On Sunday 08 October 2006 00:54, Lou wrote: > [email protected] wrote: > > Andy wrote: > >> Could someone tell us what the organisations that deal with the > >> disadvantaged are doing to help themselves scratch their own itch? > > > > Those organizations are in the classic position of: > > * Getting funding from party number one; > > * Buying product from party number two; > > * Providing services to party number three; > > * Being accountable to party number four; > > > > This recipe is designed to provide the lowest quality product, at the > > highest possible cost. > > > > Attempts to decrease the cost, or improve the product quality will be > > harshly punished. Attempts to increase the cost, or decrease product > > quality will be rewarded. > > > >> that the relatively small amount of funding could be got together to > >> > > > employ a couple of programmers to make significant inroads > > > into this issue. > > > > Whilst that is true, it overlooks one critical datapoint: Doing so > > would be the beginning of the end of the organization. If it persisted > > in supporting the project, it would be shut down, and all employees > > terminated. > > > > If an organization wanted to commit suicide, the fastest, and easiest > > way to do so, would be to hire somebody to write FLOSS software that > > truly met the needs of the a11y population. > > > > xan > > > > jonathon > > I'd have to add to that: > > 1. Are you seriously suggesting that an organisation like the > Foundation for the Blind should get into the software development business?
No, I'm not, although I would answer this with a Why not? The point is that without the active participation of those who know what the requirements are, no progress will be made. The Alzheimers Societies help fund research into the disease and keep an eye on results and comment on progress. They do not do the research themselves. > > 2. Or are you just using the common ploy of fobbing off someone who > needs help with the retort that it's their problem and they ought to fix > it? No. There is a willingness to help those who are trying to help themselves. At the moment, I can't see that they are, and yet only they know what help is needed. I may be wrong, of course; perhaps they are participating and I've not seen the messages to say so, which is why I asked the question. -- Andy Pepperdine On this mailing list help is provided by volunteers. Please subscribe to the mailing list to see all the replies to a query, and reply only to the mailing list. For FAQ, userguide, see: http://documentation.openoffice.org/ --------------------------------------------------------------------- To unsubscribe, e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] For additional commands, e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
