[u-a-dev] ALViC- Accessible Linux for Visually Challenged Release

[Rob Whyte]

Namastey Dattatray,
Thank you very much for your clear and quick response.
I am very glad to be corrected and would like to take this opportunity
to apologise for my oversight to the aforementioned RELEASE NOTES document.

I do not recall your reference to future calaberations how ever I would
welcome it and hope that working together can restore your faith and
allow you and other projects to see that working together does not mean
one project dominates.
That combining expertise and uniting our voice is the end target we all
want.

I thank you again for reaching out and extending your hand once again.

Best regards
Kshamaa/ maafee chaahta/ chaahti
Rob Whyte


On 12/03/13 22:40, ossd at cdac.in wrote:
> Dear Rob Whyte,
> 
> I think you have overlooked following link on the web-page of our distro -
> http://nrcfoss.cdacmumbai.in/access/ALViC-docs/releaseNotes_ALViC-0.1.2.pdf.
> 
> Credit to Vinux team is very clearly mentioned in the release notes. The
> acknowledgement text is the same as that in the previous version. It is
> reproduced below for the benefit of all list members -
> 
> 5. Acknowledgements:
> Many features of this distro are quite similar to those of Vinux, the
> Linux distro widely used by visually impaired users. We sincerely thank
> the Vinux team for the following -
>     Scripts for the bright and the dark themes.
>     The idea of providing a text file listing all keybindings.
>     The script to restore speech.
>     The script to set up volume_keys.
>     Use of Vinux repository to download the audiobook converter package.
>     Keyboard shortcuts for
>         Launching frequently used applications
>         Changing Desktop themes
>         Compiz magnifier
> 
> We remain thankful to Vinux team in general and to you in particular for
> the valuable advice and support.
> 
> Your remark "I am disappointed that there has been funding given to this
> team to do basically the same thing that the Vinux community has already
> done" saddens us. It creates an impression that ALViC is just a copy of
> Vinux which is not true. A speciality of ALViC is that it includes our own
> enhancements to Orca. We added following new features/ improvements which
> are not there in Vinux or any other distros -
>     Skim reading
>     Navigation by sentence
>     Structural navigation of text documents
>     PDF documents made accessible
>     Easy navigation on Desktop icon view
>     Enabling Numpad when Numlock is on
>     Enabling echoes for Super and Menu keys
> 
> We released ALViC to make these features available to users. We wish that
> users and developers try out and evaluate these features. If any of them
> are found useful and adoptable by other distros, we would feel that our
> efforts have been rewarded.
> 
> Your suggestion that all projects working on accessibility for visually
> disabled should come together is very just. We shared similar views almost
> an year ago (In May 2012 we said, “We are open to the idea of
> collaboration; the modalities can be worked out.” You replied, “I look
> forward to any future efforts our two projects can work on together.”),
> but unfortunately little was achieved on those lines. We would keep in
> touch and try to communicate more often from now.
> 
> Thanks and regards.
> 
> Dattatray Bhat
> Accessibility Team
> CDAC Mumbai
> 
> 
> On 12/03/13 05:58, Rob Whyte wrote:
>> Hi,
>> I was in contact with this team when they released their last BETA.
>> I provided technical feedback and advice.
>> Requested that Vinux be given the credit it deserves as this is a very
>> close reflection of Vinux and uses many of its scripts.
>> The team was happy to add a small paragraph to their documentation.
>> http://www.cdacmumbai.in/design/corporate_site/override/pdf-doc
>> I can not find such credit in new documentation.
>>
>> I am disappointed that there has been funding given to this team to do
>> basically the same thing that the Vinux community has already done, that
>> this team has not contacted Vinux directly to combine resources or work
>> together.
>>
>> For such a small community how do each of us expect to be taken
>> seriously by major projects if we are continually fracturing.
>>
>> I move that all of these projects select a representative and have a
>> meeting to calibrate.
>> Let us use our resources together and use our commonalities to achieve
>> our end targets with a larger force behind us.
>> If any such project takes accessibility for the visually impaired
>> community seriously?
>> Would like a global voice or committee forged?
>>   please contact me.
>>
>> This is just my personal opinion though I feel it is shared by many.
>>
>> Thank you for reading my rant.
>>
>>
>> I can be contacted on rob.whyte at thefudge.net or rob at vinuxproject.org
>>
>> Kindest regards
>> Rob Whyte
> 
> 
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