weirdwriter

@weirdwriter@tweesecake.social

I'm a Blind, and gay, author and essayist. Former journalist turned Romance writer. I have a literary agent, and freaking love cats and diverse audiobooks and fiction podcasts.

This profile is from a federated server and may be incomplete. Browse more on the original instance.

weirdwriter, to mastoblind

I also went back to Semaphore because the focus issues are increasing for me. I do think a blind developer should fork Enafore or even Semaphore. I understand that the main web interface is usable, I just really like theSemaphore kind of interface @mastoblind

weirdwriter, to mastoblind

Is there a screen reader guide for OBS? If the documentation is open source, I could write documentation no problem. I just don’t want to start from scratch. I also just can’t get the hang of scenes without sighted help so if anybody has any audio or written screen reader tutorials, that would be super helpful! I am very techy so any level will do @mastoblind #Blind

weirdwriter, to books

Maryland Passes Freedom to Read Act https://literaryactivism.substack.com/p/maryland-passes-freedom-to-read-act #Books @bookstodon

RareBird_15, to linux
@RareBird_15@tweesecake.social avatar

Hi all. Hoping there are some users out there that can help me out. I'm using an old computer, not the one I mentioned in my previous posts, but a different one, and isn't speaking. I originally installed Mate, but Orca was freezing a lot, so I switched my to . It seemed like a lot of things were inaccessible, though, so I decided to try . I installed Gnome, chose GDM as the display manager, and restarted the computer. Now, Orca works on the login screen but nowhere else. It seems to be running, and when I run "orca --replace" in the terminal, I get an error about something only working with X11. I've been able to tell that by scanning the screen with on my . I need to get Orca up and running again so I can use my computer. What's the best way to do this, preferably without sighted help, as my mom and stepdad aren't good with .
@mastoblind @main

weirdwriter,

@k6gte @RareBird_15 @mastoblind @main How would a screen reader see that icon? How would a blind person see that icon?

weirdwriter, to books

Alice Wong wants you to rethink the parameters of intimacy https://www.audible.com/blog/alice-wong-disability-intimacy-interview #Books #Disability #Romance @romancelandia @bookstodon @books

dangillmor, to random
@dangillmor@mastodon.social avatar

On a multi-person video call this morning, we were asked what podcasts we listen to.

I didn't get a chance to chime in but here's my answer:

None regularly. I don't have the time, even at fast playback, to listen to something linear that I could scan much more quickly if it was text.

Podcasters, please post transcripts.

weirdwriter,

I'd also like to ask fiction podcasts to publish transcripts also! At least the original scripts so we can read them! But I often read podcast transcripts in my RSS reader. @ahimsa_pdx @dangillmor

weirdwriter, to accessibility

After reading this thread, I'm starting to think sighted people like making it harder on themselves to read things. Maybe they enjoy the struggle? This was a huge debate over underlines in links! https://github.com/mastodon/mastodon/pull/9898?ref=privacy.thenexus.today#issuecomment-456410756 #Accessibility

weirdwriter, to tech

I wrote about how someone couldn't figure out how to get ahold of me because I wasn't on Facebook and how that really frightened me https://robertkingett.com/posts/6552/ #Tech #Technology #IndieWeb #SmallWeb #SMS #Email

weirdwriter, to accessibility

If you're wondering if the #Accessibility landscape is getting better, years ago, I at least would have clients that worked on stuff. Worked on labels, code, things like that. Today, almost all of my clients don't want to care. What I mean by this is I often invoice for 2 hour consultation on why this new AI thing they added to their website isn't working. They come back with, we changed our AI toolbar, does it work now? When I include resources on web accessibility by experts, they come back with, but are these really experts if they don't even recommend us tools to do this right?

Lately, my private invoice notes look like this. The below is from a few weeks ago.

Spent three hours with this client explaining that not everybody has the same disability, nor the same computer. We all don't use the same screen readers or adaptive tech, either. Client seemed utterly baffled as to the fact Disabled users use more than one adaptive software/hardware. Had to stop myself from ranting about accessibility overlays because I’d have to invoice her four hours like I did with that other client. I don't know what is happening, but why do I feel like clients caring is changing. Maybe I'm just getting old. Must figure out how to make my Fediverse followers send me cookies. Also thinking about leaving the accessibility industry if this client comes back with yet another laundry lists of accessibility, sorry, a11y, toolbars to try. Also thinking about changing this private note to a public description so the client can see. I want to have chocolate. Who on the Fediverse can give me cookies for this very tough conversation. This client just doesn’t want to get sued. Thinking about switching sides and suing her myself. I don't really mean that, but I'm tired.

