Hello, I totally agree. Honestly, I think the majority of the "outrage" was a knee jerk reaction do to blind people usually getting the short end of the stick when things like this happen. In this case, I think the folks at Fleksy made a good decision. I think its something in the short term that benefits all involved. Blind users still have a fully functional version of the app while they work the accessibility bugs out of the most current version.
Ricardo Walker [email protected] Twitter:@apple2thecore www.appletothecore.info On Feb 21, 2014, at 3:41 PM, Joe <[email protected]> wrote: > There is no discussion about price, since the app is free. And, I don't > understand the concern over an app being made specifically for blind users > if the feature set remains the same with both app options. At the point that > the general app becomes significantly better than what blind users are being > given, then I agree it is time to take to the web with all manner of hell, > and I'll be right there with you adding my own fuel to the fire. Yet, I am > glad the company chose to provide an alternative rather than leave out blind > users altogether. There is no rule commanding all apps to work for all > people as a large percentage of apps in the App Store can testify. Perhaps > we forget that even with Apple, we are not enjoying 100% of the user > experience because we need special accommodations to make as much of the > experience usable. > > I don't understand the relevance about products we continue to pay thousands > of dollars for, except perhaps to remind ourselves that it is nice that > these aps generally cost a fraction of those products. If anyone has told us > to sit down and be quiet, it is the same manufacturers of those traditional > products, and yet, we somehow find it in our hearts to give them a pass > because we are a smaller market, because their teams are limited, any number > of reasons. HIMS only recently found it appropriate to admit there is a > problem with their Braille displays. Never mind the consumers whose products > have now gone out of warranty. Contrast this to each mainstream app > developer that has fallen victim to the sharp edge of our complaints. They > at least have been responsive. > > Perhaps the unspoken truth is that many of us do not actually pay for those > traditionally expensive options. When the money actually comes out of our > own pockets, like the few dollars for Tap Tap See, we feel justified in > screaming. Welcome to the rest of the world. Believe it or not, this is what > it is like to be part of society. At what point did we move from a feeling > of entitlement to a feeling of spoiled brats. After all, is it not the point > to push for equal access so we can get the job done? Because by the sounds > of it, it's more important that we drive the same shiny new car. Let's not > be so hasty in forgetting that there was a point in the not so distant past > that we didn't even have a technological vehicle to call our own. We're an > important segment of the market to be sure. I'd rather work with my peers as > a classy and respectable member of that market than a petulant whiner who > didn't get their way, right away. > > Having read this, perhaps it will be your feeling that I am just plum stupid > and playing some Uncle Tom to the sighted public. On the contrary, I think > our transition to the rest of society is going to be more jarring than some > of us may expect, because with all of the special accessibility features and > third party manufacturers stripped away, the accountability, including > payments, is going to rest solely on us. I don't think some of us are truly > ready to be treated equally. > > -- > Twitter: @ScribblingJoe > > Visit my blog: > http://joeorozco.com/blog > > > -----Original Message----- > From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf > Of denise avant > Sent: Friday, February 21, 2014 2:52 PM > To: [email protected] > Subject: Re: A Bit Surprised That This Hasn't Made It To The List Yet > > Hello everyone, > I am not a Fleksy user. However, each time an app changes or a blind person > questions the price of an app, some in the blindness community take the > position that blind people don't want to pay for anything or want everything > our way. I recall that during Black Friday, many customers at the big box > stores complained that they were not getting a deal. A blind person has just > as much right to question the validity of a price as a sighted person would. > He has as much right to wonder if it is really necessary that an app is > being made especially for the blind community. > It is true that many of us do not know what it takes to be a developer. We > are simply end users of a product. This is true for anyone using technology. > > Also, we in the blind community have paid thousands of dollars for > notetakers (PDAs), while our sighted counterparts paid a couple hundred. and > we did this for years, and probably still do it. So, it is a wonder that we > in the blind community question the propriety of pricing and app > availability. > AS A BLIND PERSON, I AM APPRECIATIVE WHEN AN APP IS MADE ACCESSIBLE FOR ME > SO THAT I CAN USE IT. But this does not translate into me sitting back and > letting people just say, sit down and be quiet. > > > Sent from my iPhone > >> On Feb 21, 2014, at 11:24 AM, "Joe" <[email protected]> wrote: >> >> You know what's sad is that sometimes my fellow blind consumers really >> piss me off. We get angry when an app starts to charge for something >> that was previously free. We get angry when a company provides a >> temporary solution to a long-term plan. Honestly, if I were a >> developer, I wouldn't bother with such an ungrateful bunch. There are >> too many steps involved in making an app accessible, and then I'd be >> ridiculed when I had the notion of treating blind people like any >> other consumer. Take Google Voice, for example. I went and bought an >> OBiTALK to sync up with my Google Voice and eliminate fees for a phone >> line. That arrangement is going to end this May, but I don't >> anticipate