🚀 go-pugleaf

                            THE BLIND NEWS DIGEST

                                 Issue # 933

                           Tuesday, June 08, 1993

Today's Topics:


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                               music magazines
                          Re: job interview -help!
                        questions from a new dog user
                          Re: Scanning And Copyrig
                          Re: Flipper 4 At Baytalk
                                    Asap
                                  Watches?
                      Re: can anyone tell me something?
                              Scanner question
                                  Jaws help


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                              Bill McGarry (Moderator)
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Subject: music magazines
From: Sam.Troia@p4.f203.n2603.z1.fidonet.org (Sam Troia)
Organization: FidoNet node 1:2603/203.4 - The BATcave Mail On, Flushing NY


[This is from the Blink Talk Conference]

 > Hey Sam, well I haven't yet been able to find a
 > organization that supplies news and music magazines on
 > tape, please look around and see what you can find..

Hey, Anthony,

You're probably gonna shoot me after you read this.  I mostly don't
know of where we can get music mags--especially the ones pertaining
to the current rock scene.  But if you're feeling extravagantly
rich, you can get Rolling Stone Magazine in Braille from
Triformations.  But be warned:  at $120 a year.  Boy, talk about a
rip off.  I personally don't think we as blind people should have
to pay more than what the print magazine costs.

Oh, and by the way, I haven't forgotten your tapes:  I just have to decide on wh
at tracks to send out.  You'll hear from me soon.

Sam

--
Uucp: ..!uunet!bunker!hcap!hnews!2603!203.4!Sam.Troia
Internet: Sam.Troia@p4.f203.n2603.z1.fidonet.org




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Subject: Re: job interview -help!
From: Bob.Humbert@p0.f99.n215.z1.fidonet.org (Bob Humbert)
Organization: FidoNet node 1:215/99.0 - Blink Connection, San Leandro CA


[This is from the Blink Talk Conference]

 -=> Quoting Peter Scialli to Bob Humbert <=-

 PS> Bob,
 PS> Thanks for that advice about the interview.  One possible fly in the
 PS> ointment is that I am a clinical psychologist, being interviewed by
 PS> other clinical psychologists.  All of us are used to reading things
 PS> into the questions and answers of others.

Relax, Peter, you are going to do just fine.  The 4 point approach to
answering objections is a carefully researched "big ticket" sales approach.
I can tell you that the easiest mark for a good salesman is another salesman.
The second easiest mark is a psychologist.  I have only a masters degree in
counseling, and I didn't spend much of my professional coreer as a counselor.
Rather, I was in administration and sales.  Even if your interviewers know
the technique, they will be flattered that you are taking the time to sell
them and will not hold your using that technique against you.  Follow up
studies of salesmen trained in this technique showed that those who kept it
up and practiced using it were successful.  Those who felt silly doing it
time after time because they thought that the customer would catch on to what
they were doing  were not very successful.  It only sounds silly to us who
use it because we have heard ourselves saying the same things hundreds of
times, but it is usually the first time that our prospect has ever heard
them.

However, I have the feeling that you are going to do just fine with or
without using hi tech sales techniques.  Keep all of us informed regarding
your progress.
Hopefully I can keep my
 PS> nervousness in check to approach the interview in a plausible way.
 PS> I fully agree though about getting them to ask the question.  My most
 PS> recent successful job interview, about 3 years ago, was from a woman
 PS> who did not mention blindness at all.  At the end of the interview,
 PS> I asked her what concerns she had about my blindness and her response
 PS> was that her grandfather was blind and that "he can do anything he
 PS> wants to".

Her grandfather did your job for you.  Now, you have to do it for yourself.
You can do it, but be aware that the experiences of others with blind people
before we ever meet them makes our job easier or more difficult.  It's our
job to make them see us as an individual, and not as a member of a stereotype
that they have about a minority group.

--
Uucp: ..!uunet!bunker!hcap!hnews!215!99.0!Bob.Humbert
Internet: Bob.Humbert@p0.f99.n215.z1.fidonet.org




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Subject: questions from a new dog user
From: Bob.Humbert@p0.f99.n215.z1.fidonet.org (Bob Humbert)
Organization: FidoNet node 1:215/99.0 - Blink Connection, San Leandro CA


[This is from the Blink Talk Conference]

I will be a member of the May 23rd class at Guide Dogs.  I'm 54
years old, totally blind, and this is going to be my first dog
guide.  I have been blind since birth, and I have been very apposed
to using a dog guide.  "Why am I getting one now then?"  I firmly
believed that I could trust my own senses much better than a dog,
and this was probably true during my twenties, thirties, and
perhaps most of my forties.  Now, I am making too many mistakes my
own self.  "Do I trust a dog now?"  Not yet, but I am very
impressed with what they can do and are doing for friends, and I am
hoping for that trust and confidence to come from the 28 days of
training.  As you can well imagine, I am going to have to eat a lot
of crow when I return with a dog, and I deserve it.  My family and
friends are more excited than I am about this big change, and that
concerns me.  What do they know that I don't know?  Some of the
things that still bother me are:

Why does everyone say, "Oh! a dog will be such a good companion for
you."  Why do I need a companion?  I am not lonely, I have a wife
and friends.

