Re: [WSG] Australian University webpage reviews and WANAU membership
Tim wrote: For some reason my membership of WANAU has been lost, ignored or denied by the WANAU moderator. I get the impression that WANAU is a university thing, and perhaps membership is restricted to university people (staff and students, etc). You should take that up with WANAU themselves. My emails to Dey Alexander to comment on this research have received no reply. I have spent a few hundred hours of my time unfunded to produce a webpage that is highly relevant to WANAU's objectives of promoting accessibility in Australian University websites. I understand that you undertook this research at your behest rather than WANAU's. If they choose to ignore it, then that is their decision. I also offer coding suggestions, but this research has so far been ignored or lost on WANAU, but it already has the attention of many concerned IT academics across Australia, a few with negative comments like the Australian Catholic University, but also many positive comments. I think WANAU's aim is to attempt change through encouragement rather than criticism. Catching more flies with honey. I think they are looking to support people, rather than put down their efforts. Investigate ways to positively effect web accessibility across the university sector. http://www.wanau.org/about/ Note the 'positively'. It concludes that 64% of Australian University sites pass Priority One accessibility tests which is contrary to Dey Alexanders 2003 report that 98% of sites failed accessibility tests. Your result does not necessarily negate Dey Alexander's result, which is four years old. A lot can happen in four years. Where are WANAU's real interests? Selling training courses based on old and inaccurate claims that 98% of Australian University sites are inaccessible without considering new research in not academic excellence, it may even breach the Trade Practices Act for misleading claims. I can see no example of how they are doing that. The reference to the paper is on his own site, not WANAU's. It is used as an example of the research that they do, along with other papers, which I find appropriate. It's good that you want to contribute. My advice is find out how you can contribute in a way that leads to acceptance of your work. For example, if you have tertiary qualifications, aim for post-grad work. Kat *** List Guidelines: http://webstandardsgroup.org/mail/guidelines.cfm Unsubscribe: http://webstandardsgroup.org/join/unsubscribe.cfm Help: [EMAIL PROTECTED] ***
Re: [WSG] Australian University webpage reviews and WANAU membership
No it is not a University only thing The network is an informal group of university people who share a common interest in the network's objectives. Our members include: * disability support staff * technical staff * web and instructional designers * academics and teaching staff * administrators and policy officers * students I have taken this up with WANAU, no reply. The WANAU coursers have been promoted within the context of old out-of-date research which has not been replicated by anyone else. Scientific method requires others to verify results, the 2003 result reported is not supported by other research or my research. If it is WANAU's decision to ignore a result then they are not worthy to call themselves academics within any scientific framework where replication is an essential element of scientific research. One swallow does not a summer make, one study by Fleishman and Ponds does not show that cold fusion is a reality. If this argument is taken to the logical extreme, do you say it is fine to ignore Galilleo's research showing the earth is moving around the sun because the Church did not commission of approve of his research. Their decision to ignore it and promote a figure that 98% of sites are accessible is preposterous and nscientific. Stalinist Russia ignored Mendel's research on genetics and followed Lamark's ideas of acquired characteristics being inheirited and the result was famine. Here WANAU have a commercial interest, the courses are $495 dollars a head and I have had the figure quoted to me from specific academics who I could name that Dey's figure of 98% gave them something to work with, but it is incorrect and misleading to use such a figure. Any lawyers can point you out the Trade Practice Act about misleading advertising and deceptive conduct, I do not have the time, but I have studied law as well as psychological research methods. Encouragement rather than criticism, did you see the coding suggestions? I intended to help the poor things, academics at any University with integrity have no right to be so fickle and fragile that they cannot accept constructive criticism aimed at making improvements. Did you mean Catching bees with honey, flies are attracted to shit. Have you heard of negative