Unpopularity of Linux notetakers

[Luke Davis]

With all due respect:

Your analogy is flawed (about DSL vs. Dialup).  Braille is not an option.
It is something you have to learn--it is a language.  Therefore, if you
did not learn it as a child, became blind later in life, or for what ever
other reason did not become proficient with it, you probably never will.
As such, using a braille display, would be the biggest impediment to
programming, editing configuration files, or general computer use, that
someone such as me has ever faced.
Yes, I use them when they are the only available access device.  However,
I think I would rather not program, than be required to do so with a
braille device.

Saying "braille is better for activity X", is not the same as saying "high
bandwidth is the best for internet access".  It is more similar to saying
"Windows is better for computer control"--it simply isn't true.  It may be
correct for some, but just as incorrect for an equal number of others.

Options are the key, and there is no one "better method", that if someone
"just gets used to, they will find it better".

Luke


 On Sat, 3 May 2003, Adam
Myrow wrote:

> On Sat, 3 May 2003, Igor Gueths wrote:
>
> > And in terms of programming, she tried to tell me that I needed a
> > braille display? And I kept telling her that I could read C just fine
> > with speech. I am sure that people like Kirk, Adam, and Chuck can agree
> > with me on this. Braille is not required to read code. However, setting
> > your punctuation level to all is required.
>
> Well, I used to say that a Braille display was a frivolous luxury until I
> actually got one.  The more you use one, the more you appreciate it for
> both programming and editing complex configuration files.  This is
> especially true when you want to change something in the middle of the
> line.  Say you have a line in your /etc/rc.d/rc.local file that says "echo
> 4 >/proc/speakup/toone."  To correct the typing error and remove that
> extra "o" in tone with speech requires you to type several keystrokes to
> get to it and delete it no matter how good you are at moving by words and
> characters.  With Braille routing on a Braille display, all I have to do
> is run my hand across the display until I am at that extra "o" and press
> the routing button above it and delete it with "x" in vi or control-D in
> pico or emacs.  So, while it is possible to program without a Braille
> display, and many do it, it is very nice to have once you start using one.
> I guess it's similar to having a dial-up connection to the Internet and
> then getting a good high-speed link.  Once you have it, it's very hard to
> do without it.  I almost never set my punctuation to a higher level since I
> use the Braille display to determine how the line is punctuated.
>
> One more note about Braille displays and then I'll shut up.  I can play an
> ASCII-based game of Checkers against the computer since it uses a
> lowercase b for the black pieces, a lowercase w for the white ones, and
> makes them uppercase when they become kings.  I'd hate to do that with
> speech!
>
>
>
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>