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] ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Eggheads of the world unite -- you have nothing to lose but your yolks! -- Adalai Stevenson ----------------------------------------------------------------------- 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 ----------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------- Email sent using AnyEmail from http://www.hicom.net