people throwing up their arms and trashing their OBiTALK >> devices because what used to work no longer will. Sometimes I think we as > blind consumers will never get a fair shake because we are our own worse > enemies. >> >> -- >> Twitter: @ScribblingJoe >> >> Visit my blog: >> http://joeorozco.com/blog >> >> -----Original Message----- >> From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On >> Behalf Of Wayne Merritt >> Sent: Friday, February 21, 2014 9:07 AM >> To: [email protected] >> Subject: Re: A Bit Surprised That This Hasn't Made It To The List Yet >> >> Since you bring up the Mosen blog post, allow me to point everyone to >> the first Appcessible podcast where Mosen interviews a spokesman from >> Fleksy about their decision, the SDK, the behind the scenes >> development and related issues, and the reasoning behind the Fleksy VO >> app. Listen to the podcast >> at: >> www.appcessible.net >> I don't think they were in the wrong by releasing Fleksy VO, since >> they intend to roll both apps into one later this year. Regarding the >> initial blog post from Jonathan, be sure to read all the comments. >> DeanMartinno and I both make good comments after the first 6 or 7 >> people saying that they're going to uninstall Fleksy from their >> devices. Which by the way, what does that accomplish? >> >> Regards, >> Wayne Merritt >> >>> On 2/21/14, Krister Ekstrom <[email protected]> wrote: >>> Hi, >>> Normally i don't write in these kinds of threads. I've made my >>> opinion on blind ghetto solutions clear and i've also found that i'm >>> in a minority, so rather than be flamed i usually shut up, however >>> since you ask, this is what i have to say: I think that Fleksi VO is >>> a lame excuse for not fixing what the developers apparently screwed >>> up when they made Fleksi snazzzy. I've looked at fleksi and am >>> actually quite impressed about what the app can do, but since it >>> isn't available in Swedish i'm not personally interested in it, >>> however it's quite good i imagine that it now is available for all >>> apps and for everyone who can use it. I don't know if i would use it >>> or not even if it was available in Swedish, as i have learned to >>> actually use the on-screen keyboards quite well on the Idevices but i >>> guess it's good with choices even if sadly enough we tend to go >>> towards more and more blind specific solutions which sends signals to >>> developers that accessibility of main >> stream apps isn't that important. >>> Enough of me ranting now. >>> /Krister >>>> 20 feb 2014 kl. 23:54 skrev Scott Rumery <[email protected]>: >>>> >>>> Hello everyone, >>>> >>>> As my subject line says I am quite surprised that the news of Fleksy >>>> finally becoming an option for app developers to use for inputing >>>> information in their apps has not been talked about on this list yet. >>>> Is it because a lot of us have decided that because the makers of >>>> Fleksy have sort of turned their backs on the blindness community by >>>> abandoning their initial claims of making a revolutionary on screen >>>> keyboard solution that the blind can use to speed up their typing on >>>> an touch screen device? In my opinion I find this decision >>>> deplorable but if there is a solution that is out there such as the >>>> one that they offer in Fleksy VO that can make my life easier when >>>> it comes to using an on screen keyboard then I will use it, and now >>>> that more apps will be updating and making use of the Fleksy SDK >>>> that just came out of beta today, I will probably use it even more >>>> often than I >> have been. >>>> >>>> I have written a blog post on this subject that I invite you all to >>>> read in which you can read the Fleksy press release if you like and >>>> I even link to Jonathan' Mosen's blog post on the subject of Fleksy >>>> VO as >> well. >>>> >>>> Please if you have a few minutes go give it a read and then let me >>>> know what you think. I really do want to get everyone's opinion on >>>> this, even the negative ones. It will all help me to understand what >>>> it is that iOS users will find interesting and want to read. >>>> >>>> Here is the link: >>>> >>>> http://www.fedoraoutlier.com/breaking-news-fleksy-becomes-first-alte >>>> r >>>> native-keyboard-ios/ >>>> >>>> >>>> Scott Rumery >>>> >>>> Whatever happens keep your sense of humor >>>> >>>> >>>> -- >>>> You received this message because you are subscribed to the "VIPhone" >>>> Google Group. >>>> >>>> Post a new message to VIPhone by emailing [email protected]. >>>> >>>> Search and view the VIPhone archives by visiting >>>> http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/. >>>> >>>> Reach the VIPhone owner and moderators by emailing >>>> [email protected]. >>>> >>>> Unsubscribe and leave VIPhone by emailing >>>> [email protected]. >>>> >>>> More VIPhone group options can be found by visiting >>>> http://groups.google.com/group/viphone?hl=en. >>>> --- >>>> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google >>>> Groups "VIPhone" 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https://groups.google.com/groups/opt_out. >> >> >> -- >> Follow me on Twitter at: >> www.twitter.com/wcmerritt >> My websites: >> www.wayneism.com >> www.whitecaneday.org >> >> -- >> You received this message because you are subscribed to the "VIPhone" >> Google Group. >> >> Post a new message to VIPhone by emailing [email protected]. >> >> Search and view the VIPhone archives by visiting >> http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/. >> >> Reach the VIPhone owner and moderators by emailing >> [email protected]. >> >> Unsubscribe and leave VIPhone by emailing >> [email protected]. >> >> More VIPhone group options can be found by visiting >> http://groups.google.com/group/viphone?hl=en. >> --- >> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google >> Groups "VIPhone" group. >> To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send >> an email to [email protected]. >> For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/groups/opt_out. >> >> -- >> You 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