Posts by dandylover1@someplace.social
(DIR) Post #Aw846yEG7yzLqQDZnU by dandylover1@someplace.social
2025-07-14T16:08:17Z
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@futurebird I don't agree with the be a "real" man or woman idea. Everyone has his own own way of living. But ultimately, we are one or the other, even if, as in my case, we lean more toward one (I am a masculine woman but not ftm), simply like things supposedly reserved for the opposite sex, or even completely transition from one to the other. But one cannot be both or none. We are not objects. We are also not plurals (singular they).
(DIR) Post #AwVS6tDH9QpsLr00ki by dandylover1@someplace.social
2025-07-25T22:55:11Z
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@hn50 I never really understood the need for apps, particularly when they act just like the websites. If it's some sort of client that offers true advantages over the site, tht's different. Otherwise, it's a lot easier to just do something from a browser if there is a website for something. In all fairness, though, I do aalmost everything with my computer and hardly use my phone for anything.
(DIR) Post #Axx5FQHJTu9MV0CRmq by dandylover1@someplace.social
2025-09-07T04:42:57Z
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@hn50 I am a Dreamwidth user myself. When I hear blog, that is exactly what I think of, not whatever people write today. I would never consider that a blog, just someone's advertising site.
(DIR) Post #AyIuJ4vy6BNffmjCyG by dandylover1@someplace.social
2025-09-17T17:23:58Z
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@hn50 This is great, but how do they intend to deal with people such as myself who are totally blind, or who have no usable vision? Will users be able to ask for them to honk the horn or otherwise indicate that they have arrived to pic them up? Drivers can call out to them, but obviously, this is not an option here. Also, what about payment? Will it be done via an accessible app or some kind of inaccessible touchscreen? What about those who use wheelchairs? How will the users know wwhere to go once they have arrived? Again, a driver can either give directions or even get out and help the users open the door, for example.
(DIR) Post #AymdPCKkRCiVIN4mIK by dandylover1@someplace.social
2025-10-02T01:36:24Z
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@futurebird You're very lucky. Those of us who use screen readers really can't if there is no audio alternative.
(DIR) Post #AyojzqxJs4QrkTtoNE by dandylover1@someplace.social
2025-09-18T07:02:56Z
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I occasionally write about education, being cultured, etc. so I thought it's only right that I explain myself. I wrote this a long time ago and have modified it several times since.To my mind, this represents the perfect education. My focus is on the West, so things may be different in other parts of the world. This is meant as a guide from elementary (primary) through high (secondary) school, so some courses will depend on the age of the students. M means mandatory while o means optional. As for university, my belief is that, unlike a vocational school, it should be primarily a place of learning, not merely of obtaining employment. Therefore, the continuation of some of these courses should be encouraged. I also believe in proper dress, addressing teachers respectfully, etc. but that holds true everywhere, not just in school.reading (at first using phonix), writing, spelling (m)English grammar, taught as such and prescriptively (m)English composition, may be taught with or separately from grammr (m)elocution (m)rhetoric (o)English and European literature and poetry, nineteenth century and earlier (m)world and/or later literature and poetry (o)Latin, using memorisation and recitation (m)French, Italian, or other modern language, using translations, readings, dialogues, etc. (m)Attic Greek (o)typing and general computer use (m)national and European geography, with some basic world geography (m)world geography (o)national and European history, may be taught separately (m)world history (o)elementary philosophy, classical (m)advanced philosophy, modern (o)elementary art or art history (m)advanced art (o)elementary music (m)advanced music (o)physical education or some sort of exercise if student has disability (m)health, including sex education (m)basic science, a course with real-life, general ideas of biology, chemistry, Earth science, nature, etc. taught via lectures and videos (m)advanced sciences, more advanced forms of the above, plus other sciences, taught with labs (o)basic mathematics, addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division of whole numbers and fractions), percentages, etc. (m)advanced mathematics, algebra, calculus, geometry, trigonometry, etc. (o)home economics (m)religion, taught in a scholarly manner (o)vocational trade or general shop (o)A well-rounded education makes a person truly cultured. The rudiments must always be in reading, writing, and speaking. Far too many people today were never taught these most basic things and it shows in everything, from their speech, to their daily communications online, to their business letters. Literature not only stimulates the imagination but also provides a window into the past and demonstrates the beauty of the language. Latin and Greek help with English, teach discipline, and strengthen the mind. French is an international language and many books, articles, etc. from the past often contained paragraphs or words in it, but other modern languages can still offer knowledge and enjoyment for those who would rather not learn French. There is no need to