If I go to the mall wearing a sports shirt, I can bang around for
what seems to be an eternity before I am offered assistance.  Dog
users are offered it immediately.  When I am wearing a white shirt,
coat and tie, I get much more assistance, but not as much as a dog
user in a sports shirt.

I shutter to think of the cost of training a dog person team, and
it has to be done again every eight years or so.  There is no cost
to me for the dog or the training.  On the other hand, It was
nearly impossible to get any professional training with the cane
after once being trained.  To the best of my knowledge, there is no
such thing as a free cane.  I know that I spent at least $100 each
year for new canes.  No, that is not much, but it is just the idea.

I'm going to need all of the good wishes and advice that all of you
can give me.  It's a big step for me and one that I did not make
without several years of careful thought.  Thank you all for
listening to me.

--
Uucp: ..!uunet!bunker!hcap!hnews!215!99.0!Bob.Humbert
Internet: Bob.Humbert@p0.f99.n215.z1.fidonet.org




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Subject: Re: Scanning And Copyrig
From: Richard.Webb@f8.n290.z1.fidonet.org (Richard Webb)
Organization: FidoNet node 1:290/8 - Iowa MIDI BBS, Des Moines IA


[This is from the Blink Talk Conference]

You're quite right in your beliefs about scanning and copyrights, from
what I've read and heard.  I think I hear more concern about it from the
public than I do from the publishers.

If I were to hazard a guess, and that's all it is at this point, I would
guess that we'll see a tightening of copyright restrictions in the next
few years, because of the availibility of OCR, audio sampling, etc.  As
a professional musician/writerproducer, I can tell you that the
industries concerned are scrambling to protect their perceived
interests.  If you get PC computing in Braille, a couple of Months ago,
the debate column, (DVorak vs.....can't remember his name lately)
discussed this issue, and it's widely bandied about in the music
industry.  Unless some big changes are made to the laws, though, your
points would still fall under the fair use doctrine.

RICHARD WEBB

... Any system that depends upon human reliability is unreliable...
___ Via Silver Xpress V3.02

--
Uucp: ..!uunet!bunker!hcap!hnews!290!8!Richard.Webb
Internet: Richard.Webb@f8.n290.z1.fidonet.org




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Subject: Re: Flipper 4 At Baytalk
From: Richard.Webb@f8.n290.z1.fidonet.org (Richard Webb)
Organization: FidoNet node 1:290/8 - Iowa MIDI BBS, Des Moines IA


[This is from the Blink Talk Conference]

  Recently, you were referring to employers like SSA buying equipment
  that's inferior, (Does TSI make anything else?) for access for blind
  employees.  YOu said:
 BH> "I looked around and saw that there was just too much for me to
 BH> do to change it all and so I did nothing.  One brick isn't
 BH> much, but if you have enough bricks you can build a house.
 BH> Letters of complaint will get answered.  Start with the White
 BH> House and see what you get.  Do something.

That's right, I echo those sentiments quite strongly, and add another
caveat, ":Do something, even if it's wrong!  Don't do nothing."  I
watched my wife lose a good job when they computerized her office,
thanks to a whimpy one-line cassette tape braille device, (Not tsi's)
and try to go the civil rights route.

The first thing we need to do is educate the people responsible for
purchasing such technology, (Good luck!)  Some of them prove to be
uneducable.

RICHARD WEBB

... X If you ain't making waves, you ain't kicking hard enough X
___ Via Silver Xpress V3.02

--
Uucp: ..!uunet!bunker!hcap!hnews!290!8!Richard.Webb
Internet: Richard.Webb@f8.n290.z1.fidonet.org




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Subject: Asap
From: Richard.Webb@f8.n290.z1.fidonet.org (Richard Webb)
Organization: FidoNet node 1:290/8 - Iowa MIDI BBS, Des Moines IA


[This is from the Blink Talk Conference]

 Sam Bushman said recently to someone:

  SB> Hay I think you should give "asap" a try.  The file name on
 SB> BlinkLink is asap.zip.
 SB> Hope this helps

Here's why I'd agree with you.  I just ordered the package with
LIte-talk recently.  Have been using the demo for a few months.  I'll
give you some resons that I would call it the best one out there these
days.

With quite a few screen review packages, you must load a configuration
through a batch file when starting a program that needs some special
characteristics.  With asap, you can build a configuration, (.set file)
and have it load automatically.  When the needs change within the
application, just build another .set file.

Another is the lack of key conflicts.  I"ve found none so far.  I was
debating on screen reader to avoid this, but decided to go this
direction.  Have been quite impressed.  The tech support people will
answer questions, and are quite helpful, another big plus.

