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Totally off topic, but... talking newspapers
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Brian's Mail list account
We do have a very wide selection of people out there on this list from many different countries. Over here in the UK there are a lot of Talking newspapers, produced by volunteers reading local news etc, from both the internet and paper publications for blind listeners. Most of these are elderly and to be honest not interested in tech, no internet no computer no smart phones, just a dumb land line.
So what has grown up over many years is distribution via thumb USB sticks and bespoke stick players, such as the Sonic, which has controls a bit like a cd player, plus a folders button so multiple programs can be skipped to at will. Sadly in the last month, the maker and importer of these has gone into liquidation. This has thrown a lot of us into a bit of a panic, since the only players left are very basic, and to get to the additional content now uses over 50 hits of the next button, which may well give everyone who is coming new to the format cause for concern and break the button! I just wondered if any other countries have such a medium, and if not, how do similar people get local news? If you do have such a system, I'd be interested in what stick players are around. Many do not work well, since the playing order differs, and some fade one track into another as they are meant for music mp3 files not talk. Brian -- bglists@... Sent via blueyonder.(Virgin media) Please address personal E-mail to:- briang1@..., putting 'Brian Gaff' in the display name field. |
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Gene
People really should read list rules and descriptions when they join
lists. Or if they haven't, such rules and descriptions are often
distributed automatically to members on the first of each month.
I'm not singling you out, but most people are just not informed
about what is on topic for lists they join. This is a chat list and
pretty much anything is on topic for the list. This subject is on
topic.
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Regarding your question, it sounds as though the systems being used to distribute newspapers are very inefficient and chaotic. Why can't a system be used such as is available here through The National Federation Of The Blind? In that system, newspapers that use computers to produce their papers make the computer material available to the Federation in some sort of automated manner. People who call get verbal instructions such as press one for national newspapers, press 2 for in state newsspapers, etc. When you press what you press, you then get choices such as press 1 for, name of newspaper, press 2, for name of newspaper. These assignments don't change so you can press 1, 2, then the number for the paper you want, then you are offered today's issue, with a number such as 1 or yesterday's issue, number 2. After you make your seledction, the sections of the paper are available by number. All this is done by phone. You could do something similar using human readers if you wish. Gene On 8/4/2022 2:40 AM, Brian's Mail list
account via groups.io wrote:
We do have a very wide selection of people out there on this list from many different countries. Over here in the UK there are a lot of Talking newspapers, produced by volunteers reading local news etc, from both the internet and paper publications for blind listeners. Most of these are elderly and to be honest not interested in tech, no internet no computer no smart phones, just a dumb land line. |
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Brian's Mail list account
Yes this is what I wondered, but it is what it is, and has been for years since no national organisation has taken the bull by the horns. We did test a telephone delivered system some years ago, but nobody liked it preferring the sticks. Formerly, before this it was of course the cassette.
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I do honestly think though that our system could easily be automated if a national organisation got together with the Talking newspaper federation. We have all now got alexa delivery if we want it and an app, and of course on line, but most of the people we and other talking newspapers cater for are older and have resisted, in some cases very strongly, getting an internet connection. We call it the digital divide over here, and its by no means restricted to blind or other disabled people. A charity called British Wireless for the Blind fund has got the current system up and running on Alexa and smart phones and there are some pretty accessible phones now like the Blind 2, but for some reason as the saying goes, lead a horse to water, but cannot make them drink. Of course its worse now with the rising costs we are all facing, and Internet connection is a luxury people are getting rid of. So lets see what others say, and if there are ram stick players around. Its not that inefficient if the Royal Mail articles for the blind free post works as it should, and the sticks shuttle back and forth, with three for every listener. We can also of course easily track who is getting the content, but online you just get an indication somebody listened for a while. I think there is also an element of companionship generated by a human reader which does not happen listening to an automatic one too, so I'm told. Brian -- bglists@... Sent via blueyonder.(Virgin media) Please address personal E-mail to:- briang1@..., putting 'Brian Gaff' in the display name field. ----- Original Message -----
From: "Gene" <gsasner@...> To: <chat@nvda.groups.io> Sent: Thursday, August 04, 2022 11:42 AM Subject: Re: [chat] Totally off topic, but... talking newspapers People really should read list rules and descriptions when they join |
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On Thu, Aug 4, 2022 at 06:42 AM, Gene wrote:
This subject is on topic.- There's no subject, within the realm of common decency, that's not "on topic" for the Chat Subgroup, as you've noted. One major reason for the creation of the Chat Subgroup was to get all topics not "on topic" for the NVDA main group somewhere that those who are a part of the community, and who wanted to, could participate in them. And you are right that the group rules state this clearly: "The NVDA Chat Subgroup was formed so that members of the NVDA community could carry on discussions of any topic (fit for mixed company) of their choosing with others who are also interested in engaging in them. Most topics tend to be technical in nature, but they need not be. True chat is permitted." I do not send out a monthly reminder for this group because it's generally not necessary to remind people that "any topic (fit for mixed company" goes once they've seen that once. -- Brian - Windows 10, 64-Bit, Version 21H2, Build 19044 Nothing in all the world is more dangerous than sincere ignorance and conscientious stupidity. ~ Martin Luther King, Jr. |
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