aloha, listmembers!
since this is a relatively long post, i am providing a table
of contents so that individuals can quickly find whatever
information is most pertinent to them. i also, strongly
encourage you to save this emessage for future reference, as
the version of LISTSERV that has been running BLIND-DEV for
the past 7 years was 1.8d, while that which will be running
the list at its new home, is 14.4, not only have some of the
commands changed, but several list functions have been added.
to use the following Table of Contents to find specific
sections of this document, copy and paste the entire
line containing the title of the section in which you
are interested
Table of Contents:
* INTRODUCTION: MOVING FROM MAELSTROM TO ICORS, FEBRUARY 1, 2006
1. RE-STATEMENT OF BLIND-DEV'S MISSION, PURPOSE AND FUNCTION
2. NEW LIST ADDRESSES
================================================================
* INTRODUCTION: MOVING FROM MAELSTROM TO ICORS, FEBRUARY 1, 2006
=================================================================
As many, if not most, of you know, effective today, 1
February 2006, the MAELSTROM server at Saint John's
University, which has hosted BLIND-DEV since its
inception in January 1999, shut down, leaving the
lists it hosted homeless.
As a result, BLIND-DEV has found a new host -- ICORS, The
"Information Center for Online Resources and Services" -- a
non-profit organization formed by several listowners whose
lists were originally hosted at the MAELSTROM server at
Saint John's. As you may have already noticed, ICORS has
been kind enough to allow BLIND-DEV to migrate to its mail
server, the domain of which is:
LISTSERV.ICORS.ORG
which makes the new eddress for posting to the list:
[log in to unmask]
Your subscription has automatically been moved for you from
the MAELSTROM to the ICORS subscription list. If you filter
your list mail, however, you may need to adjust your mail
filters to properly filter messages posted to BLIND-DEV at
its new eddress:
[log in to unmask]
The archives of past posts to BLIND-DEV have also been moved
to the ICORS server. Access the BLIND-DEV archives by using
the following URI:
http://listserv.icors.org/archives/blind-dev.html
Note that, whereas the old archive was organized by week,
BLIND-DEV will now be archived by month, which is intended
to make it easier to follow related threads. It is also my
hope, as listowner, that the migration of BLIND-DEV will
re-invigorate activity on the list, which has trailed off to
a trickle over the past 3 years. Please let anyone who is
directly involved in the development of software or hardware
for the blind and visually impaired, as well as those with a
vested interest and 2 cents' worth of practical advice to
share about the development of such resources, that BLIND-DEV
still exists, and seeks to engage developers of every stripe,
from those who work for "mainstream" slash large-scale
developers, as well as those who develop and maintain
applications and devices intended for use by the blind and/or
visually impaired on a smaller scale: from start-ups to
individual programmers. Requests for review, announcements of
new releases, calls for review of emerging standards, and the
like are strongly encouraged. As with ALL lists, however,
crass commercialism is discouraged -- BLIND-DEV remains
dedicated to its mission: to serve as a technologically
oriented list, whose dialog is dedicated towards results
rather than rhetoric.
Just as you once did at MAELSTROM, you will have to first
establish an online identity at LISTSERV.ICORS.ORG in order to
take full advantage of the web interface functionality built
into the list archive. You can do this by going either to
ICORS' LISTSERV introductory page (which is very similar in
look, sound, and feel to the top-level page at the now-defunt
MAELSTROM archives)
http://listserv.icors.org/
or to ICORS' List Archive interface directly, using the following
URI:
http://listserv.icors.org/archives/index.html
As listowner, i would like to not only thank ICORS for hosting
BLIND-DEV, but for making a genuine and open-ended commitment to
ensuring the accessibility of the ICORS web interface. Your
comments, suggestions, and/or criticism, as always, are welcomed
by the listowner, who can now be reached at the following eddress:
[log in to unmask]
Note that, in order to cut down on the incredible amount of
spam sent to listowner eddresses, not to mention the number of
bots and hijacked machines that attempt to subscribe to lists such
as BLIND-DEV, LISTSERV automatically sends you a confirmation
emessage whenever you email a list eddress (that is, any ICORS
address that contains the list's name, BLIND-DEV). if your email
client supports hyperlinks, you can confirm your request or query
using the link supplied by the automatically generated confirmation
message. if your email client does not support hyperlinks or you
prefer not to use the web interface, you can simply reply to the
confirmation message with the single word command:
OK
and your request, query, or subscription change will be
approved and processed.
