[nabop] webBraille will be restored.
Lisa Hall
lhall10 at satx.rr.com
Fri May 12 11:43:14 CDT 2006
Hi David and everyone,
Below is a message I posted on blind talk with the response I received from
Frank Kurt Cylke.
From: blindtlk-bounces at nfbnet.org on behalf of Lisa Hall
[lhall10 at satx.rr.com]
Sent: Friday, May 12, 2006 11:32 AM
To: 'NFBnet Blind Talk Mailing List'
Subject: Re: [Blindtlk] [Dtb-talk] Web Braille Shut-Down
Hi everyone,
I received an email from Frank Kurt Cylke just a moment ago. The WebBraille
service will be restored ASAP.
Below is the email I received from him. Below is the letter I wrote
expressing concern of the WebBraille service.
From: Kurt Cylke [fcyl at loc.gov]
Sent: Fri 5/12/2006 10:53 AM
To: Lisa Hall
Cc: jdix at sun8.loc.gov; mmoo at loc.gov; rfis at loc.gov; jemo at sun8.loc.gov
Subject: Re: concern regarding shut-down of WebBraille.
WEB BRAILLE WILL BE RESTORED ASAP. Kurt Cylke
>Dear Mr. Cylke,
>
>As a long time patron of the NLS Library of Congress program, I have
>thoroughly enjoyed reading books using paperless braille-awareness
>devices such as BrailleLite 40 and PacMate 440. With this latest
>technology of the PacMate, I am able to put more books using a USB
>thumb drive and/or compact flash card to store my books on for reading
>when it is convenient for me to read on the go.
>If WebBraille was discontinued permanently, I will sorely miss WebBraille.
>If this shut-down was temporary, a much further explanation for the
>reason of the shutdown would have been helpful for all patrons who use
>the
service.
>Please restore this service as soon as possible.
>Thanks for your attention in this matter.
>
>Sincerely,
>
>
>
>
>Lisa Hall, President
>National Association of Blind Office Professionals (NABOP)
>
>Web page: http://home.satx.rr.com/lisahall
>
>Phone: (210) 829-4571
>
>E-mail and MSN I.D.: lhall10 at satx.rr.com
>Skype: lisa120362
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
Frank Kurt Cylke, Director
National Library Service for the
Blind and Physically Handicapped
Library of Congress
Washington, DC 20542
202-707-5104
Fax 202-707-1690
fcyl at loc.gov
Kurt.Cylke at verizon.net
Lisa Hall, President
National Association of Blind Office Professionals (NABOP)
Web page: http://home.satx.rr.com/lisahall
Phone: (210) 829-4571
E-mail and MSN I.D.: lhall10 at satx.rr.com
Skype: lisa120362
-----Original Message-----
From: blindtlk-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:blindtlk-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
Behalf Of David B Andrews
Sent: Friday, May 12, 2006 10:31 AM
To: dtb-talk at nfbnet.org
Cc: blindtlk at nfbnet.org; nabs-l at nfbnet.org; nfb-talk at nfbnet.org;
napub at nfbnet.org
Subject: Re: [Blindtlk] [Dtb-talk] Web Braille Shut-Down
It sounds like you, and others are blaming this on NLS itself. You must
remember that they are a part of a larger organization, the Library of
Congress, which is a Federal entity. This may be out of their control.
They want to provide good and complete service to their patrons, and
wouldn't shut down Web Braille to cover up a technical difficulty, or
something else, I think.
Let's not speculate, and wait and see. If things don't go as we like, we
can then take action.
Dave
David Andrews
Chief Technology Officer
Minnesota State Services for the Blind
2200 University Ave. W., #240
St. Paul, MN 55114-1840
(651) 642-0513 Office
(612) 730-7931 Cell
(651) 649-5927 Fax
>>> pratikp1 at lycos.com 5/12/2006 3:33 AM >>>
Hello,
I am utterly baffled on the timing of this shutdown. One of those useless
public relation disasters from NLS. I wonder if there isn't something else
going on than just the stated security concerns. Any other organization
would have coutched this shut down as a maintenance upgrade ... ...
