----- Original Message -----
From: "Gene" <gsasner@...>
To: <nvda@nvda.groups.io>
Sent: Thursday, December 28, 2017 2:33 PM
Subject: Re: [nvda] I'm dissappointed


I'm not planning to offer such a service. I was saying that just because NVDA is free, that that doesn't mean that technical support should be assumed to be free. Some people may offer free support and some may offer paid support. But unless this is discussed, people may assume that everyone is discussing a free support system because NVDA is free.

Gene
----- Original Message -----
From: Pascal Lambert
Sent: Thursday, December 28, 2017 8:19 AM
To: nvda@nvda.groups.io
Subject: Re: [nvda] I'm dissappointed


Hi All,

Gene’s offer is a sound one. I will be the first one to take advantage of it. Please let me know when will you start offering your service.

Blessings

Pascal



From: nvda@nvda.groups.io [mailto:nvda@nvda.groups.io] On Behalf Of Gene
Sent: Thursday, December 28, 2017 9:09 AM
To: nvda@nvda.groups.io
Subject: Re: [nvda] I'm dissappointed



That's hardly the first suggestion on this list and I doubt on other lists. At times, this suggestion is made because people don't know the answer or because some problems are difficult to solve by back and forth messages by e-mail. Someone remoting into the computer may solve some kinds of problems much faster and perhaps problems that wouldn't be solved on lists either because of lack of knowledge or the difficulty in solving some problems by exchanging messages.



But since peoples' experiences, as they report them, vary widely when they call, evidently some techs are competent and some aren't, I would caution people that it is better to ask about a problem here first and, those who know enough, when they call the disability line, should have the tech tell them what is going to be done so that if something doesn't sound correct, it can be not approved.



But I was talking about technical support offered by the NVDA community in some way, in my last message. I enjoy answering questions and solving things on lists. If I had something like a shift, where I received phone calls for a certain number of hours a day, that would be more like a job and I might want to be paid for it. Because of possible limitations in finances, I might not ask to be paid nearly what my services would be worth, but I might still want to be paid something, five or seven dollars an hour and that would be a very cheap price, considering how much good technical support is worth. That's not even minimum wage in the United States.



Gene

----- Original Message -----

From: Lino Morales

Sent: Thursday, December 28, 2017 6:48 AM

To: nvda@nvda.groups.io

Subject: Re: [nvda] I'm dissappointed



I agree. Trying to trouble shoot things regardless of what screen reader on any version of WIN is the NO.1 priority. The number one song ahem suggestion as of late here and on the WIN 10 year has been call the MS disability help desk. It seems like that’s the first thing as of late that gets spouted off the mouth. This is my chief complaint. Its getting old. That’s why their lists like this. Somebody is bound to know the answers to XYZZ question. Help desk or taking PC or laptop in to a local shop should be a last resort.



Sent from Mail for Windows 10



From: Gene
Sent: Thursday, December 28, 2017 3:56 AM
To: nvda@nvda.groups.io
Subject: Re: [nvda] I'm dissappointed



Perhaps, but a fundamental question as barely been discussed, if at all. NVDA is free. Does that mean services related to it should be free and to what extent? If you are going to expect someone to do something like a job, that is, sit around and wait for calls a certain number of hours a day, some people might be willing to do that. That doesn't mean that it is reasonable to assume that enough people will be willing to do so to build a corps of enough people around the world. Knowing how to teach and troubleshoot well are valuable skills and, depending on the problems presented, the solutions or what is taught may take time and effort. Why would peoples' skills and knowledge be assumed to be available for free? That devalues both. I enjoy writing instructions and helping with problems on an e-mail list where I control what I write and how often and when I look at list mail when I want. Sitting Waiting for a phone to ring, being at the call of anyone who decides to call at any time for a number of hours a day, is a lot more like work, at least to me.



Gene

----- Original Message -----

From: brian

Sent: Wednesday, December 27, 2017 9:59 PM

To: nvda@nvda.groups.io

Subject: Re: [nvda] I'm dissappointed



Why don't we use trained volunteers who would have to pass a
certification and let them wait by the phone or skype for tech support.
People who are advanced users of nvda could be people who could do this.
This would give blind people who don't have anything to do somthing to do.

Brian Sackrider


On 12/23/2017 2:36 PM, Shaun Everiss wrote:

Hmmm how would one go about doing this.

Firstly you would need some way to handle this.

I guess if it was all done via skype it could be done but I certainly
do not have time to sit round on a waiting for calls on nvda.

For mail ie email we have this list for global support and the tech
lists at least in new zealand do handle nvda questions and issues if
they get posted there.

There is the blind organisation I am in and they have an accessibility
centre of sorts that covers all support I suspose nvda to but who knows.

Its an organisation so like all of them they want you to use jaws but
who knows a lot of that has changed a lot.




On 24/12/2017 8:22 a.m., Rui Fontes wrote:

I think the better solution is each NVDA country community having
some kind of support center, by phone or by mail...

At least in Portugal we serve as a kind of support center for NVDA...
by phone, Skype or mail...

Regards,

Rui Fontes
Tiflotecnia, Lda.


Às 18:55 de 23/12/2017, Shaun Everiss escreveu:

Well nvda does not use a traditional support line, the email list
is support for most part.

I think there is a toll call service in australia that the devs run
which you can buy, all reader groups have a trained tech support
call centre, we have mike and maybe other devs doing support but its
not a full support group.

Being that this is opensource and not payed for like jaws I am not
sure how we can fix this shortfall.

Technically I guess we can have groups on skype and or whats app for
nvda support but you really need someone to pick up that phone and
dial support.

Here is the thing, a number of devs and a few are payed but most of
us are not.

Having used jaws, and dolphin products while I have needed support
for most of my comercial product use its never been that much and
email has been most of it but if I need a responce the phone is
always the best especially if the computer does not work right.




On 24/12/2017 4:43 a.m., susan@... wrote:

I am a teacher of students with visual impairments. One of my
students is learning to use a screen reader and I decided to adopt
NVDA. Tireless hours training have been spent training myself
through videos, websites, youtubes, etc. I started training my
student and implementing it with his school work. We have found
what works one day does not always work the next day. What has been
frustrating is how difficult it is to get tech support for NVDA on
the spot as we sometimes need in the educational setting. We have
very limited hours in a school day to complete our training and
work with students with visual impairments. Their curriculum
extends beyond the core curriculum as we all know and efficiency
with support is critical. I am starting to use JAWS with my student
and it has been seemless and working well. I really want to adopt
NVDA but it has been very frustrating. We teach our students to
brainstorm and contact tech support when needed but NVDA does not
make it easy for our students to do this. Our students are the
future of NVDA as future screen readers. Thoughts?

.

.