============================================================
1. RE-STATEMENT OF BLIND-DEV'S MISSION, PURPOSE AND FUNCTION
============================================================
From its inception, the purpose of BLIND-DEV has been to serve
as a catalyst which will both spur and speed the development of
software which will enable blind and visually impaired users to
use emerging technologies, platforms, operating systems, and
applications AS they are developed, so that access is built-in,
rather than retrofitted. BLIND-DEV, therefore, is a conduit
through which software developers and users -- whatever their
area of interest, level of expertise, operating system and/or
hardware platform of choice -- are able to engage in dialogue,
to brainstorm, and to educate one another. None of this,
however, is intended to discourage the those who feel more
comfortable in the role of "list lurkers" (also known as
"interested parties" or "actual users of the technology
being discussed") from not merely monitoring the list's
technological discussions, but to provide them with a forum
through which they can make their concerns and needs known
to those engaged in development as they deem necessary.
BLIND-DEV, therefore, is intended to serve not only as a
means of exchanging ideas between those engaged in actual
technological development, but as a testing and proving
ground for their theories, blueprints, plans, objectives,
and implementations, whilst also providing a reality check
for those thus engaged by through the contributions of those
who will actually use the software and hardware being
developed.
=====================
2. NEW LIST ADDRESSES
=====================
The new eddress for the LISTSERV software that controls the
list and allows you, as an individual subscriber, to change
your subscription options, is:
[log in to unmask]
So, for example, if you wanted to obtain a list of your
subscription options, you would type the command:
QUERY BLIND-DEV
in the BODY of an emessage, and send it to:
[log in to unmask]
Likewise, you can obtain the latest LISTSERV Help document
-- and I encourage all subscribers to do so, as the version
of the LISTSERV software used at ICORS is far more current
(and flexible) than that used at MAELSTROM -- by typing the
command:
HELP
in the BODY of an emessage and sending it to the new LISTSERV
eddress:
[log in to unmask]
There are many more commands available to you as a subscriber;
send the command:
INFO REFCARD
to: [log in to unmask]
for a comprehensive reference card for LISTSERV version 14.4,
or for a list of documentation files available from ICORS'
LISTSERV, type the command:
INFO
in the BODY of an emessage and send it to:
[log in to unmask]
This, the generic list eddress, is the eddress you can use
to change subscription options, such as setting your account
to NOMAIL, should you want to suspend receipt of posts to
BLIND-DEV, but don't want to unsubscribe.
Joining and leaving the list has changed only slightly;
namely the eddress to which the pertinent command is sent.
To subscribe or unsubscribe from BLIND-DEV, send the
command:
SUBSCRIBE BLIND-DEV
or
UNSUBSCRIBE BLIND-DEV
in the BODY of an emessage to the list management eddress:
[log in to unmask]
Questions, comments, concerns, complaints, and other
administrivia should be addressed directly to the listowner's
new eddress:
[log in to unmask]
Note that, in order to cut down on the incredible amount of
spam sent to listowner eddresses, not to mention the number of
bots and hijacked machines that attempt to subscribe to lists such
as BLIND-DEV, LISTSERV automatically sends you a confirmation
emessage whenever you email a list eddress (that is, any ICORS
address that contains the list's name, BLIND-DEV). if your email
client supports hyperlinks, you can confirm your request or query
using the link supplied by the automatically generated confirmation
message. if your email client does not support hyperlinks or you
prefer not to use the web interface, you can simply reply to the
confirmation message with the single word command:
OK
and your request, query, or subscription change will be
approved and processed.
If you prefer, you can manage your subscription through
ICORS' LISTSERV web interface -- where you can also browse all
of the available LISTSERV manuals -- which is located at:
http://listserv.icors.org/SCRIPTS/WA-ICORS.EXE
thank you for your past participation in BLIND-DEV, and
welcome to a new era in the list's life.
sincerely,
gregory j. rosmaita, listowner, [log in to unmask]
[log in to unmask]
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Eggheads of the world unite -- you have nothing to lose but your yolks!
-- Adalai Stevenson
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Gregory J. Rosmaita, [log in to unmask]
Camera Obscura: http://www.hicom.net/~oedipus/index.html
UBATS - United Advocates for Talking Signs: http://ubats.org
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