I agree. I think the worst part, though, is that the fix will
not be a patch (this was indicated by the announcement made a
couple weeks ago by Mr. Slone of Humanware). Instead, it will
be a new keysoft upgrade. This means that (A) people have to buy
the upgrade/use SMA counts to upgrade just to access a website
that has been, at most, $50 per year since it started and has
never had to be paid for in regards to special software or
anything of the kind before and (B) this leaves classic users in
the dust. Humanware has said it will not update the classics to
fix this problem because it is no longer updating keysoft for
classics, yet they released three patches to the most recent
release of keysoft (7.5) which worked just fine on all models of
Braillenote, INCLUDING the classic. With the exception of the
braille display transplant, there is no trade-in or
price-reducing program for moving from a classic to an mPower,
and I know several people that still use classics, not counting
some of the braillenote users in my school district whom I do not
know well. None of them will be able to access Bookshare because
Humanware is not updating the classics with a patch that needs to
be released a month ago!
Have a great day,
Alex
----- Original Message -----
From: "Ray Campbell" <[email protected]
To: <[email protected]
Date sent: Mon, 26 Jan 2009 21:14:19 -0600
Subject: [Braillenote] FW: Bookshare Issue with Braille Notes
Hi All:
Below is a copy of a message I sent both to Humanware and
Bookshare regarding the inability of Braille Note users to access
Bookshare's new site. Read and enjoy. I'm using web mail to
forward this which I hope will not mean it will come out in HTML.
If it does, I sincerely apologize for that.
Ray Campbell, Adaptive Technology Help Desk Technician, the
Chicago Lighthouse
[email protected]
________________________________
From: Ray Campbell [mailto:[email protected]]
Sent: Mon 1/26/2009 8:24 PM
To: [email protected]; [email protected]
Cc: [email protected]
Subject: Bookshare Issue with Braille Notes
Hello:
I have been reading with great interest and increasing concern
about the inability of users of the Braille Note family of
Products to access the new Bookshare website and download
materials because of the new standard Bookshare is using to
"pack" their books. I am a Braille note user, but not currently
a Bookshare subscriber. I have worked for over three years in
the Adaptive Technology field and I have over 15 years experience
in software engineering and development. The opinions expressed
herein are strictly my own.
I have come to the conclusion that while both Bookshare and
Humanware are at fault for the now inability of Braille Note
users to access Bookshare content, Humanware must take most of
the blame. Bookshare should have been much more proactive with
manufacturers of products like the Braille Note in working with
them on the changes they were making and not putting their new
site on-line until these manufacturers had the chance to
appropriately modify their software so the user of products like
the Braille Note would have uninterrupted access to Bookshare
content. After all, Bookshare was the first site of its kind to
be usable directly by those with Braille Notes.
Humanware, However, is mostly at fault here. They have not
offered any acceptable solution to the Bookshare issue. Then
should have been prepared with a free software patch to their
latest version of Keysoft, Version 7.5, so that when the new
Bookshare site came on-line, Braille Note users could download
and install it and enjoy uninterrupted access.
Both Bookshare and Humanware are offering unacceptable, temporary
solutions to address this issue. Bookshare indicates it is
maintaining its old site atstatic.legacy.bookshare.org so that
Braille Note users can still download content. This is not
acceptable because this site is not being updated with new
content including books, newspapers and other things. This is
particularly hard hitting to those who are deaf-blind who have
come to depend on access to Bookshare content for their news and
information. While many of us were celebrating the Inauguration
of the 44th President of the United States, Barack Obama, many of
these individuals were deprived of celebrating along with us
because they could not access the news and information they
depend on. Many of these individuals do not own personal
computers, so the Braille Note is the only internet access they
enjoy.
For its part, Humanware has stated a solution will not be
forthcoming until the next Keysoft release. However, they have
offered no idea as to how long it will be before that release
comes out. This means those for whom the Braille Note is their
only access to Bookshare content are being left behind for an
indefinite period of time.
The ball is in Humanware's court. Humanware must move quickly to
develop, test and make available a software patch for the Braille
Note family of products so that Braille Note users can once again
enjoy access to Bookshare through their new site. This should
not be too hard to do as the software needed to unpack the new
Bookshare convent is standard and available for the Windows CE
platform on which the Braille Note runs. If for any unexplained
reason they make excuses as to why this cannot be done, then
Bookshare must commit to providing up to date content both on
their new site and on their legacy site so that Braille Note
users can access and enjoy it. Furthermore, either Humanware or
Bookshare must set up a program to refund part of the latest
nearly Bookshare subscription fee to users who have been shut out
of accessing Bookshare content.
What has happened with Bookshare and Humanware is a terrible
injustice to people who are blind, especially those who are
deaf-blind who depend on using the Braille Note with Bookshare.
Let's see a fast resolution to this problem which fully restores
access for those who depend on it!
___
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___
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If your reply would be useful to the list, please send a
copy to the list as well.
To leave the BrailleNote list, send a blank message to
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To view the list archives or change your preferences, visit
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