The early DAISYfication of content prior to incription standards agreement
among leading organization has resulted in a set of enormously rediculous
solutions. These organizations have not quite understood the ramifications
of applying these security fixes. I hope that the emerging incription
standard will make somewhat of a difference.
Pratik
-----Original Message-----
From: dtb-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org
[mailto:dtb-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
Behalf Of David B Andrews
Sent: Thursday, May 11, 2006 4:48 PM
To: dtb-talk at nfbnet.org
Subject: Re: [Dtb-talk] Web Braille Shut-Down
Peter:
I certainly understand, and share your concern about Web-Braille.
It may not be possible to use the IPP scheme developed for DTB's though, as
I understand it, it is based in the player itself. So, unless software
modifications were made to all Braille devices, capable of displaying
Web-Braille files, then it wouldn't be possible, and those changes couldn't
be made to some devices, and probably couldn't be amde to most legacy
devices.
Also, copying is more of a concern for DTB's then for old talking books.
Copying took time for analog recordings, but is for all intents and purposes
instant with digital, hence much easier.
All of this is a sign of the times. We have more power and flexibility, but
also more responsibility, and more complexity.
Dave
David Andrews
Chief Technology Officer
Minnesota State Services for the Blind
2200 University Ave. W., #240
St. Paul, MN 55114-1840
(651) 642-0513 Office
(612) 730-7931 Cell
(651) 649-5927 Fax
>>> pdonahue1 at sbcglobal.net 5/11/2006 3:11 PM >>>
Hello Everyone,
I'm not sure if folks are aware of the situation with Web Braille, but
wanted to pass this on for interested individuals. I like the comments about
the over use of key incription and such. There's copy-protection, and
there's over-kill on such. I'm glad to know that I'm not alone in this
concern. As is pointed out with Web Braille offerings once they were
downloaded they could be embossed on any Braille embosser, or viewed on any
Braille-aware device without the need to enable such equipment to read Web
Braille books. It would be nice to say the same about digitally-recorded
books from particular producers. Just as it was possible to back-translate a
book from Braille to print the results are less than marketable.
Likewise it
was always possible to pirate NLS recorded books on disc or cassette by
duplicating the tapes, or recording them to tape from disc yet there was
never a need for protection keys or schemes, and there were hardly any cases
in which one was prosecuted for sharing these books illegally. One could,
and still can play these books on any device designed to handle them. We
need to ensure that the same will be true of material produced in digital
talking book format in the future. Thank you whoever raised this concern
concerning Web Braille. The evidence of what I feared could happen if not
kept in check appears below:
----- Original Message -----
From: "Warren Figueiredo" <warrenfigueiredo at cox.net>
To: "'NFBnet National Association to Promote the Use of Braille
MailingList'" <napub at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Thursday, May 11, 2006 2:46 PM
Subject: [napub] FW: [AERNet] Web Braille shut down and possibly in jeopardy
FYI
Warren
-----Original Message-----
From: aernet-bounces at lists.aerbvi.org
[mailto:aernet-bounces at lists.aerbvi.org] On Behalf Of Amy Ruell
Sent: Thursday, May 11, 2006 1:12 PM
To: bvi-parents at yahoogroups.com; aernet at lists.aerbvi.org;
blindhomeschooler at yahoogroups.com; blindkid at nfb.net
Subject: [AERNet] Web Braille shut down and possibly in jeopardy
Hello all,
FYI!!! Very important, please read.
If you haven't heard yet, you will all probably be hearing from
your patrons
very soon about the shutdown of Web-Braille. Any patron logging
into the
Web-Braille site as of 5-10-06 is receiving the following message:
NLS: That All May Read
Web-braille notice
Because of technical and security difficulties, Web-Braille will
be
unavailable in the near future. NLS regrets the inconvenience and
will
provide further information as soon as possible.
