I'm not even sure they want me to even download apps here. A couple of years ago, one of the IT people didn't really like me letting an error message go to gw micro.
-----Original Message----- From: Stephen Clower [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: Wednesday, September 28, 2011 12:41 PM To: Sandra Fouts Cc: David; shannon; Don H; gwmicro Subject: Re: WE and OCR Sandra, The point I am making is that our scripting ability will let somebody who has the time to create this feature today, right now, without having to wait on us. While we encourage people to use and create apps, Window-Eyes will never become solely reliant on them. Think of apps as being able to build extra rooms or floors onto your house. There are some parts of the mouse, such as the foundation, plumbing, electrical wiring, etc which you wouldn't normally want people messing with. You need a solid foundation from which to build, assuming you want to add to your home in the first place. We likewise want to have a solid, usable core of features and capabilities in Window-Eyes itself. Shunting core functionality off into an app is unacceptable since some users may not want to run them, and indeed corporate IT policies can disable script execution support across a network. If, for example, we rewrote Browse Mode as a script (which isn't going to happen, BTW), then users who couldn't run scripts would also not be able to use the internet. The OCR feature has its good and bad points. I can't say whether we will invest resources into it at this time. However, if you really, really want it, the solid Window-Eyes foundation is there right now for you to devise your own solution. Regards, Steve On 9/28/2011 12:31 PM, Sandra Fouts wrote: > By the time the next version of Window-eyes comes out, what are we going to > have, just the innerface with 100000000 apps to download? I pray and hope > not! > Besides, there's libal to be one that says something like, "If you want > this screen reader to even work, download this app." Sorry couldn't resist. > > -----Original Message----- > From: Stephen Clower [mailto:[email protected]] > Sent: Wednesday, September 28, 2011 11:08 AM > To: David > Cc: shannon; Don H; gwmicro > Subject: Re: WE and OCR > > Greetings, > > Just to reiterate a point made yesterday, our scripting interface is powerful > enough to allow anyone with the requisite knowledge and time to develop such > an app today-- without having to wait for us to either write one or integrate > such functionality into Window-Eyes directly. > > Regards, > Steve > > > On 9/28/2011 11:59 AM, David wrote: >> Way I see it, if GW - or anyone else - would make onscreen OCR >> available, it would sure make a leap forward. But not just forward, >> rather even into the modern-day world. >> >> True, there is a load of features that might be of high importance, >> for a screen reader to deal with. And likely we could have made a >> list, that would range the priority of a number of them, higher than >> Onscreen OCR. >> I am not going to argue about that. But still, more and more cases >> will arise, where the onscreen OCR will come in handy. And, as such, >> I do hold it to be worth to consider having the screen reader handle >> those cases as well. Maybe we are not even aware of all the cases >> where it would prove helpful. Today, we are unable to handle this and >> that task properly; and hence deem it inaccessible. Why? Because we >> don't see the screen. Our screen reader goes quiet. And we, judge >> that ther there is nothing on the screen but graphics. In reality, >> maybe the document or any other text, might have been fully >> accessible, if there was such a thing as Onscreen OCR. With the risk >> of having a ton of people arguing me, I do dare to claim, if the >> thing is not good for any reason - then why is it that other screen >> reader manufacturers have ever bothered to put resources into the matter. >> >> And, as for the legality of performing such OCR, I am not sure about >> every country's local laws. Yet, I would think there could be strong >> reasons, why any blind person would have his full rights to OCR any >> written document. OK, a printed document could have a copyright >> statement, that it is not to be reproduced in electronic format. As >> such, you could claim, it was illegal for me to OCR that printed paper. >> Yet most countries would accept me doing so, realizing that it is the >> only way for me to get my hands on the information. When comes to >> onscreen OCR though, any such statement will already have fallen to >> the ground - due to the fact, they are already electronic - the documents. >> The term ONSCREEN OCR, indicates that the