[gui-talk] Fwd: Wayfinder Access: Latest update on our campaign

[Steve Pattison]

From: Neil Barnfather - TalkNav forums at talknav.com

Dear All,

An update on progress thus far for you all...

To date we've accumulated over 1,600 signatures to our protest list, it's 
a great start so well done to all of you who have been rallying the cause.

Vodafone are now in negotiations with myself in terms of where to proceed
with the Access application and I can relay the following to you at this time.

Vodafone accepts that it has both a social and ethical as well as a legal
contractual obligation towards Wayfinder Access users, and this is a 
really important statement believe me. It means that they know that they
cannot simply rinse their hands of us as a user group.

At this time there are several options being discussed, one is to refund
users, either in full or in part. Another is based on a suggestion of mine
to exchange WFA licenses for an alternative accessible GPS product. This
would have to not cost them more necessarily than a direct refund, but it
has merits especially if we can show that there's a real media risk of
damage to them if they don't help us out.

Please do not press too much for detail on this as I cannot give it to you,
but in essence assume Vodafone had to in some degree refund users,
that would amount to figure `x`, if we could use this same amount to buy
in mass an alternative accessible option this could work for us.

One or two other options are on the table at this time, which I cannot say
more about, as the logistics and commercial viability is still being looked
into, but this is a great start and one we should be proud of.

Today Rory Heap and I took part in a BBC In Touch radio interview being
aired tomorrow evening on BBC Radio 4. I'm sure that those of you outside
the UK will be able to download it, and hopefully Tim will be able to set it up
on the protest site.

What happens next, now more than ever, as we enter the very heart of the
negotiation can we not afford to have a slow down on sign ups to our
protest. If Vodafone see that we've reached our pinnacle of signatories 
they may assume that 1,600 is the maximum number of supporters our cause
has, this is most certainly not a few that we wish to convey.

So it's essential that we redouble our efforts to sign people up. Resend the
message to your mailing lists, get friends, family and work colleagues to
sign up. It takes just a minute and people can choose to do it privately if
they wish. Be sure they know just how much Access means to you and how 
it's essential that they understand that their support could directly influence
Vodafone's decision.

A few bits of good news:

Way finder's CEO has assured me that service isn't going to just stop, not
at all, so no matter when service does eventually stop, we're going to know
with a good lead time. Wayfinder are sympathetic and conscious of our
position and their obligations. These are all excellent things to know and be
assured of.

He did though say that the time will come and it is likely not to be 12 months
away but sooner.

For now that's it, please people, now more than ever we need to show our
selves as being in favour of this product. So let's get out there and get
people's names on our list.

www.talknav.com/protest

Best wishes.
Neil Barnfather
TalkNav

Regards Steve
Email:  srp at internode.on.net
MSN Messenger:  internetuser383 at hotmail.com
Skype:  steve1963
Twitter:  steve9782