Hi Kevin, This is incorrect, on two levels:
1) Shareware *requires* payment. NVDA does not require payment, though they strongly encourage donations. Therefore, it could at best be “donation ware”. 2) Even so, it’s free software, as I said, in the definition from the Free Software Foundation. That’s “free” as in “liberty”, not as in “beer”, though it happens to be that as well. For clarification, see: http://www.gnu.org/philosophy/philosophy.html As this begins to stray woefully off topic, I’m happy to discuss further off list. -- Buddy Brannan, KB5ELV - Erie, PA Phone: (814) 860-3194 or 888-75-BUDDY On Jul 3, 2013, at 1:35 PM, Kevin Huber <[email protected]> wrote: > Hi Buddy and all: > > Just a comment on NVDA, everybod says the NVDA is free, and th is true > to a point. > But as we all know, they do ask for donations to keep the project > going, which is perfectly understandable, so technically NVDA should > be considered to be Shareware, rather than Freeware. > Kevin Huber > > On 7/3/13, Buddy Brannan <[email protected]> wrote: >> >> >> My comments about product naming aside, I guess for better or worse, I’m >> weighing in, too. >> >> OK, GW Micro asks what people want to see better access to. Consumers (you >> and me, except I didn’t) respond. GW listens. This is excellent, actually, >> since GW Micro listened to the needs and wants of their users and put >> something together to accommodate. >> >> But it’s too expensive! Sighted people don’t have to pay $50 to use >> Facebook. >> >> Neither do you. What you *do* have the option to pay for is something to >> make using Facebook more convenient. You can choose to have that >> convenience, or not. Yes, convenience. You know those little stores on the >> corner? Like 7-11, Circle K, Diamond Scamrock, places like that? They’re >> called “Convenience stores”, and their prices are generally higher than >> similar or identical goods in a big box store or grocery store. Why? You’re >> paying for the convenience of not having to go all the way to a grocery >> store, search the shelves, and get what you want. You’re paying for the >> convenience of a short drive and a quick nip into the store for a gallon of >> bread and a loaf of milk. In similar fashion, subscribing to this app, or >> the Socializer in SAMNet, or GW Connect, can be viewed in a similar way. >> >> Beyond that though, full disclosure. It’s no secret that I work for another >> AT company, I’m fairly sure that most people probably know which one. Even >> so, I’m a Window-Eyes user. I’m also an NVDA user. And, of course, a System >> Access user. And a Mac user. And an iPhone user. And to a limited extent, a >> Chromebook user. Yep. Fingers in lots of pies. Anyway, all that to say, I >> have some idea of what goes into making some of this stuff go, especially as >> concerns things like keeping up with the ever-changing landscape of things >> like Facebook, things that change on seemingly nothing more than a whim. >> Keepin up with that takes people. People gotta eat. In our current system of >> doing things, this means money, and that’s got to come from somewhere. If >> this was a do once and forget it kind of deal, that would be fantastic, but >> it’s not. Anyone who’s ever looked at the Facebook site from month to month, >> even week to week, knows that. So if the product is needed, and enough >> people see the value in it, it will get bought and maintained and succeed.. >> If not, it will fail, and the developers will go off and do something else >> for a while. Pretty simple. TANSTAAFL and all that. >> >> Someone, or someones, mentioned NVDA. NVDA is fantastic. It’s well done, >> it’s matured nicely, it does lots of great things, and it’s free. Let’s be >> clear though, NVDA is free software in the GNU definition of free. This >> means that you have the freedom to redistribute it, to modify it, to share >> your modifications. It also happens to be no cost, or “free as in beer”, but >> it doesn’t have to be in order to be “free software”. But I digress >> somewhat. >> >> You’ll note that development of NVDA, even though it’s free, takes money as >> well. Some of this money is had through grants from big companies. These >> grants, to some extent, likely also drive the direction it goes (i.e. it >> will have better support for Adobe Reader because Adobe threw money at >> them). Some of this money comes from you, the end user, which is why you are >> asked to donate every time you update. You can choose to, or not, but >> understand that *someone*, *somewhere*, has to pay *something*. Even if no >> on pays anything, the developers pay in cost of their time, which could be >> spent doing something that *did* pay them. TANSTAAFL, again. >> >> Would I like everything to be free and work for us without any extra effort? >> Damn skippy I would. In my ideal world, we wouldn’t need companies like GW >> Micro, Serotek, Freedom Giantific, and the rest, because access would be >> built in, would not be an afterthought, and would work 100% of the time for >> all populations who need it. Unfortunately, this isn’t the reality, and it >> likely will never be the reality. Sure, it’s a lot better now. The fact that >> we’re even entertaining this discussion, that we can even think about >> expecting such access, would have been unheard of five years ago. It will >> likely get even better in the future, and a day when universal access is the >> norm rather than the exception seems likely to me. (This will present its >> own set of problems, but this post is long enough already.) And anyway, that >> day isn’t here yet. >> >> So, yeah. Buy it if it’s useful and convenient for you. Don’t if it isn’t. >> It’s really pretty simple. Even though I have the Socializer, and even >> though I use lots of other things, it is likely that I’ll buy it myself, if >> for no other reason than to have another option, because it’s convenient. >> -- >> Buddy Brannan, KB5ELV - Erie, PA >> Phone: (814) 860-3194 or 888-75-BUDDY >> >> >> >> On Jul 3, 2013, at 12:37 PM, Louis <[email protected]> wrote: >> >>> Well, I sure do remember it, and ain't that survey outcome really really! >>> Somethin'!! And such a nice warm reception for GW's effort, too!! >>> >>> Louis Gosselin >>> >>> >>> >>> -----Original Message----- >>> From: Sandra Fouts [mailto:[email protected]] >>> Sent: Wednesday, July 03, 2013 12:01 PM >>> To: '[email protected]' >>> Cc: [email protected] >>> Subject: RE: GW Micro Announces SocialEyes >>> >>> Don’t remember any app survey. But then I don’t alwaysdo surveys. They >>> can been good but they can also get you in to a bunch of trouble. s >>> >>> >>> >>> From: Aaron Smith [mailto:[email protected]] >>> Sent: Wednesday, July 03, 2013 10:55 AM >>> Cc: [email protected] >>> Subject: Re: GW Micro Announces SocialEyes >>> >>> >>> >>> Why don't GW Micro do a survey of their customers to see what direction >>> they want to go. >>> >>> >>> Actually, we did an app request survey, and the number one requested app >>> was for...wait for it...Facebook. >>> >>> I might also point out that the development team involved with apps is not >>> the same team involved with Window-Eyes development, which is why it can >>> devote resources to creating new solutions while Window-Eyes continues to >>> grow on its own path. >>> >>> Thanks, >>> >>> Aaron >>> >>> >>> >>> -- >>> Aaron Smith >>> Web Development * App Development * Product Support Specialist GW Micro, >>> Inc. * 725 Airport North Office Park, Fort Wayne, IN 46825 >>> 260-489-3671 * gwmicro.com >>> >>> To insure that you receive proper support, please include all past >>> correspondence (where applicable), and any relevant information pertinent >>> to your situation when submitting a problem report to the GW Micro >>> Technical Support Team. >>> 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. 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.