For more information contact:
Judith Dixon
Consumer Relations Officer
jdix at loc.gov
On May 11, 2006, the following Operations Alert was issued from
NLS:
NLS Operations Alert
DATE : May 11, 2006
TO : Network Libraries
FROM : Network Division
Subject : Web-Braille
Because of technical and security difficulties, Web-Braille will
be
unavailable in the near future. NLS regrets the inconvenience and
will
provide further information as soon as possible.
For more information contact:
Judith Dixon
Consumer Relations Officer
jdix at loc.gov
Here is the current NLS reply coming from Judy Dixon in response
to
patron
inquiries:
"Web-Braille has been removed from public access temporarily. We
apologize
for the inconvenience that the removal of Web-Braille has caused.
At this
time, it is not known how long Web-Braille will be unavailable but
we have
every hope that the curtailment of the service will be
short-lived.
We are
making every effort to resume this service as soon as possible.
In the interim, all NLS-produced books and magazines are available
in
hardcopy braille from your braille-lending library. If the status
of
Web-Braille changes, information will be posted on the main
Web-Braille
page."
In the 8-plus years that Web-Braille has been operational, to my
knowledge,
there has never been a major technical issue. It has been run with
the
highest degree of efficiency, and network libraries have been
setting up
eligible readers without a problem. Now, suddenly, there is a
concern about
the security of Web-Braille. Why now is NLS worried about the
ability to
back translate BRF files, it's always been possible, but who would
do it.
Back translation
is tedious and subject to many reverse translation errors. In all
the years
of Web-Braille operation, I have never heard of a violation of the
lending
terms.
Braille readers love Web-Braille and want to preserve and grow it,
not shut
it down because of abuse. This precipitous action strikes me as
too
harsh a
response too late. There is no problem with Web-Braille today,
there wasn't
one yesterday, and instead of removing it completely, let NLS work
to
incorporate Web-Braille into the digital rights management scheme
of the new
digital talking books for the future.
Don't penalize all Web-Braille users -- braille readers of all
ages
using
braille aware devices such as BrailleNotes, Braille Senses,
Braille
'n
Speaks, and Packmates; deafblind patrons who have such limited
options for
reading materials, and classroom teachers embossing materials for
students,
just to name a few. Don't make just one more protection scheme for
patrons
to cope with, it's getting harder and harder to manage whether or
not all of
the incription keys are on all of the devices that people use
today. The
burden of access shouldn't be placed on the borrower, if they have
computer
access and a Braille aware device, that should be sufficient to
allow them
access to Web-Braille.
Without Web-Braille, network libraries are going to see a
significant
increase in their costs for handling and processing braille
materials, and
those libraries paying for braille circulation services will pay
more for
hardcopy braille circulations that would have previously been
Web-Braille
transactions.
I urge all of you to contact Frank Kurt Cylke at NLS
(fcyl at loc.gov)
and
express your extreme disappointment at this action, and urge the
immediate
reinstatement of Web-Braille for all of our patrons who rely on it
every
day. This service is vital and must be restored to full
functionality.
_______________________________________________
AERNet mailing list
AERNet at lists.aerbvi.org
http://lists.aerbvi.org/mailman/listinfo/aernet
_______________________________________________
napub mailing list
napub at nfbnet.org
http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/napubPeter Donahue
_______________________________________________
Dtb-talk mailing list
Dtb-talk at nfbnet.org
http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/dtb-talk
_______________________________________________
Dtb-talk mailing list
Dtb-talk at nfbnet.org
http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/dtb-talk
_______________________________________________
Dtb-talk mailing list
Dtb-talk at nfbnet.org
http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/dtb-talk
_______________________________________________
blindtlk mailing list
blindtlk at nfbnet.org
http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindtlk
_______________________________________________
blindtlk mailing list
blindtlk at nfbnet.org
http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindtlk
Lisa Hall, President
National Association of Blind Office Professionals (NABOP)
Web page: http://home.satx.rr.com/lisahall
Phone: (210) 829-4571
E-mail and MSN I.D.: lhall10 at satx.rr.com
Skype: lisa120362
More information about the nabop
mailing list