anti-word

[Steve Holmes]

Reality wise, that is a good point.  After reading this avelanche of
venting  yesterday, I found that it comes down to a couple points.  In the
immediate or short term, it may well be easier to just pop into a windows
environment and use the "other guys' stuff" and get the job done.  In a
long term, one could go out and try to build interest and support to move
to a new platform and standard.  Yes, I am versed in windows and can use
window-eyes as good as any of them.  But I do realize that may not speak
for others who have not.  I think versitility is the name of the game to
survive in the world of accessability.  I hate proprietory formats as much
as any of them.  That's why I stress some form of compatibility is so
important.  Hence, we have programs like anti-word.  Micky Soft is never
gona give out the format description for Word documents but apparently,
anti-word is one way to atleast decode them into other formats at our
wish.

The venting was probably good short term therapy for us all but let's see
what we can do to promote linux as an overall platform and how it can
eventually out do windows.  All that probably belongs in
comp.linux.advocacy perhaps but we can use this list to pump up speakup,
help other blind people come into the new fold and get them going and help
them share in the excitement of using an alternative operating system and
all its power!  I for one have been quite pleased to see the growing
number of newbies coming into the list, presumably to explore alternative
solutions for accessing their computers.  "Come on down! the water's
fine!"

On Tue, 15 Jan 2002, Shaun Oliver wrote:

> ok for starters,
> yes it'll take finance and some smart people who know some code to maybe
> rewrite the standard.
> it'll also take alot of voices to at least get ourselves and others like
> us heard.
> Let me be honest with you all. This is not going to happen just like that
> it'll take alot of balls to do it but it can be done.
> However, if some of you feel so strongly about not using word or whatever,
> just don't use it. I don't see what all the fuss is about.
> it's farely simple to me. teach them to adapt it for you or bloody well do
> it yourself.
> and if you have to occasionally use windows to edit a ms word doc and
> retain all the formatting attributes etc, then so be it.
> don't be on here bitching about it and what all else, do something about
> it!!
> I don't care what, just let's us all get off our collective arses and stop
> whining! This is nonproductive and isn't helping anyone.
> Let's just for now get on with it and when the opportunity arrises, make
> the appropriate noise.
>
> On Mon, 14 Jan 2002, Gregory Nowak wrote:
>
> > Shaun, how do we change the defacto file format then from ms-word to something else? Start a "drop ms-word" campign maybe? Of course, such a thing would require finances as well.
> > Greg
> >
> >
> > On Mon, Jan 14, 2002 at 09:00:12PM +1100, Shaun Oliver wrote:
> > > On Sun, 13 Jan 2002, Janina Sajka wrote:
> > >
> > > > On Sat, 12 Jan 2002, Steve Holmes wrote:
> > > >
> > > > > Yes and if a word document is sent to you for your input and editing, I'm
> > > > > sure the original party would expect the thing to come back in Word format
> > > > > along with the built-in formatting, styles and such.  Some of this whole
> > > > > anti Word sounds arogant to me.
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > I rather think it arrogant to presume everyone wants and reads Word. I
> > > > regard it as arrogant to presume we all pay tribute to Microsoft. I
> > > > further regard it arrogant to treat a proprietary, non-consensus, file
> > > > format as some kind of standard.
> > > >
> > > Well, like it or not, this is the standard we need to either abide by or
> > > change. Right at the moment all I'm seeing is a whole lot of bitching
> > > about ms word and such.
> > > to revisit Kirk w's post a few days ago, we need to take into account that
> > > microsoft word is the enforced some would say prefered word processor that
> > > is widely used in the workplace today.
> > > We need to be mindful of this when we decide not to give a fuck about
> > > formatting and presentation.
> > > I've had it pointed out to me in no uncertain terms that this is the way
> > > things are.
> > > so let's just stop fucking around with bitching and either do something
> > > about it or fucking well live with it!!
> > > I don't like microsoft any more than alot of you do but like it or not,
> > > it's here and we have to deal with it.
> > > if microsoft on the other hand were to get things right in the first place
> > > and not be so kind as to stoop to exploitative and scare tactics etc, we
> > > probably wouldn't even be having this discussion.
> > > I'm sorry for my use of colourful metafores but that's just how ai see the
> > > whole thing.
> > >  >
> > > > _______________________________________________ > Speakup mailing list
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> > > >
> > >
> > > --
> > > Shaun Oliver
> > >
> > > Marriage is a three ring circus:
> > > engagement ring, wedding ring, and suffering.
> > >                 -- Roger Price
> > >
> > > Email: shauno at goanna.net.au
> > > Icq: 76958435
> > >
> > >
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> >
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