time and not bothering
with Windows or Mac. However, as you pointed out the three areas I use
most such as office, internet, and e-mail are problematic on Linux
with Orca which has forced me to seriously rethink my position on how
much I want to spend time using the OS when I can simply go back to
where accessibility is stable and I can actually use Firefox,
Thunderbird, and MS Office without the headaches associated with Gnome
3, LibreOffice, Firefox, Thunderbird, etc. I hate to sound negative
here but but since Gnome 3.0/3.2 Orca and Gnome have become a desktop
environment I simply can not coexist with on a professional level and
get my work done and am stuck with using Gnome 2.32 for the moment as
its what I would consider the most accessible and stable desktop for a
VI user.

Speakup is of course the same as usual, and that would be fine if I
could write Word documents, Excel spreadsheets, and other things via
the console, but I can't which I think is a serious problem for Linux
users. The demands of the professional world university, most
businesses, etc demand that documents be saved/submitted in
Microsoft's proprietary office formats, and if you don't have access
to Microsoft Office and the next best thing like LibreOffice isn't up
to par VI Linux users are screwed. I'd really like to see some of
these core desktop capabilities be addressed as soon as possible as
its a serious problem for anyone who uses Linux in a university or
business setting and depends on Orca for access.

On 12/5/11, Michael Whapples <mwhapples aim com> wrote:
> Hello,
> As you raised the topic, I will give some of my thoughts.
>
> I have to agree that for a system where one wants to focus on using it for
> email, internet and office type work (word processing and spreadsheet) then
> orca and gnome are just not cutting it now. Possibly the office type part is
> the bit I can say least on, if I use libreoffice it normally is either
> because I am dealing with a word document someone has sent me or its a very
> basic document or I know that a word document is desired (eg. the Open
> University specify that assignments should be submitted as word or RTF), for
> anything more complicated I know LaTeX and so may resort to that. The main
> issues I have revolve round the Mozilla products (thunderbird and firefox)
> and the unfortunate situation that we are currently held hostage to using
> these gnome. Many of you probably know from previous messages about my
> gripes with Mozilla based products, interestingly though flat review is
> possibly not the thing I would highlight although it sometimes is in
> firefox. I know webkit support is in development, however it still has a bit
> to go and it doesn't solve the email problem.
>
> Then there are possibly the more general platform issues, some of the bugs
> which have come in since gnome 3, eg. the problem with new windows not
> having the focused control shown by orca until a focus changed event happens
> (actually I am not sure if its focus changed because just going into the
> menu does not seem to resolve it). Some of these are small but just add to a
> general feeling of clumbsiness when using the system. Then there are
> non-accessibility issues such as the push to pulseaudio which just tends to
> make me feel like I am fighting the system to get something which is
> workable and is particularly a problem when I want to have sound both from
> gnome and when I am in a text console with speakup, which probably is very
> likely due to my feelings about thunderbird and the only other viable
> alternatives for email seeming to be text based clients.
>
> I know the above sounds very negative, it has been a bit hard to say as in
> the past I have been very keen on Linux and was actively choosing it over
> some of the alternatives.
>
> I will finish by saying, there are certainly some uses where Linux may be
> the right choice, however for core desktop activities I feel not.
>
> Michael Whapples