Social Media Accessibility

Disable users typically have significant problems accessing many web sites and web services. Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act was enacted to eliminate barriers in information technology and make available new opportunities for the handicapped people and to encourage that web content providers as well as software developers can use to make the Web accessible to those who may or may not be using assistive technology.  To meet the requirements of Section 508 as well to promote their popularity, the major social media have been making efforts to remove their accessible barriers between their services and their disable consumers.  

Facebook has been working with the American foundation for the Blind to make things more accessible: “Facebook is working with the American Foundation for the Blind (AFB) to make its social-networking service more accessible to users who are blind or visually impaired [...] Facebook is also working with AFB on design changes. Still, Augusto [head of the AFB] admits the ultimate goal — full accessibility for vision impaired users — is “far from being attained” (Augusto, 2009).  The assistive features includes audio CAPCHA, full HTML version of the site to make it easier for screen readers to decipher, Facebook chat accessible by screen readers, addition of a “no javascript” version of Facebook Gift Shop, shortcut keys to major areas of the site (Leggatt, 2009). 

Accessible Twitter offers a complete alternate interface to Twitter website. This application is now still in Beta stage, is designed to be easier to use and is optimized for disabled users. According to (Bryant, 2009), “Features of Accessible Twitter include all the functionality – the Tweet roll, your status, mentions & messages, plus access to search, trending topics and popular links. In addition, Accessible Twitter is: fully keyboard accessible; marked up semantically with headings optimized for screen reader users, and; fully functional with javascript disables.”

YouTube offers captioning for increasing accessibility to those who are with hearing impairment. While uploading a video to YouTube, you have the option , Easy YouTube caption creator, to upload a closed caption file for the video and you can even include multiple languages my adding multiple files. Youtube currently supports over 120 languages which should cover just about everyone on the planet. YouTube provides an alternate and fully accessible interface Youtube videos. The player can be installed on your own web server and completely re-skinned via CSS, providing an accessibly way for your customers to view YouTube videos (Dolson, 2010). 

In summary, most social media improve their accessibility mainly focused on people with visual disabilities with assistive technology include extended keyboard navigation and screen readers.  In fact, a disability may be physical, cognitive, mental, sensory, emotional, developmental or some combination of these. There are various needs that should be taken into considerations for people with different types of disabilities.

References:

Augusto, C. R. (2009, April 6). Making Facebook Accessible for Everyone. Retrieved May 2011, from Facebook: http://blog.facebook.com/blog.php?post=71852922130

Bryant, A. (2009, July 31). Accessible Twitter: how it should have been done to start with. Retrieved May 2011, from http://www.lessfussdesign.com/blog/2009/07/accessible-twitter/

Dolson, J. C. (2010, January 21). Accessibility and Social Media. Retrieved May 2011, from practical ecommerce: http://www.practicalecommerce.com/articles/1581-Accessibility-and-Social-Media

Leggatt, H. (2009, April 9). Facebook improver accessibility for visually disabled users. Retrieved May 2011, from BizReport: http://www.bizreport.com/2009/04/09/facebook_improves_accessibility_for_visually_disabled_users.html

Library eBook Lending

According to HarperCollins, the reason to modify their eBook policy was “to find the best model for all parties. Guiding our decisions is our goal to make sure that all of our sales channels, in both print and digital formats, remain viable, not just today but in the future. Ensuring broad distribution through booksellers and libraries provides the greatest choice for readers and the greatest opportunity for author’s books to be discovered” (Open Letter to Librarians, 2011). In the open letter, HarperCollins also recognized that libraries “are a crucial part of local communities. HarperCollins count on librarians reading our books and spreading the word about their authors’ good works”. Read all the replies to the open letter, there is an influx of negative comments against the new e-book policy. HarperCollins’ new policy raise the argument why it limits on the number of e-books circulation while there is no limit on hard print items and how they determine up to 26 times that libraries have to repurchase the e-book.   Numerous of librarians are irritated with the change and threaten to boycott the so-called “greedy” publishers including e-books and traditional ones. Currently there is no limit on the number of circulations a hard print item can have. HarperCollins was intended to promote sales including print and digit books; conversely, it looks like that the new e-book policy may very possibly lead in counter expectations.

The e-book policy controversy reminds me a lot of music download dilemma a decade ago. When the online digital media applications were introduced, iTunes, the most famous service operated by Apple, the record companies and the artists were resistant to embrace the music revolution. Like book publishers, the record companies were worried about consumers wouldn’t buy CD records anymore and illegal download would consequently damaged music industry. The artists argued how much percentages of royalties from music download. National Music Publishers’ Association including Apple, Amazon, Emusic, Best Buy’s Napster…etc was challenged if they should price higher and pay higher royalties to music publishers. Despite all the battles occurred among music publishers, artists and online music distributors these years, the market has proved that music download service has been leading the industry. Only iTunes store itself, Apple announced that over 10 billion tracks have been downloaded on the February 24, 2010 (iTunes). 