reinforcement when the rat in the maze takes the wrong turn and receives a shock or the child putting a knife in the toaster receives a life saving token smack, Skinnerian or Pavlovian psychology also involves negative consequences. In this case I can see the supposed Emperor has no clothes and I will not remain silent about it. It is a positive encouraging webpage that three institutions have so far benefited from in tangible ways to improve their code. It most certainly does negate the currency of Dey Alexander's 2003 research which has not been recently replicated, it is impossible to tell from her paper which errors are in which University pages, it is old fashioned pen and paper style of research inappropriate for an electronic medium about websites which exist now and can be tested everyday. My page allows anyone else to verify my results, replication replication, not individual opinions with commercial interests. I do not care if my research is not accepted by WANAU, they can shoot themselves in the foot by ignoring it. I care that it has scientific merit which seems to be of little concern to WANAU. My research enables others to replicate my results and perhaps benefit from my coding suggestions, try and replicate Dey's research, then try and replicate my research and tell me that I am just being subjective or that WANAU representing Universities can be so arrogant as to ignored valid research. TERTIARY QUALIFICATIONS, that is totally irrelevant to the quality of any research. I have a post graduate Diploma in Applied Social Psychological research, not that that is relevant, it is academic snobbery to ignore something unless professor x from institute y said it. So Dey is an academic and I am not listened to unless I have academic credibility, play the ball and not the man to use the Aussie rules parlance. If I have tertiary qualifications and what if I don't have any? I would not want to study IT or web design at Swinburne or RMIT, while they run around the country selling courses in web design for $495. The Australian education framework is based at least in TAFE on Competency based training, I do not mean to offend some great teachers but sometimes those who can do and those who cannot teach. http://www.hereticpress.com/Dogstar/Resume/TJAResume.html http://www.hereticpress.com/Dogstar/Resume/Academic.html I really could not care less what academic qualifications anyone has, the logic of what they say and the quality of their research is far more important than intellectual snobbery which seems to be one of the core issues here. Some real academics from institutes like Melbourne
Re: [WSG] Australian University webpage reviews and WANAU membership
On 25 May 2007, at 1:22 PM, Tim wrote: So what do you know about change management Nick? Comment on the research Nick, stick to the issue instead of trying so pathetically to belt me up. The page is not intended for you Nick. Take a bex and have a good lie down. Tim Reply made offlist as debates of qualifications and recommended medications are definitely OT. N ___ omnivision. websight. http://www.omnivision.com.au/ *** List Guidelines: http://webstandardsgroup.org/mail/guidelines.cfm Unsubscribe: http://webstandardsgroup.org/join/unsubscribe.cfm Help: [EMAIL PROTECTED] ***
Re: [WSG] Australian University webpage reviews and WANAU membership
and maybe you could have an anger management course while Nick is having his lie down or maybe we could just leave personal attacks out of the mailing list :) [EMAIL PROTECTED] 25/05/2007 11:22:12 am So what do you know about change management Nick? Comment on the research Nick, stick to the issue instead of trying so pathetically to belt me up. The page is not intended for you Nick. Take a bex and have a good lie down. Tim On 25/05/2007, at 12:09 PM, Nick Gleitzman wrote: On 24 May 2007, at 8:04 PM, Tim wrote: I have a post graduate Diploma in Applied Social Psychological research Wow. If that's true, then you should surely appreciate that the best way to effect change in *any* system is not by angry, aggressive and sarcastic ranting, but by reasoned, logical, CALM discussion. No-one wants to deal with someone who accuses all the time. and shouts while he's doing it to boot... Oh, and BTW, your web pages make my head hurt. They may contain relevant information, but visually friendly they ain't. N ___ omnivision. websight. http://www.omnivision.com.au/ *** List Guidelines: http://webstandardsgroup.org/mail/guidelines.cfm Unsubscribe: http://webstandardsgroup.org/join/unsubscribe.cfm Help: [EMAIL PROTECTED] *** The Editor Heretic Press http://www.hereticpress.com Email [EMAIL PROTECTED] *** List Guidelines: http://webstandardsgroup.org/mail/guidelines.cfm Unsubscribe: http://webstandardsgroup.org/join/unsubscribe.cfm Help: [EMAIL PROTECTED] *** ** The above message has been scanned and meets the Insurance