waste time with advanced maths and sciences if you're not going to use them in daily life, but it is necessary to know the basics and also a bit about plants, animals, and nature. Likewise, health and sexual education are essential for making important decisions later in life. I also think it's wrong to separate the sexes. If each understood what the other goes through, it could make life easier in the future. History is valuable not only as a means of becoming cultured, but so that the mistakes of the past aren't repeated. Learning geography is necessary so that you literally know your place in the world and where others stand in reference to you, as well as where various historical events occurred. Home economics is important because, regardless of sex, you should know how to run your household, cook enough to survive, and also deal with money. Learning to type is necessary because computers are used so much today. Art and music are really more about culture and appreciating beautiful things. In my case, being totally blind, I can't see the art, but it's at least good to know the history of it. Music, from the basics of what instruments are and singing songs as children, to learning about classical music and opera later, is a wonderful world onto itself, just like literature. Shop and vocational training are really only necessary for those who wish to obtain jobs in those fields or who are genuinely curious about them. Finally, physical education provides an outlet for energy and an excuse to get out of the classroom for a bit. Plus, it's good for the body.#children #classes #curriculum #education #learning #school #teaching
(DIR) Post #Ayok00TuSGqhIADSvA by dandylover1@someplace.social
2025-09-19T02:29:52Z
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This is somewhat related. It's about bad English usage.https://someplace.social/@dandylover1/115228592935686738
(DIR) Post #Ayok6nJVoJgOTpabfE by dandylover1@someplace.social
2025-09-16T04:47:47Z
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Since my previous post asking about programmers, etc. received so many positive responses, I am going to use the same tags and explain what I wish to accomplish. That way, I can learn from real experts what is possible and what isn't. Note that I am not a programmer and am just writing as a user.Hello, everyone. I am forty-one and totally blind, having never seen. I have loved DOS since I was a teenager and basically taught myself tto use it, since by the time I learned about it, people were already moving to Windows. I love XP and 7 but find 11 to be frustrating and annoying. Unlike many, I don't find Linux or Mac OS to be worthy replacements. But I strongly feel, given the general advances in technology, as well as those in modern versions of DOS, that it can be a viable alternative. It's quick, efficient, and text-based. This, then, is my ultimate vision. Some of these things may be easier to implement than others, and some may not even be possible. One of my favourite sites is this one, which debunks all sorts of fallacies related to DOS and gives me hope that my dream may someday be realised.http://www.chebucto.ns.ca/~ak621/DOS/DOS-Fal.htmlSummaryMy ultimate vision is a 32-bit version of DOS with true multi-tasking, a talking installer, an updated screen reader, a software synthesizer, and usb support that could be used as a daily operating system on modern (or at least semi-modern) hardware.Blind-Specific Goals1. Talking installer: One of the main difficulties of installing DOS for a blind person is the lack of speech without a dedicated screen reader. This was true even in Windows XP, and to a lesser degree, 7, though Talking Windows PE (a version with the NVDA screen reader slipstreamed into it) changed that. I have also seen someone load config.sys, autoexec.bat, and command.com along with the ASAP screen reader onto a floppy and boot from it, so it may, indeed, be possible, though booting from a floppy is automatic, whereas booting from anything else would require changing the bootloader, which is not accessible to the blind. If it is not possible to create a talking installer, perhaps some sort of batch system, similar to XP Unattended, can be created, so that the user just has to hit a few keys and start an automatic installation.2. Software speech synthesis or reasonable alternative: This might be one of the most difficult things to implement, but it is th emost important. As it stands, most DOS screen readers work with hardware synthesizers that connect either via a serial port or an internal card. They work well, but unless new ones are made, they may be difficult to find. Plus, many computers don't have a serial port, and I'm not sure usb to serial can even work in DOS, especially for this sort of thing. Ideally, there would be a synthesizer, similar to ESpeak in NVDA, that would work directly with the screen reader to voice text on the screen. However, it seems that these sorts of synthesizers require apis, etc. that DOS doesn't have. Whether it would be possible to simulate a hardware synthesizer in real DOS as is done in the Talking DOSBox, which also contains Windows 95, I don't know. It is possible to send speech directly to the pc speaker, but most pc speakers, when they exist, are designed for beeps and very low quality output. That said, there was a novelty synthesizer, called Tran, that did just this. Perhaps a more serious version could be created and connected to a screen reader. There were screen readers that worked with the SoundBlaster synthesizer which did use software, but even that required the real card to be installed. If drivers and synthesizers can be created for more