Same to publishing marketplace, besides hesitation and resistance to digital book revolution, publishers and authors should scrutinize what a(n) (e-)book is worth and the future of book publishing. NPR recently posted an article: No ink, no paper: what’s the value of an e-book, addressed fears and the battles that the book industry has encountered.  The author revealed a good point that “one thing that publishers do have to consider in thinking of pricing is that they don’t want to liquidate their existing retail structure by making it so inexpensive to get an e-book that people won’t go to bookstores at all and then publishers will have no place to sell the 90 percent of the books they do create in the physical form. (Neary, 2011)” . As Chris Dannen, a freelance writer who specializes in technology, shares his viewpoint that “embracing the e-books might mean leaving their old business model behind, but publishers should be finding ways to make it easier, not harder, to buy e-books”.

References:

iTunes. (n.d.). Retrieved 2011, from Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Itunes#cite_note-51

Neary, L. (2011, March 12). No Ink, No Paper: What's The Value Of An E-Book? Retrieved April 2001, from NPR: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=124592613&ps=rs

Open Letter to Librarians. (2011, March 1). Retrieved 2011, from Library Love Fest: http://harperlibrary.typepad.com/my_weblog/2011/03/open-letter-to-librarians.html

Second Life Experiments and Reflections

I have known Avatar for many years and never been really into its originate concept. Second Life is a three-dimensional modeling tool based on simple geometric shapes that allows users to explore the virtual world, socialize with other residents, trade virtual objects or properties, participate in individual or group activities(Wikipedia). According to Claudia L’Amoreaux at Linden Lab, the San Francisco company that created it, at least 300 universities around the world teach courses or conduct research in SL (Michels, 2008). The first time I profoundly explored Second Life was requested by another CECS class for a SL virtual meeting. 

The first difficulty I encounter was enormous time for download. I was interested in live music performances held to help raise money for the Japanese Red Cross in April 1-3. There were about 15 residents in the concert while I joined the concert in the evening of April 1. The video buffering took longer than a song lasted few minutes and still couldn’t get it through, 12 of 15 audiences were still in gray silhouette. I finally gave up and just left the concert. One site I visited, the archive video shown for the theme was not even audio/video synchronized. Afterwards, I visited a couple of other places and found out their setting design concept is quite limited, it would be either one or two story building for indoor activities and a circular open exhibition space with several bulletin boards stand around. The idea of Second Life is encouraging users to optimize their creativities and imagination in virtual world; I truly don’t see the approach applied in their destination design.

The fun of Avatar is that it enables users to create their own appearance with a variety of hair, face features, clothing and accessories…and so on. Second Life offers females far more attire choices than males. Very unfortunately, the female images in Second Life are sexualized and stereo-typed. According to Being Female in Second Life, female Avatars exhibit large breasts, too large lips, too thin waists, exaggerated hips and buttock and were frequently seen scantily clad. The author addressed that Second Life was obviously a virtual world created by men, for men as the image of women within the platform was clearly based on the adolescent male fantasy (Bloggershai, 2011), which I couldn’t concur with her more.    

How to conduct articulate tests to recognize what degree of skills or knowledge through online courses and to monitor the identity of distant learners has been an issue for educators. Regarding student evaluation, online students are not always who they claim and it causes instructor tremendous difficulties in effectively evaluating students they never meet face-to-face. Implementing Avatar into virtual classroom collaboration will increase the difficulties of effectively and efficiently access students.

Second Life might be a good tool for visually motivate students for learning in limited aspects such as role playing. As other fellows in this class, I am not convinced to integrate Second Life into the full-course learning context.

References

Bloggershai. (2011, January 31). Being femal in Second Life.

Michels, P. (2008, February 25). Universities us Second Life to teach complex concepts.

30 Minutes without Any Technology

The technology I use most is the Internet on a daily basis. Other than surfing online, I rarely watch TV, I don’t own a GPS, iPod, and I have been resistant to own a smart phone thanks to my husband’s not-so-right user habits. I read on Kindle from time to time for pleasure and listen to the radio on my ride to and from school. However, I do spend a lot of time on the Internet daily. I would say if I am at home, I stay in front of my laptop. Thus, to accomplish the task of 30-minute-without-any-technology for me is simply shut off my computer and get out of my house.  

