xwindows

[Ann Parsons]

Hi all,

I must agree with Gena.  I would like to see us get access to Gnome
and to Xwindows,.  It will help us to access some of those things
which the majority seems to think are so important.  

On the other hand, as far as I understand this and how it works.  The
command-line interface will never go away in Linux.  You can still do
most things with the commands.  Graphics is good for some things, but
it can not hold a candle to a robust command-line interface at all.
It will never be able to do that.  Why?  Because navigating in Windows
is at best an exercise in memorization of keystrokes which may or may
not get you what you want, and at worst a plodding torturous treck
through menu after menu.  

If you are a Windows expert, then Windows is easy for a blind person.
It does require a great deal of visualization and reliance upon the
blind user's conprehension of visual relationships and so on.  When
you press a key in Windows, there's usually no way to go back to
verify that the command you gave was correct.  You just have to trust
that your memory isn't faulty or the menus are correct.  If I type a
command in Linux, usually, there's a way I can check the syntax of
that command to be damned sure I got what I wanted.  When a sighted
person uses a mouse, there is immediate visual feedback.  The color of
the link pressed changes, the color of the text in the window changes,
something happens visually!  Usually the only confirmation you get is
if the program does what you wanted, and sometimes you have to check
that too.  No, too slow, too combersome too damned time consuming. 

Ann P.

-- 
			Ann K. Parsons  
email:  akp at eznet.net 			ICQ Number:  33006854
WEB SITE:  http://home.eznet.net/~akp
"All that is gold does not glitter.  Not all those who wander are lost."  JRRT