RICHARD WEBB

RICHARD WEBB

... DOS never says "EXCELLENT command or filename"...
___ Via Silver Xpress V3.02

--
Uucp: ..!uunet!bunker!hcap!hnews!290!8!Richard.Webb
Internet: Richard.Webb@f8.n290.z1.fidonet.org




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Subject: Watches?
From: Norm.Gezik@p0.f89.n129.z1.fidonet.org (Norm Gezik)
Organization: FidoNet node 1:129/89.0 - BlinkLink, Pittsburgh PA


[This is from the Blink Talk Conference]

Does anyone have any information on where a guy can buy a new watch
that will take a little more abuse than others?

I haven't had much luck with watches in the past.  Of course, I am
always doing something stupid, like sticking my hand up to my
elbow, inside a minnow bucket or running a  chain saw, forgetting
to first remove my watch.

I haven't had much better luck with a  pocket watch.  It seems like
every six months or so I have to take it into the jewelers to have
it cleaned.  All of my watches have been the windup type.  Do they
make a battery powered watch?  Do the battery powered ones need
cleaned as often?

How about the talking watches?  Are they any more sociable than
they were when they first came out?  I took one of these on a
fishing trip once and half way through the trip it quit talking to
me.  It hasn't talked since,   Or was that the girl that went
along?  Come to think of it, I haven't heard a word from ether of
them since that trip!

                                                Thanks,
                                                Norm.

--
Uucp: ..!uunet!bunker!hcap!hnews!129!89.0!Norm.Gezik
Internet: Norm.Gezik@p0.f89.n129.z1.fidonet.org




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Subject: Re: can anyone tell me something?
From: Lisa.Warner@f136.n267.z1.fidonet.org (Lisa Warner)
Organization: FidoNet node 1:267/136 - Access BBS, Ballston Spa NY


[This is from the Blink Talk Conference]

well it is a synphonix 210 I bwelieve and flipper 3.3.  It was
working fine for the longest time and now it has quit doing so all
the time.  Tonight it took three times to boot and start
correctly.  Tyhe first time it just went aaaaaaaaaaah like it was
dead or something.  then no sound.  Then it decided to go and work
right.  I'm confused!  /s

--
Uucp: ..!uunet!bunker!hcap!hnews!267!136!Lisa.Warner
Internet: Lisa.Warner@f136.n267.z1.fidonet.org




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Subject: Scanner question
From: Peter.Scialli@f432.n109.z1.fidonet.org (Peter Scialli)
Organization: FidoNet node 1:109/432 - The Idea Link, Wheaton MD


[This is from the Blink Talk Conference]

Michael
  Some people are using commercial off the shelf OCR software with
  varying degrees of success.  For starters, Discover 386 from Xerox is
  a dos based program whose list price is, I think, $695.  however, it
  isn't very good by today's standards.  It is kind of slow and works
  really well only on clean typed copy.  It has the advantage of working
  with speech after only a small amount of set up, depending on your
  screen access software.  I have heard of some people using commercial
  Windows based OCR software along with Windows Bridge.  I know Rich
  Ring of Computer Folks was using Word Scan Plus with Windows Bridge
  and while it worked, he really didn't like it.  He bought the first
  copy of Open Book Unbound that I ever sold and retired Word Scan Plus.
  OmniPage Professional which lists for around $1000 and can be had for
  aorund $700 is regarded as the best commercial OCR software around.  I
  don't know anyone who has tried to use it with a speech program such
  as Windows Bridge. The bottom line is that all the state of the art
  commercial packages run under Windows.
  Hope this helps.
       Peter

 * JABBER v1.1 * ShrinkWrap Computer Products: 800-377-0774
===
 * KMail 2.94g - The Idea Link -

--
Uucp: ..!uunet!bunker!hcap!hnews!109!432!Peter.Scialli
Internet: Peter.Scialli@f432.n109.z1.fidonet.org




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Subject: Jaws help
From: Jeff.Belina@f5297.n3603.z1.fidonet.org (Jeff Belina)
Organization: FidoNet node 1:3603/5297 - Henter-Joyce Techni, St Petersburg FL


[This is from the Blink Talk Conference]

Eric Smith wrote in a message to All:

ES> I am going to be using JAWS 2.2 with a non-Toshiba type
ES> notebook. Has anyone configured to such a keyboard, or must
ES> I go through this on my own.  There seem to be a lot of
ES> non-Toshiba types out there and wish there was something
ES> already set up.  Maybe it is, but kind of got lost in the
ES> JAWS BBS; my fault, I'm sure!

Hi, I manage Henter-Joyce's technical support, and also the sysop
of the JAWS BBS.  In general what I recommend is that people use
the macros that were set up for toshiba laptops, and then make up
their own JAWS CURSOR and PC CURSOR macros. This should help,
unfortunately there is no standard layout for laptop, and as far as
I know certain keys may generate different scan codes (that may
have been just on the toshibas I'm not sure).  We also recommend
using an external keypad where possible, because it allows full use
of the speech pad with JAWS.

Bfn,
Jeff Belina
Technical Support
Henter-Joyce, Inc.

--
Uucp: ..!uunet!bunker!hcap!hnews!3603!5297!Jeff.Belina
Internet: Jeff.Belina@f5297.n3603.z1.fidonet.org




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                 End of Issue # 933 of the Blind News Digest

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