Commission of Western Australia's Email security requirements for inbound transmission. ** The above message has been scanned and meets the Insurance Commission of Western Australia's Email security policy requirements for outbound transmission. This email (facsimile) and any attachments may be confidential and privileged. If you are not the intended recipient, you are hereby notified that any use, dissemination, distribution or copying of this email (facsimile) is strictly prohibited. If you have received this email (facsimile) in error please contact the Insurance Commission. Web: www.icwa.wa.gov.au Phone: +61 08 9264 * *** List Guidelines: http://webstandardsgroup.org/mail/guidelines.cfm Unsubscribe: http://webstandardsgroup.org/join/unsubscribe.cfm Help: [EMAIL PROTECTED] ***
Re: [WSG] Australian University webpage reviews and WANAU membership
Reply made offlist as debates of qualifications and recommended medications are definitely OT. /* Admin */ Agreed. This thread is now closed as the majority of content appears to be OT, and is certainly not conducive to helping anybody This list is for discussing and debating web standards and close-related topics. I would prefer this was done in a friendly helpful manner. The list rules *require* that this is done politely and professionally Keep this in mind Thanks Lachlan Hardy *** List Guidelines: http://webstandardsgroup.org/mail/guidelines.cfm Unsubscribe: http://webstandardsgroup.org/join/unsubscribe.cfm Help: [EMAIL PROTECTED] ***
ADMIN - THREAD CLOSED Re: [WSG] Australian University webpage reviews and WANAU membership
On Fri, 25 May 2007 13:33:46 +1000, Nick Gleitzman wrote: Reply made offlist as debates of qualifications and recommended medications are definitely OT. Thank you Nick. This thread is closed - it wasn't really on topic originally, although it showed some chance of morphing there. Any discussion needs to be on topic. If in doubt, please review: http://webstandardsgroup.org/mail/guidelines.cfm particularly What the list covers and does not cover The link to that page is always at the bottom of every post. warmly, Lea -- Lea de Groot WSG Core *** List Guidelines: http://webstandardsgroup.org/mail/guidelines.cfm Unsubscribe: http://webstandardsgroup.org/join/unsubscribe.cfm Help: [EMAIL PROTECTED] ***
Re: [WSG] Australian University webpage reviews and WANAU membership
On 25 May 2007, at 1:58 PM, Lachlan Hardy wrote: Reply made offlist as debates of qualifications and recommended medications are definitely OT. /* Admin */ Agreed. This thread is now closed as the majority of content appears to be OT, and is certainly not conducive to helping anybody This list is for discussing and debating web standards and close-related topics. I would prefer this was done in a friendly helpful manner. The list rules *require* that this is done politely and professionally Keep this in mind Thanks Lachlan Hardy At the risk of incurring further admin wrath, I'd just like to share that it only took two more emails offlist before Tim resorted to the irrefutable intellectual argument of telling me to f**k off. Speaks volumes, really. Communicate with him at your own risk. N ___ omnivision. websight. http://www.omnivision.com.au/ *** List Guidelines: http://webstandardsgroup.org/mail/guidelines.cfm Unsubscribe: http://webstandardsgroup.org/join/unsubscribe.cfm Help: [EMAIL PROTECTED] ***
[WSG] Australian University webpage reviews and WANAU membership
For some reason my membership of WANAU has been lost, ignored or denied by the WANAU moderator. My emails to Dey Alexander to comment on this research have received no reply. I have spent a few hundred hours of my time unfunded to produce a webpage that is highly relevant to WANAU's objectives of promoting accessibility in Australian University websites. I also offer coding suggestions, but this research has so far been ignored or lost on WANAU, but it already has the attention of many concerned IT academics across Australia, a few with negative comments like the Australian Catholic University, but also many positive comments. It concludes that 64% of Australian University sites pass Priority One accessibility tests which is contrary to Dey Alexanders 2003 report that 98% of sites failed accessibility tests. Where are WANAU's real interests? Selling training courses based on old and inaccurate claims that 98% of Australian University sites are inaccessible without considering new research in not academic excellence, it may even breach the Trade Practices Act for misleading claims. http://www.hereticpress.com/Dogstar/Publishing/AustUni.html#skipnav Tim Anderson The Editor Heretic Press http://www.hereticpress.com Email [EMAIL PROTECTED] *** List Guidelines: http://webstandardsgroup.org/mail/guidelines.cfm Unsubscribe: http://webstandardsgroup.org/join/unsubscribe.cfm Help: [EMAIL PROTECTED] ***
