[nfb-talk] Braille Monitor

[David Andrews]

NFB Newsline does have the capacity to carry human speech.

Dave

At 04:17 PM 8/3/2011, you wrote:
>But putting the monitor on newsline doesn't give you a human reader 
>reading it.
>Do you think everyone understands that weird speech? I belong, but 
>honestly I prefer our washington ear reading the paper because they 
>have human readers. You can access the paper any time of day and the 
>paper is organized by categories. Those with hearing problems and 
>proccessing problems have trouble with that speech on newsline, and 
>I'm sure many older people do too.
>I don't want to speak for them, but it seems
>logical that leaving out audio format will leave out some of the 
>audience you seek to reach.
>Again, I wish it could be played via a thumb drive and nls player.
>
>Ashley
>
>-----Original Message----- From: Mike Freeman
>Sent: Wednesday, August 03, 2011 12:53 PM
>To: NFB Talk Mailing List
>Subject: Re: [nfb-talk] Braille Monitor
>
>David:
>
>Your thoughts below are both reasonable and logical. To my way of 
>thinking, putting the Monitor on NFB Newsline is about the most 
>cost-effective short-term solution to the problem although I suspect 
>that this will probably mean text-only (no audio of speeches) since 
>to provide this would require a rework of the download software for 
>Newsline. I also expect that if the Monitor is on Newsline, it will 
>then also have to present the Braille Forum since Newsline receives 
>Federal funds. This isn't in and of itself bad; we already put the 
>ACB convention agenda on Newsline and if the Monitor can't stand the 
>competition, we're in deep do-do.
>
>I believe the thinking of NFB leadership is that to officially rely 
>upon local members to provide CD copies of the Monitor (either as 
>audio CD's or data CD's) is unworkable on a large scale although 
>some chapters with tech-savvy members could do it. Moreover, even 
>for CD players that can handle MP3 files, navigating to them isn't 
>always easy without sight and I suspect many older readers would 
>just as soon throw the  players against the wall as endure the 
>"torture" of trying to figure them out.
>
>There's no easy solution and we'll have to muddle along as best we 
>can unless thumb-drives and/or NLS cartridges come down in price substantially.
>
>Mike Freeman
>sent from my iPhone
>
>
>On Aug 3, 2011, at 9:15, "David Evans" <drevans at bellsouth.net> wrote:
>
>>Dear All,
>>
>>I can understand the national's reasoning in stopping the audio 
>>tape version of the Braille Monitor.
>>
>>They are likely looking at the replacement of the duplication 
>>equipment for doing the Monitor and the issue of a fading 
>>technology and the emergence of newer technologies that will 
>>replace the former.
>>I have produced audio tape newsletters for my chapter since 1989 
>>and also for the Florida State Affiliate.
>>It is about time for us to move on to the next technology for use 
>>as our Mass Media for communicating to our membership and friends.
>>Audio tapes are on the way out and that is just the way it is.  The 
>>question is, what will best replace them and how soon.
>>It has been said that most of our members have and can access the 
>>Monitor by e-mail or on-line.  It is possible to read the monitor 
>>using NFB NEWSLINE for the Blind using a computer or telephone.
>>This still leaves out some elderly members  who do not have a 
>>computer or do not have NFB NEWSLINE in their areas but still use 
>>the Talking Book Library audio tape machines and understand the technology.
>>Doctor Mauer spoke about this all at the convention and that they 
>>were looking at several possibilities including USB drives that 
>>could just be plugged into the USB port on the new digital Talking 
>>Book Machines or any USB port on a computer or other device.
>>The problem is that these USB thumb drives cost about $6.00  each 
>>and that is too much.
>>
>>
>>Another media that might be used is a CD Rom disc or one that is 
>>modified. These could be as little as 3 cents each and could be 
>>played on many CD players, computers and such.  The file formats 
>>could be recorded in a variety of file types that would make this 
>>media easy to copy and use.  As CD players are very common now, 
>>even most of the elderly have access to them and even those who do 
>>not yet have a new Talking Book player can likely find a CD player 
>>they can use.
>>We must find a way to reduce the cost of the production of the 
>>Braille Monitor, but at the same time extend its availability to as 
>>many as possible.  Even this technology will have a short life 
>>span, but It might get the Monitor through to the point that our 
>>membership population catches up to newer technology or dies off.
>>These are just my thoughts on the subject and I would like to hear 
>>what others have to say on the matter.
>>
>>David Evans, NFBF and GD Jack.
>>
>>----- Original Message ----- From: "T. Joseph Carter" 
>><carter.tjoseph at gmail.com>
>>To: "NFB Talk Mailing List" <nfb-talk at nfbnet.org>
>>Sent: Wednesday, August 03, 2011 9:50 AM
>>Subject: Re: [nfb-talk] Braille Monitor
>>
>>
>>>For what a CD costs anymore, someone in the chapter can produce 
>>>half a dozen of them for those members for the cost of one cassette.
>>>
>>>Joseph - kf7qzc
>>>
>>>
>>>On Wed, Aug 03, 2011 at 05:51:57AM -0700, ckrugman at sbcglobal.net wrote:
>>>>This is unfortunate as we have many elderly members of our 
>>>>chapter who are not computer users or Braille readers. I would 
>>>>think that the cassette version would continue to be a good 
>>>>outreach tool to get new federationsits.
>>>>Chuck
>>>>----- Original Message ----- From: "Ed Meskys" <edmeskys at roadrunner.com>
>>>>To: "nfb-talk" <nfb-talk at nfbnet.org>
>>>>Sent: Wednesday, July 13, 2011 4:56 PM
>>>>Subject: [nfb-talk] Braille Monitor
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>>I am surprised that no one has referred to Dr. Maurer's 
>>>>>announcement of the end of the cassette edition of the Braille 
>>>>>Monitor after the December issue. Computer users will be 
>>>>>encouraged to download it, but no decision has yet been made as 
>>>>>to what will be done for non-computer users. A possibility is 
>>>>>thumb drives, which can be cheaper than the cartridges. We are 
>>>>>supposed to get a full announcement in September. In answer to a 
>>>>>question, we were told that it cannot be placed on BARD, but 
>>>>>downloads will have to be from an NFB site.