speakup howto, was: Re: suggestions for Speakup

Mon Jan 14 11:13:18 EST 2002

Janina and everyone else

I am *not* getting paid.  I would be interested to know how this little
conclusion was reached, and fear that rumours may be spreading across the
email list so I'd like to make it clear that I was contacted by Jennifer
saying "I'm writing a doc on Speakup, you've done a few docs already, would
you like to coauthor this one?".  I replied yes.  During last term and my
Christmas holidays I helped in my free time, between university assignments.
So it's nothing glamourous.  All the work that I've done be it writing docs
programs or helping others is purely because I wish to help.  In general I
am helping someone with a computer five times a day and installing Linux at
least once a week, even if they live in Australia.

I'm sure that it was a slip of the fingers, but I would like to clear up the
mistake.

Before I go, like everyone money is always in high demand and donations to
the Saqib Shaikh Piggy Bank fund are always thankfully accepted <grin>.

Regards, Saqib

----- Original Message -----
From: "Janina Sajka" <janina at afb.net>
To: <speakup at braille.uwo.ca>
Sent: Monday, January 14, 2002 3:55 PM
Subject: Re: speakup howto, was: Re: suggestions for Speakup

> Saqib:
>
> I just want to make my position very clear. Nothing I say about this
> topic, today, yesterday, or tomorrow, is in any way about you--unless I
> first tell you otherwise, I suppose! <grin> I am certainly aware who the
> boss is in your relationship with IBM.
>
> I do want to say, also, that I think they've done the right thing
> involving you, and I'm also glad to hear you're getting paid.  They've
> done a great job, imho, with the emacspeak HOWTO documentation, aand I
> expect no less with the speakup documentation you and they will create.
> So, don't say anything you're not supposed to. That certainly isn't
> necessary here. I expect they'll understand the importance of treating
> this list the same way they treated the emacspeak list. That is all of
> what I meant about World War III.
>
> As for me, I've initiated another contact channel with IBM. I do think,
> though that it would be very appropriate for you to pass along the
> expectations of folks on this list to them.
>
>
>
>  On Sat, 12 Jan 2002, Saqib
> Shaikh wrote:
>
> > I'm not allowed to make everything public but I guess we'll only get a
bad
> > name if we stay quiet.  It is *totally separate* from my previous docs -
IBM
> > were doing it and why reinvent the heel so they just turned the wheel
into a
> > motor-driven wheel with a tyre.
> >
> > Saqib
> > ----- Original Message -----
> > From: "Janina Sajka" <janina at afb.net>
> > To: <speakup at braille.uwo.ca>
> > Sent: Saturday, January 12, 2002 7:47 PM
> > Subject: Re: speakup howto, was: Re: suggestions for Speakup
> >
> >
> > > Gregory:
> > >
> > > I don't know. Theyh haven't consulted me on their plans. Why don't we
just
> > > ask them to tell us all here on the list?
> > >
> > > On Sat, 12 Jan 2002, Gregory Nowak wrote:
> > >
> > > > So will this new joint howto be a rewriting and incorperation of
Saqib's
> > original howto, or a totally new document?
> > > > Greg
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > On Sat, Jan 12, 2002 at 01:36:53PM -0500, Janina Sajka wrote:
> > > > > Excellent questions, Gregory. IBM's Accessibility on Linux page,
which
> > is
> > > > > at:
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > >
> >
http://oss.software.ibm.com/developerworks/opensource/linux/projects/access/
> > > > >
> > > > > says "The IBM Linux Accessibility Team contributes to the
open-source
> > > > > community's accessibility efforts in order to help
> > > > >    accelerate Linux."
> > > > >
> > > > > This is, of course, an incomplete statement which makes no sense
on
> > its
> > > > > own. What do they mean "accelerate linux?" I suspect they don't
mean
> > "make
> > > > > it run faster," for example. I'm sure there's a word missing in
that
> > > > > sentence, but I diagress ...
> > > > >
> > > > > This page goes on to say:
> > > > >
> > > > > "November 15, 2001
> > > > >    Saqib Shaikh, author of several Speakup documents, agreed to
> > coauthor
> > > > > new Speakup HOWTO with Jennifer Jobst."
> > > > >
> > > > > Since I see no link, I assume they're not offering up any drafts
just
> > yet,
> > > > > but I certainly expect they'll do so before finalizing their
document.
> > I
> > > > > know Jennifer posted a draft of her emacspeak documentation on the
> > > > > emacspeak list, so I suspect she's lurking here, and will do the
same
> > for
> > > > > us. And, of course, Saqib is active on this list, so perhaps he'd
like
> > to
> > > > > share about this? I do recall he offered us his own, quite
excellent
> > > > > speakup HOWTO last spring. Are there other speakup docs you've
