Topic by stirlock 2006-07-13 21:34:56

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OK, I was browsing toprpgames.com out of bordom, and I came across the ninja rpg
www.theninja-rpg.com
The discription looked cool, so I decided to check it out. Unfortunately, to even log in to the game, you must enter one of those gastly captcha images. I emailed the developer with my concerns as I very much wanted to play. The response I got was maddening. Look for yourself.
What follows is my email, followed by his reply.
Hi.
I was browsing
toprpgames.com
because I was bored, and I came across this game. I am blind and use screen reading software to use the internet etc. This game looked promising, a relief
from all the other stock shit out there. But sadly I am unable to log in or register, since the game uses image varification, which is unreadable by screen
readers. Could you please remove the varification, so that myself and other blind people can play? Thanks.
Mike

No, I cannot. I never heard of such "screen reading" - Sounds pretty unbelieveable. Anyways, if I remove it a lot of people will cheat on the game, which
I cannot allow, sorry

I then informed him of freedomscientific and jaws for windows. I urge all of you to email him and inform him that blind people play online games as well.
His email is [email protected]
Stirlock

Take care, it's a desert out there.

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Reply by cx2 2006-07-14 01:40:46 (edited by cx2 2006-07-14 01:41:57)

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DO NOT ALL EMAIL HIM! This is spamming. If yhe won't answer to one person get a damn petition, but DO *NOT* spam him since this won't help any.

Simply ask if he can help people create their account if they contact him and say they are using screeen reader software. We can'te xpect them to rip out their security.

Edit:
I have heard of far worse things, at least he apologised with his (valid) reason and didn't say he didn't want blind people playing his game anyway. Yes I have heard of the latter.

cx2
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Reply by arjan 2006-07-14 07:37:17

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agreed. I'd first have asked if the guy could help me with the image thingy, not if he removed it. now if we all go spam like mad, i don't think he will get any happier.

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Reply by cx2 2006-07-15 01:04:09

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Everyone remember this:

How you behave towards someone who has no experience of blind people on the internet before will colour their opinion of us. You are essentially representing the blind internet community. Be diplomatic, and try to work with people. Remember like I said he apologised and wasn't particularly rude, if a little narrow minded and on shakey footing with what is possible (synthetic speech is common knowledge, especially in technical circles).

Thanks for agreeing with me Arjan.

cx2
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To live by honour and to honour life, these are our greatest strengths and our best hopes.

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Reply by Dark 2006-07-15 01:36:12

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As Cx2 said, such E-mails should always be as polite, diplomatic and reasonable as possible. I always imagine I'm writing a formal letter when I have to write one.

Whenever I send such an E-mail (and I've sent a few), I always say something along the lines of:

"I use a speech synthesisor to read text on the internet" sinse I've found that people who aren't familiar with assistive tech often get confused when you start talking about "Screen readers" ---- remember, that to them "Reading" a screen means looking at it. I also don't think spamming him or asking him to remove his sicurity precautions completely is a good plan, though he could certainly do something, such as create an alternative logue in, though it would require some work on his part.

At least Sterloc, you got a reply. I recently sent an E-mail to the admins of Ferian, an online space stratogy game. While loguing in is okay, the game is absolutely covered with unlabled immage and java links, and it doesn't help that the manual keeps refering to the immages "the brown triangle" etc.

I sent that mail over a week ago now and have recieved no reply at all!

With our dreaming and singing, Ceaseless and sorrowless we! The glory about us clinging Of the glorious futures we see,
Our souls with high music ringing; O men! It must ever be
That we dwell in our dreaming and singing, A little apart from ye. (Arthur O'Shaughnessy 1873.)

Dark's Website

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Reply by cx2 2006-07-16 00:07:01

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Nod, we have to educate those who don't know about us and are willing to listen. Sadly so many are not willintg to be educated.

But I think spamming people who don't listen is on shakey moral ground, not likely to make any progress, and might even be in breach of some anti spam legislation in some parts of the world (not sure on this last one).

cx2
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To live by honour and to honour life, these are our greatest strengths and our best hopes.

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