modern soundcards, that might be a bridge between full software synthesis and requiring an external device. A final option is simply to create modern synthesizers with an RS-232 connection. At least the speech would be good and they would still be manufactured, unlike the older ones.3. Updated screen reader support: I don't know how much screen readers would need to be updated in order to be able to take advantage of modern programs and versions of DOS, but having that option would be a good thing. The only fully open source screen reader I know of is Provox. While JAWS for DOS, Vocal-Eyes, Flipper, etc. were all made freely available, we don't have their code. I am going to attempt to contact Larry Skutchan, maker of ASAP, to ask if he is willing to let us work with the code, or rewrite and update it, as he may no longer have the program.General Goals1. 32-bit: Even in Windows, I don't see the need for a 64-bit system. But I do think that DOS can benefit dramatically from being upgraded to 32-bit. It would mean more memory could be used in ram, true multi-tasking without extra tools could be done, and maybe, some of the blind-specific ideas of mine could be accomplished. I really cannot stress the importance of multitasking enough, even for mainstream things such as browsing the Internet while keeping an e-mail client open to alert for notifications, or even listening to music while reading a website or downloading something. I am fully aware of tsr programs, and they are wonderful, but they don't allow for background processes. I have heard of FreeDOs-32, but it seems to be no longer maintained.2. Full usb support: I know that there is very rudamentary support for usb storage, but if this could be expanded to other devices, it might be possible to use a sound card for speech, a usb keyboard, a camera or scanner for ocr, a wifi dongle, etc.3. An accessible, modern browser and wifi support: I know that it is possible to connect to the Internet using certain wireless cards. I also know that there is at least one graphical browser called Arachne. But whether it is accessible or has been updated, and whether more exist, I don't know. And what about systems without these cards? Can they access the Internet using wifi or at least cable via an ethernet connection?4. A text-based, menu-driven desktop: I love the commandline, but sometimes, it might be quicker and/or easier to use menus. The graphical desktops require use of the mouse. I want to retain the text-based nature of DOS. It seems that this may already exist, and that I need to research DOS Navigator, Volkov Commander, Midnight Commander, and Norton Commander.Things to AvoidDon't turn DOS into Linux or Windows. Keep program installation simple, don't start requiring permissions for things, don't make everything graphical with a terrible interface that keeps changing, ribbons, etc., and don't include artificial intelligence as mandatory.#accessibility #AdaptiveTechnology #blind #DOS #FreeDOS #Internet #MSDOS #programmers #programming #ScreenReaders #software #SpeechSynthesis #technology
(DIR) Post #Ayok6taOUSkfvvXAoK by dandylover1@someplace.social
2025-09-16T05:58:35Z
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These are the programs I use in Windows with DOS equivalents, mostly given by Perplexity, except Edit, WordPerfect, Links, Nettamer, Arachne, DOStodon, Pine, and Stopegg, all of which I knew about previously. "Note" means that this came from Perplexity.Classic Notepad and Jarte = EDIT, SemWare Editor (QEdit), SETEdit, TDE, SSH ED, or the built-in editors in software like DOS Navigator. vcfed, WordPerfect.Firefox and Chrome = Lynx and Links (l y n x, and L i n k s, for those using screen readers), Arachne (graphical, may not be accessible), Nettamer (may require dialup connection/not sure), Virtual Recorder (mp3 recording) and MPCHC (mp3 playback) = (no mp3 recording in DOS), REC” and “SBR (for wav recording), Playback: MPXPLAY .Luna for Reddit and Reddit for Blind = (no equivalents, use old.reddit with browser).TweeseCake and TwBlue (Mastodon clients) = DOStodon (not sure if accessible).Thunderbird 102 = Pine or Pegasus Mail (note: Pegasus Mail for DOS is robust, but requires a supported mail server and network stack. pmail, Modern email (with OAuth2/GMail, etc.) is generally not possible; Pine requires a UNIX backend).CookTimer = Stopegg (program for blind).Free Alarm Clock = none given (Note: Some DOS timer programs exist (e.g., simple countdown scripts and Stopegg), but true “alarm clock” functions are rare and limited in functionality.).Openbook (OCR) = Note: Historical OCR software (e.g., OSCAR, Arkenstone) existed for DOS, but they rely on dedicated hardware scanners and drivers, and are fully obsolete without specific hardware.).HWiNFO (system information) = MSD, NSSI (Next Step System Info), or CheckIt—DOS utilities displaying hardware information in text mode.Other programs can be found here. These are all designed for the blind. Sadly, many are just demonstrations, but fortunately, many do work fully. They just include reminders to buy them.http://www.nfbnet.org/download/blind.htmIf that link doesn't work for downloading, try this one, which is a capture from the Wayback Machine.https://web.archive.org/web/20220129123119/http://www.nfbnet.org/download/blind.htm
(DIR) Post #AzvA3nFHVvtc5TGkls by dandylover1@someplace.social
2025-11-05T02:12:04Z
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@futurebird @JosephMeyer It's even more fun when you're blind and a problem that someone sighted can write on one page takes two or three pages in braille, so that, by the time you finish, you have absolutely no idea what you just did!