Secret Plots: We Shoot! We Score!

[billroper]

If you didn't read about this before, it's because the previous posts (here and here) were filtered. But now all things (well, most things) can be told.

decadentdave has spent some time coping with screen-reading software that had become increasingly antique. A number of us got together and have collected funds (facilitated by minnehaha K) to buy Dave some newer screen-reading software that can actually cope with modern hardware and software. I picked up the 60-day evaluation copy of Window-Eyes and loaded it onto our former studio computer (which is a dual-processor Athlon running Windows XP Pro) when it arrived, about two days after Dave arrived here.

Dave was suitably surprised and happy. It took a while working through the manual, but before he left to return to Winnipeg, he was happily reading LJ, which had become very difficult with the old software. He never quite got around to posting to LJ and since he's now off to Germany for a bit, I thought that it might be time to update you with the results. :)

I'm getting the full version of the software in the next week or so, which I'll then load onto the computer. Dave is going to try to see if he can make arrangements with Erin to bring the computer north; if that doesn't work out, we'll figure out an alternate plan. Since Dave will be in Europe until late October, there's no great rush.

I'm not yet sure exactly how much money we've raised (I need to get a final accounting from Karen, who's been rather busily on vacation herself :) ), nor do I yet have a list of all the contributors to forward on to Dave, but I expect I'll have that soon. I am fairly sure we've arrived within shouting distance of the required total.

But thanks to everyone who participated (and to artbeco and ohiblather who apparently hatched a similar scheme a year or so ago, but got talked out of it by Dave at the time).

He seems to be very happy with it. :)

Update: Karen's checked in and it looks like we've got enough to get the software and the maintenance agreement, although I'll be calling them on Tuesday to find out exactly what that covers.

Thanks!

Comments

[clefurgey]

Wow, that's a really nice thing that you've all done.
I use Jaws, another screenreader, and I know just how expensive they are.
Congrats again to you all, I'm now extra glad we met.

[sdorn.livejournal.com]

:-)

You Done Good.

[minnehaha.livejournal.com]

I have taken in $728.12 via Pay Pal. I know some people were contributing in person or via snail mail to Bill so maybe we've raised what we wanted to and maybe we haven't.

Anyone still interested in contributing to keeping Dave on-line is (I imagine) most welcome to chip in. My Pay Pal account is reached via karenc@visi.com. Roper can be reached through channels. :-)

K.

[madfilkentist]

I pledged and never heard anything further. Drop me an e-mail telling me what I offered and exactly who's collecting (trusting, aren't I?) and I'll send off a check.

[sibylle]

I think (I think) I fall into the same category. If not, I'd be very happy to be in it - and I can do paypal just fine. Will check back through your blog to see if I said I'd chip in and then will send what I said I'd chip in - and if I didn't say I'd chip in back then I'll do so now, anyway.

[sibylle]

Haha, found my original comment - didn't see the follow-up post before since I must admit, I've not really been reading LJ for months now. Sorry. But, have located paypal info etc, so I should be good to go from here on in.

[filkergem.livejournal.com]

Well, pout! kyttn and I managed to not get any invitations to contribute, but we would be more than happy to kick in some to make sure that nobody is putting in more than is comfortable, or if there is something additional that the initial plan didn't cover. Let us know, please!

[tollermom]

Sweet! I think it rocks what our little community can accomplish when we pull together on something like this. :-)

[clefurgey]

if window eyes is the same as jaws, the SMA, software maintenance agreement, should cover two free upgrades.

[katyhh.livejournal.com]

Woohoo :)

[artbeco.livejournal.com]

Hey Bill, could you e-mail me your snail mail addy so I can send the check I promised way back? Somehow we lack any sign of your address. And I'm sososo happy that the whole thing worked out so well and that Dave was happy with it! It's a wonderful thing you've done. :) Thanks for pulling it all together.
*Hugs* to you all.

[birder2.livejournal.com]

Very good! I'd been wondering how Dave was managing with a computer. This is the first I've heard about the project, so I didn't pledge anything. I'd be happy to chip in if any is still needed, however. I don't do paypal--account got hacked when I tried it awhile back. But I'll see you in person one of these cons.

[braider.livejournal.com]

If'n you need more, I meant to donate and never did, so drop me a line, if there's a shortfall.