Re: [atlarge-discuss] Recruitment, the Web and Internet (lack of) rights

[**star*walker** <starwalker@gay.com>]

Friday, August 09, 2002 * 8:10 AM EDT USA

At 02:54 PM 8/8/2002, espresso@e-scape.net wrote:

> I'm known to be a nitpicker about things like that and I often get the 
> response that it isn't worth the trouble to make sites fully accessible 
> because most people use equipment less than four years old, Windows and 
> MSIE or Netscape with all the latest bells and whistles, and fast or 
> broadband connections; also, most people don't have handicaps which 
> require screen-readers or other special help using the Web. It's a common 
> response from government departments, the World Bank, etc. and most 
> companies who are, after all, on the Web to sell something to more 
> affluent consumers.
>
> For an organization like this one, though, I believe it's a MAJOR mistake. 
> At the very least, if we can't manage a site that "degrades gracefully' 
> and poses a minimum of obstacles for the visitor who has managed to get 
> that far, we should be thinking about an alternative procedure for 
> registration, ordering copies of documents, etc. by e-mail. As can easily 
> be seen from moves to monitor Internet use in some countries and from the 
> calls for donated equipment which can be sent to countries like Haiti and 
> Ghana, any work to build a worldwide and democratic organization will need 
> to accomodate people whose access is limited and/or precarious.
>
> Personally, I'd like to see the site itself made fully accessible to even 
> the first-generation text browsers, and an e-mailed newsletter (naturally 
> including instructions for subscribing to this list by e-mail and on the 
> Web, joining, etc.) which covers the major events related to the 
> organization's mission. Personally, I can't see recruitment being terribly 
> successful unless the organization is committed to doing what it takes to 
> make sure the Internet is there for everyone.
On the contrary, Judyth, I don't think you've picked a nit at all. I think 
you've provided a necessary reminder to all of us where things were 12-22 
years ago (how easily and quickly those of us who are privileged can 
forget) in available PC and Internet access technology.

In 1990 it took me three months to figure out how to use a modem to connect 
to Youngstown (Ohio, USA) Freenet, and a purely text based Internet & ISP.

I have only the vaguest recollection now of how easy it was then to 
subscribe to, request and acquire things via E-mail.

I almost always put my time stamp at the top of E-mails because often I 
can't figure all the "chad" in the header of an E-mail as to time.

Perhaps you would be willing to lead us in this effort?

One simple answer to filling out forms at our web site is providing an 
alternate text-only link with instructions on how, where and what 
information to send to icannatlarge.com.

Currently I am a bit chagrinned that there isn't a direct link to the web 
master at our web site, at least not one I could notice or find.

/s/ Joey