I enjoy going to a bookstore for my time off from technology or something else. A good cup of coffee is a must-be for my break, I would check the new books, magazines or gadgets in store or just simply watch people. After all, the real human touch of things is still in need for me rather than everything occurs in virtual world. 

In the era of new technology, it’s difficult to stay away from new gadgets. However, I am meant not to rely on technology too much. For example, I don’t buy a GPS because I don’t want to lose my direction sense and my ability of map navigation. I still memorize some of my family members’ and friends’ phone numbers and might need to contact them for emergency in case if my cell phone gets lost or broken and correspondingly the phone book is not accessible. This task, 30 minutes or even day(s) without any technology, is indeed a great practice for me.

Kindle Experiments and Reflections

I had heard E-book for years and hadn’t own one until my husband buy me a Kindle as a birthday gift last year.  Even spending most my life reading through printed books, it was a breezy transition for me to Kindle. After all, I have had a number of years digital medium user experience. As a portable reading device, Kindle has benefited e-readers from various aspects.

1.      The books are cheaper. Amazon claimed Kindle Store owns over 550,000 books that cost US$ 9.99 or less and thousands of free books.

2.      A “pre-read” chapter. Buyers can pre-read first chapter to see if the book is something they are really interested in before place the order.

3.      Buying books is easy. Buyers can place an order and download the book in less than one minute with free built-in 3G wireless connection. Only the 3G feature comes with an extra price tag.

4.      An easy-to-carry portable library.  You can carry up to 3,500 books in a slim handheld device.

5.      Digital notes and highlights: You can take notes, highlights, clippings, and bookmarks on your own Kindle. Amazon also allows readers to store all the notes, highlight and bookmarks on their server and share with others, although some readers are concerning this feature might abuse their privacy and account security.

6.      You can do research while reading. Kinle enables me to research the unfamiliar words through built-in dictionary or connect to Google or Wikipedia for further information. This is one of my favorite features.

7.       Battery. After suffering from the battery with my other digital gadgets, Kindle’s long battery life is a breeze to me. Its battery allows you to read for up to one month on a single charge. Frequent travelers, especially traveling out of countries that have different electric voltage or power outlets, will greatly appreciate this advantage.

8.      Monitor display. Unlike most of digital monitors, Kindle’s electronic ink screen works just like real books and newspapers, eliminates the glare, and can be read easily even in bright sunlight.

Benefits in one context, may be drawbacks in another. Some things I don’t like about Kindle are:

1.      The price. The Kindle we have is 9.7 DX version came with a price tag US$ 379. You can get a full-functioned Netbook or replace an entry level iPad with another $120 which is a multiuse gadget rather than an E-reader. The cheapest model costs $139, it is still relative expensive while it only does one thing.

2.      No sharing allowed. Although Amazon allows buyers lending e-books to others, it comes with rather strict limits. First of all, not every e-book is lendable, it is publishers’ call.  You can only lend for a two week period and only lend a book once. Also the book is unavailable to you during the two week lending period. Not to mention that no reselling is allowed.

3.      Lack of real page numbers. It is challenging to provide footnotes for quotes because Kindle uses “location numbers” instead of page numbers.

4.      Frequent page turns are tiring. My husband is a math professor, and he particularly dislikes the downside of Kindle because he has the needs to locate certain pages of literatures or papers. Without “go to page” function

Kindle in Education

Without any question, Amazon would leave educational market behind and try to expand their market share. Here is what they state the reasons why the Kindle is an excellent choice for student, teachers, and school for K-12 and higher education. Their biggest sale points are no more overloaded backpacks, get digital textbooks instantly, and carry all documents on the go. In fact, Kindle and Princeton University and many other universities elaborated pilot programs in 2009 that Amazon provided free Kindle DX for the student participants for their classwork. The main common accomplishments revealed by the universities are cut the cost reduction in the use of paper and have immediate to all the course material in a lightweight device.  According to the pilot experiments and my personal observation, Kindle doesn’t have any killer feature exceed their competitors. This current E-reader, with black-and-write screen plus limited web surf capacity, seems doesn’t have a bright future as an academic tool. Additionally, its applications for educational purposes are not strong or unique which can be easily achieved by various devices like iPad, Tablet computers, Netbooks, laptops…and so on. Besides its high cost for an individual machine, Kindle’s single purpose – reading is not appealing to media multitaskers. Lee Graham indicated that the current student population is part of the “entertain me” generation. They wanna be engaged, as well as, entertained as they learn. http://www.elearning30.com/2010/05/27/kindle-failed-higher-education/  To become a key player in educational market, Kindle still has a long way to go.