Re: [orca-list] Changing the keybindings to be JAWS-like or

["Albert Sten-Clanton" <albert e sten_clanton verizon net>]

I remember my new user days pretty well.  As I've stumbled along the Linux
path, learning the differences between the keystrokes of Orca and JAWS has
not been much of a problem.  Indeed, I find some Orca keystrokes preferable
to their JAWS equivalents, especially where they line up with Speakup keys,
as in reading parts of the screen.  

Aside from the non-visual access issues that just about all of us on this
list face, my big problem, as a new and continuing Linux user, has been
getting though documentation for using a program, documentation written in
as much plain language as possible.  There's a lot more than there was when
I started, for which I'm grateful.  (The Arch Linux folks do quite a good
job most of the time, in my view.) You have to know where to find the good
stuff, though, and, to one of John's points,a new Linux user will not.
Beginners' books direct you to the man and info pages, but, as some authors
admit, most of these are downright lousy for understanding how to use a
program well.  I'm not claiming an entitlement here, just noting the fact
that the lack of good stuff that's quick to find will make it easy for new
users to drop GNU/Linux real fast.  (I've stuck with it because I care about
having a text console that really is one and because I care about freedom,
including software freedom.)
 
Incidentally, I'm not saying that Windows documentation is better.  I don't
know whether it's better or worse.  It's likely, though, that somebody
switching Windows versions will find help more easily than somebody trying
to switch from Windows or something else to Linux, just because at this
point a considerable majority of people use Windows.  

For my part, I've had notably more trouble learning the keys on the Windows
8.1 laptop my wife just got, even though it essentially has a desktop
keyboard.  I've had more trouble still trying to figure out an old Thinkpad
with Sonar (I believe) installed on it, to the point where I've given up
until somebody tells me something I can use.  In this context, learning the
Orca keystrokes was a minor matter indeed.

Al

-----Original Message-----
From: orca-list [mailto:orca-list-bounces gnome org] On Behalf Of John Heim
Sent: Thursday, May 15, 2014 10:21 AM
To: Krishnakant Mane; vilmar informal com br; orca-list gnome org
Subject: Re: [orca-list] Changing the keybindings to be JAWS-like or


What you are really saying is that it's okay for it to be really hard to try
linux.  That is what you have just said. You have to do all this research in
advance, join mailing lists, study the documentation, probably have 2
computers so you can have one in Windows while you try linux on the other.
And if someone wants to just sit down, boot a live CD like sonar or vinux,
and try it out, we don't care about them.

It's just ridiculous to argue that making it easier to try linux isn't
worthwhile. Of course it is.




On 05/15/14 06:02, Krishnakant Mane wrote:
> Then what is the documentation for ?
> If you are a user transending to Linux, then the smartest thing to do 
> is first google up the docs, ask on the mailing list about the basic 
> (getting up and running ) keyboard commands, going to the Orca 
> preferences and chenging what you want.
> I guess people have jaws preferences UI as well?
> Just because a few people want to beleive that Windows and related 
> proprietary screen reader is a de-facto standard, it does not mean it 
> is a universal belief.
> Happy hacking.
> Krishnakant.
> On Thursday 15 May 2014 04:08 AM, John Heim wrote:
> > Come on people! New users aren't going to know how to customize the 
> > key bindings.  They aren't going to be able to use the screen reader 
> > in order to  change the keybindings. If they  could use the screen 
> > reader well enough to change the key bindings, they wouldn't need to 
> > change the key bindings.
> >
> > Well, I can recognize a certain value in leaving the key bindings the 
> > way they are just because we are all used to them. Seems a little 
> > selfish to me. Personally, I have sympathy for those trying to make 
> > the transition to linux.  It is difficult enough to learn a new 
> > operating system as it is if you are blind.
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