[gui-talk] [nfbcs] a search engine for the blind

Wed Jul 26 15:43:12 CDT 2006

And, from the point of view of my world view, I don't care a fig about, nor do I see any rational reason to use Google Mail, as I've got e-mail from my provider, 
so why would I want e-mail service through them?  I haven't used the new service, as I do well enough with the one they have, but I intend on checking it 
out, just as a potential resource for those for whom it might be useful.

Nick

On Wed, 26 Jul 2006 12:46:16 -0500, Steve Jacobson wrote:

 Nick,

 Good grief, I never said the alternative search engine shouldn't exist because it doesn't appeal to me.  I think I raised a legitimate question and there have 
been 
 some answers that make valid points.  One of the things I have always liked about Google is the fact that so often the search results did a nice job of 
putting what I 
 was looking for near the top of the list.  The accessibility of web sites is someone hard to define, and it would be interesting to know how accessibility is 
weighted 
 against the other criteria.  In any case, this is an option and neither of us has to use it, and I thought I even made that point in my original message.

 However, I still think it is a reasonable question to ask why they should be patted on the back for using staff time to help us figure out the accessibility of 
other sites 
 rather than concentrating on repairing the access problems associated with some of their own services.  Saying that doesn't feel right to me is much 
different than 
 saying they shouldn't pursue the separate search engine because it doesn't appeal to me.  I'm not saying Google doesn't have the right, I simply wondered 
if the 
 irony struck others as it did me.  I guess it also bothers me a little that they should get all this relatively positive publicity by providing a service for which 
there has not 
 been a vocal demand while seeming to move slowly on problems that many blind people, even nonadvocates believe it or not,  have had accessing certain 
parts of 
 GMail and other applications.  They seem to be moving toward fixing those problems, too, I recognize that, but it doesn't seem to me to be an unreasonable 
 question.

 	On Wed, 26 Jul 2006 11:53:41 -0500, W. Nick Dotson wrote:

 >I disagree with those who believe it shouldn't be just because it doesn't appeal to them.  That's a form of the type of ideological fascism which revolts me 
 >against so-called advocates of the blind who say, it's my way, or you're not a "real blind person" because you don't live your life according to our 
doctrinaire 
 >definitions....  I don't know that I'd use it either, having gotten used to the current state of affairs, but I wouldn't take an easier perhaps more comfortable 
 >experience away from the casual user either.

 >Nick

 >On Wed, 26 Jul 2006 12:24:11 -0400 (EDT), Mike Freeman wrote:

 > I agree with Steve on this one. However, there are many 
 > less-than-computer-savvy persons who might use the www if they were 
 > more-or-less guaranteed a pleasant surfing experience.

 > Mike

 > On Wed, 26 Jul 2006, Doug Lee wrote:

 > > I personally see no reason I should use this Google feature, but I do
 > > think its presence might motivate a number of web designers to pay
 > > more heed to accessibility guidelines when designing their web
 > > pages--and that, of course, should not hurt us at all.
 > >
 > > On Wed, Jul 26, 2006 at 10:08:54AM -0500, Steve Jacobson wrote:
 > > What do others think about this special Google search engine for the blind?  I really don't want someone deciding for me what I am capable of reading 
or 
 >navigating
 > > when I am looking for something on a search site.  I will even go a step further and say that I don't understand Google spending time on this at the 
 >expense of
 > > working to solve other accessibility problems on their site.Can someone tell me what I'm missing here?  I understand that nothing is stopping me from 
using 
 >the
 > > regular search engine, but I just don't understand what is so neat about this.
 > >
 > > On Wed, 26 Jul 2006 09:58:03 -0400, Sherri wrote:
 > >
 > >> I ran across this article in a weekly newsletter I receive. I haven't tried
 > >> this site yet, but thought this might be of interest. The link to get to the
 > >> entire article is at the bottom of this e-mail.
 > >
 > >> Sherri
 > >>> A Search Engine For The Blind: Google Unveils Accessible Web ...
 > >
 > >> ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
 > >
 > >> by Chris Sabga
 > >> Infopackets Gazette
 > >> Infopackets Contributor
 > >
 > >> Google has just unveiled Accessible Web Search, a search engine for the
 > >> visually-challenged. Here's how it works: Regular Google sorts search
 > >> results primarily by how relevancy, but Accessible Search takes it a step
 > >> further by also listing pages will that will be easy for the blind to
 > >> navigate. To meet Google's Accessible Web Search criteria, a web Site has
 > >> to be "visually simple." That means it ...
 > >> ... Click to read the rest of the article (and our most recent articles)
 > >> online:
 > >
 > >> http://www.infopackets.com/channels/en/windows/gazette/2006/20060726
 >_a_search_engine_for_the_blind_google_unveils_accessible_web_search.htm
 > >
 > >>    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
 > >
 > >> _______________________________________________
 > >> gui-talk mailing list
 > >> gui-talk at nfbnet.org
 > >> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/gui-talk
 > >
 > >
 > >
 > > _______________________________________________
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 > > gui-talk at nfbnet.org
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 > >
 > > -- 
 > > Doug Lee                 dgl at dlee.org
 > > SSB + BART Group         doug.lee at ssbbartgroup.com   http://www.ssbbartgroup.com
 > > "Is your cucumber bitter? Throw it away. Are there briars in your
 > > path? Turn aside. That is enough. Do not go on to say, `Why were
 > > things of this sort ever brought into the world?'"
 > > --Marcus Aurelius
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 > > nfbcs at nfbnet.org
 > > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nfbcs
 > >
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