Unpopularity of Linux notetakers

[David Poehlman]

I agree and there is another analogy between braille and broad band in that
there are some circomstances like your checkers game but even more so when
it is necessary for function at all.  Sure, you don't need braille, but I am
glad I got my display after many years of doing without one after having
some experience with one.


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Adam Myrow" <amyrow at midsouth.rr.com>
To: <speakup at braille.uwo.ca>
Sent: Saturday, May 03, 2003 5:01 PM
Subject: Re: Unpopularity of Linux notetakers


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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