Hello Guys! You know, the main problem in all of this is that we blind folks have to always settle for what crums the software developers throw out to us. I, for one, am tired of this way of doing things. Again, Skype did nothing to improve their product by making the interface as it is. Skype knows the problems screen readers have with using the product; yet they continue to put in features and interfaces that are hard to deal with for screen readers. This, to say the least, is poor business on their part. I see those skype approvers give all of those scripts and work-arounds for using a product that is meant to be used with relatively good use. There is only a few things one can do with skype; yet they try to make it such a difficult task for a blind user to work with.
One thing about who the program is written for: Skype is written for everyone to use, not just sighted people. In business, you always make your product usable by people who have obstacles to normal access points. It is happening all to much in this world; we blind people figure out to use mainstream programs and, each time we do, the developers stick it to us by changing the interface for no real reason. Skype is written for all people--both blind and sighted; blind people should not have to continually work around ways of accessing a product. Skype is aware of its many blind users, so why do they continue to try to block our use of the product. I have not heard of any sighted people wanting skype to be so visual. In fact, sighted people got on Winamp's case for what they did to winamp at one point and winamp made classic views a reality. Skype is an easy program to use for blind people if scripts are used or windows programming rules are used for the most part. How has skype been helped by what 41 is doing to the product; it has only angered some people. This program is a good communication tool; now it is a troublesome thing for the most part; that is if you use 41. I think blind people need to get busy and write a similar program tailored to our taste. Skype is not so complex that similar programs cannot be written. I see that Skype allows My Space, Facebook, and Twitter to access their program. I am sure blind people can write their own access to skype. I see there is an Accessible Twitter web site. Maybe skype could just continue to support 38 on a separate web site and make all of its features and interface work when contacted with later versions on their regular site. Accessible twitter works good with regular twitter. MCTwit works well to. I don't think skype would object to such a thing if they don't want to make their regular site accessible. Some intelligent blind user could get to work on an accessible Skype just like Accessible Twitter. An accessible skype could have all the features of regular skype with the blind in mind. I think this is the way to go. I know some blind people would think this is too much to do, but I feel it is a good solution. Look at JTools by Hartgen; it is used to access Twitter and is a third product that works with Office outlook and twitter. I think I will contact skype and ask them if such a site is permitted on their product. We blind people could ask them to allow us to help them in designing it. I think this site would be totally written in normal C++ and visual basic and be totally accessible. It could do all skype, Spacebook, My Space, and Twitter things in accessible ways. I am a programmer so I think this is a way to go. If companies don't want to stop using flash and other inaccessible features on web sites and in programs, we should create our own version of those to access their programs. How about this? does anyone think it will work or is it too big a deal for us independent-minded blind folks who feel we have to crawl and beg for accessibility. I'm tired of being suckered by mainstream software vendors who don't seem to give a __________ about its blind users. I buy skype credits and subscribe to phone deals they offer. I should be able to use my products like I did when I purchased them. I don't care if some blind people feel comfortable with crawling for access to products; I don't care if the program is free; and I am not concerned that skype does not write their product for blind people, but they should write it with the blind in mind because a lot of blind people use skype. Also, if we continue to stope using skype and go to another chat program just because it becomes inaccessible, we will continue to be locked out of the world. We must take the approach of copying and imitating programs to gain access to them. I am tired of having to stop using a program because someone decides to change the interface because they are interested in having a second look when their old look is working fine for most people. I am missing contact with a good lifelong friend because this person cannot figure out skype 41 very well; this person is not as computer savy as a lot of us. These are the people we must think about; not just us computer experts; we can usually figure things out; but the beginners and sometime users are not able to get scripts and skypewatch figured out so easy. I think my site accessibility thing would help everyone. I think this will be ok, as I am still using 38 so far and work with skype 41 people everyday without trouble. Skype can just put 38 on an www.accessibleskype.com page or www.skype.com/accessible page. Or do like amazon does by putting an accessible link on their page to access their entire site. Now, wouldn't this work? James Robinson Thanks for posting to the skype english list. To access scripts for the latest version of skype go to http://www.dlee.org/skype To access tutorials and other goodies go to http://www.marrie.org/skype/skype.html To contact the list owner send a message to mailto:[email protected] to download a tool to automate the installation of skypewatch go to this link. www.hkprojects.tk and for a searchable archives page go here. http://bit.ly/64Y48 thanks and have a wonderful day. _______________________________________________ Skypeenglish mailing list [email protected] http://emissives.com/mailman/listinfo/skypeenglish_emissives.com