> > written,
> > > > > Saqib? That one is the only one I'm aware of to date.
> > > > >
> > > > > Now, let me speculate on the real reason IBM is up to all those
> > wonderful
> > > > > efforts they proudly list at the url provided above:
> > > > >
> > > > > I believe IBM wants to make money selling computers to the U.S.
> > > > > Government. I believe they want the option to sell systems without
> > > > > Microsoft applications, and Microsoft operating systems. Recent
news
> > > > > stories have explained about contracts from IBM to Redhat for
ports of
> > the
> > > > > Redhat distribution of open source linux for a range of IBM
servers,
> > and
> > > > > even IBM's S390 mainframe.
> > > > >
> > > > > To me, these facts point to the intention to be Sec.508 compliant
in
> > > > > systems proposals for U.S. Federal procurments. And, I say, "Amen,
and
> > > > > more power to them."
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > > On Sat, 12 Jan 2002, Gregory Nowak wrote:
> > > > >
> > > > > > IBM is authoring a howto about speakup? Where can I find a copy
to
> > look at?
> > > > > > And uhhhm, why are they doing it?
> > > > > > Greg
> > > > > >
> > > > > >
> > > > > > On Sat, Jan 12, 2002 at 11:28:21AM -0500, Janina Sajka wrote:
> > > > > > > On Fri, 11 Jan 2002, Charles Hallenbeck wrote:
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > > > Stick to the straight and
> > > > > > > > narrow and make sure each feature under consideration really
> > > > > > > > belongs in a screen reader. Examples: the cut and paste
feature
> > > > > > > > really did belong; the reinitialization feature really does
not.
> > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > Strongly agree, but with a suggested twist.
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > > The reinitialization feature should go into the HOWTO that
Saqib
> > and IBM
> > > > > > > are authoring about speakup. It's a valuable tip that even
novice
> > users
> > > > > > > can set up for themselves, and learn a little linux in the
> > process. And,
> > > > > > > they'll end up with a feature they are likely to find useful,
and
> > that
> > > > > > > they wouldn't come upon very quickly on their own.
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > > Saqib, Jennifer, are you listening??
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > > _______________________________________________
> > > > > > > Speakup mailing list
> > > > > > > Speakup at braille.uwo.ca
> > > > > > > http://speech.braille.uwo.ca/mailman/listinfo/speakup
> > > > > >
> > > > > > _______________________________________________
> > > > > > Speakup mailing list
> > > > > > Speakup at braille.uwo.ca
> > > > > > http://speech.braille.uwo.ca/mailman/listinfo/speakup
> > > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > > --
> > > > >
> > > > > Janina Sajka, Director
> > > > > Technology Research and Development
> > > > > Governmental Relations Group
> > > > > American Foundation for the Blind (AFB)
> > > > >
> > > > > Email: janina at afb.net Phone: (202) 408-8175
> > > > >
> > > > > Chair, Accessibility SIG
> > > > > Open Electronic Book Forum (OEBF)
> > > > > http://www.openebook.org
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > > _______________________________________________
> > > > > Speakup mailing list
> > > > > Speakup at braille.uwo.ca
> > > > > http://speech.braille.uwo.ca/mailman/listinfo/speakup
> > > >
> > > > _______________________________________________
> > > > Speakup mailing list
> > > > Speakup at braille.uwo.ca
> > > > http://speech.braille.uwo.ca/mailman/listinfo/speakup
> > > >
> > >
> > > --
> > >
> > > Janina Sajka, Director
> > > Technology Research and Development
> > > Governmental Relations Group
> > > American Foundation for the Blind (AFB)
> > >
> > > Email: janina at afb.net Phone: (202) 408-8175
> > >
> > > Chair, Accessibility SIG
> > > Open Electronic Book Forum (OEBF)
> > > http://www.openebook.org
> > >
> > >
> > > _______________________________________________
> > > Speakup mailing list
> > > Speakup at braille.uwo.ca
> > > http://speech.braille.uwo.ca/mailman/listinfo/speakup
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > _______________________________________________
> > Speakup mailing list
> > Speakup at braille.uwo.ca
> > http://speech.braille.uwo.ca/mailman/listinfo/speakup
> >
>
> --
>
> Janina Sajka, Director
> Technology Research and Development
> Governmental Relations Group
> American Foundation for the Blind (AFB)
>
> Email: janina at afb.net Phone: (202) 408-8175
>
> Chair, Accessibility SIG
> Open Electronic Book Forum (OEBF)
> http://www.openebook.org
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> Speakup mailing list
> Speakup at braille.uwo.ca
> http://speech.braille.uwo.ca/mailman/listinfo/speakup