document has to be on your >> screen first-hand, and you then run an OCR on it. In other words, if >> an author makes his document available in a format that shows up on >> your screen, that document is already in an electronic format. Hence >> you are not reproducing anything at all, and therefore should not be >> violating any law. Look upon your OCR as your reading glasses. Are >> you going to tell your grandmother, that she is not allowed to put on >> her reading glasses? Would she violate any law by using glasses when >> reading her newspaper, correspondance, restaurant menus, or >> ingredience list on the groceries? Well, you are doing exactly the >> same thing, only in a far more hazzled way - with your computer. >> >> >> ----- Original Message ----- From: "shannon" >> <[email protected]> >> To: "Don H"<[email protected]>; "gwmicro"<[email protected]> >> Sent: Wednesday, September 28, 2011 5:15 PM >> Subject: Re: WE and OCR >> >> >>> I would agree with you. >>> I have been looking for a OCR program too and I have had little success. >>> I downloaded the fine reader demo and I could not make much of it >>> and now my trial is out of time. It is buy it or unload it, and it >>> put files all over my system. >>> I know open book is designed for the blind user but it is so >>> expensive. I wish there was a way to make one of the less expensive >>> ones work well. >>> Shannon >>> ----- Original Message ----- From: "Don H"<[email protected]> >>> To: "gwmicro"<[email protected]> >>> Sent: Wednesday, September 28, 2011 10:00 AM >>> Subject: WE and OCR >>> >>> >>>> I have always thought it would be a great idea to pick one of the >>>> available OCR programs like finereader or what ever create a App to >>>> make it more user friendly with WE and maybe just maybe take some >>>> sales away from FS and Open Book which is so expensive. >>>> If you reply to this message it will be delivered to the original >>>> sender only. If your reply would benefit others on the list and >>>> your message is related to GW Micro, then please consider sending >>>> your message to [email protected] so the entire list will receive it. >>>> >>>> GW-Info messages are archived at http://www.gwmicro.com/gwinfo. You >>>> can manage your list subscription at http://www.gwmicro.com/listserv. >>>> >>>> >>> >>> If you reply to this message it will be delivered to the original >>> sender only. If your reply would benefit others on the list and your >>> message is related to GW Micro, then please consider sending your >>> message to [email protected] so the entire list will receive it. >>> >>> GW-Info messages are archived at http://www.gwmicro.com/gwinfo. You >>> can manage your list subscription at http://www.gwmicro.com/listserv. >>> >> If you reply to this message it will be delivered to the original >> sender only. If your reply would benefit others on the list and your >> message is related to GW Micro, then please consider sending your >> message to [email protected] so the entire list will receive it. >> >> GW-Info messages are archived at http://www.gwmicro.com/gwinfo. You >> can manage your list subscription at http://www.gwmicro.com/listserv. > > -- > Stephen Clower > Product support specialist > GW Micro, Inc. * 725 Airport North Office Park, Fort Wayne, IN 46825 > 260-489-3671 * gwmicro.com > If you reply to this message it will be delivered to the original sender > only. If your reply would benefit others on the list and your message is > related to GW Micro, then please consider sending your message to > [email protected] so the entire list will receive it. > > GW-Info messages are archived at http://www.gwmicro.com/gwinfo. You can > manage your list subscription at http://www.gwmicro.com/listserv. > If you reply to this message it will be delivered to the original sender > only. If your reply would benefit others on the list and your message is > related to GW Micro, then please consider sending your message to > [email protected] so the entire list will receive it. > > GW-Info messages are archived at http://www.gwmicro.com/gwinfo. You can > manage your list subscription at http://www.gwmicro.com/listserv. -- Stephen Clower Product support specialist GW Micro, Inc. * 725 Airport North Office Park, Fort Wayne, IN 46825 260-489-3671 * gwmicro.com If you reply to this message it will be delivered to the original sender only. If your reply would benefit others on the list and your message is related to GW Micro, then please consider sending your message to [email protected] so the entire list will receive it. GW-Info messages are archived at http://www.gwmicro.com/gwinfo. You can manage your list subscription at http://www.gwmicro.com/listserv.