I never sued the client! LOL!

weirdwriter, to ai

Google Made Me Ruin A Perfectly Good Website: A Case Study On The AI-Generated Internet https://theluddite.org/#!post/google-ads #AI #Enshittification

weirdwriter, to mastoblind

So I'm hoping other blind people can enlighten me. For real, this isn't sarcasm. I think I'm missing something with Tweesecake. Like, I use TW Blue, Enafore, and Mona just fine. Tweesecake just escapes me and I feel like I'm using it wrong or something, or there's some trick to it I just don't understand because other Blind/VI people seem to think it highly intuitive. I'd like some tips on using it. I'm using the visual interface. Maybe that's the disconnect? What are some tips you can give me? @mastoblind #Blind

weirdwriter,

@davetaylor2112 @mastoblind That might be it. I’m gonna try to start using it more just to see if I can get the flow of it more

weirdwriter, to romancelandia

One of my offline friends was telling me, as I was stuffing watermelon into my mouth, that the reason most people detest #Romance books is, yes, because of the smut, but it leads people to confront some human desires they really don't want to think about. She then continued, when reading a romance book, you have to engage in human connections and relationships instead of a fantasy world or a possible dystopian future. Concepts. I was gonna remind her that romances are starting to involve objects and tech now but I let her continue...

And continuing, People hate having to confront their human desires so they'd rather pretend romance is for dumb people and pretend to engage in higher level concepts instead of their own needs or other peoples needs. I dunno if she nailed it but I haven't stopped thinking about it since. #RomanceLandia #Romance @romancelandia

weirdwriter, to ai

Rolling my eyes at at other Blind people saying this is a good thing because I get image descriptions. Learn to interact with people. I have digital friends from all over the globe that can be my describer. I'm just done with blind people that unquestioningly clap for this to happen to your images https://news.wisc.edu/popular-social-media-apps-use-ai-to-analyze-photos-on-your-phone-introducing-both-bias-and-errors/ #AI

weirdwriter,

@nf3xn We shouldn’t champion accessibility at the sacrifice of privacy. That’s my objection but blind and visually impaired people are more than willing to be data harvisted just to get some accessibility and that’s pretty sad if you ask me

weirdwriter,

@nf3xn Thank you for understanding my overall point! All of it is a privacy violation. All of it. Including using products. All of it. Using the platform, using the products, just all of it just all of the above. Also, it’s better to cultivate community rather than over reliance on tech because every tech will shut down eventually. Every server will shut down eventually

weirdwriter,

@nf3xn I feel like I’m talking to an AI apologist, so I would encourage you to read up on the negative applications of letting LLMs from big tech scan our photos nilly Willy. My overall point was that humans are there, digitally and in person, so there’s no need for these privacy violations and also that privacy should not be invaded because we get accessibility out of privacy violations. Big Tech shouldn’t be abusing the disabled community like this, but they continuously do, and we continuously fall in line because we get some sort of breadcrumb when it comes to accessibility.

weirdwriter, to fediverse

If anybody was wondering why Meta became interested in the #Fediverse to start with, this is their goal.

> McCue riffed on the idea that fediverse users could become creators where some of their content became available to subscribers only, similar to how Patreon works. For instance, fediverse advocate and co-editor of ActivityPub Evan Prodromou created a paid Mastodon account (@evanplus) that users could subscribe to for $5 per month to gain access. If he’s on board with paid content, surely others would follow. Cottle agreed that the model could work with the fediverse, too.
He additionally suggested there are ways the fediverse could monetize beyond donations, which is what often powers various efforts today, like Mastodon. Cottle said someone might even make a fediverse experience that consumers would pay for, the way some fediverse client apps are paid today.

https://techcrunch.com/2024/04/25/why-meta-is-looking-to-the-fediverse-as-the-future-for-social-media/?guccounter=1

weirdwriter, to Pubtips

The best fiction about the discrimination in publishing https://shepherd.com/best-books/the-discrimination-in-publishing @bookstodon

weirdwriter, to free

Our Love: Diary of a Prince - complete audiobook - Bingeable audio fiction https://www.theend.fyi/shows/our-love-diary-of-a-prince-complete-audiobook @romancelandia

weirdwriter, to Podcast

For the sighted #Audiobook fans that never tried a fiction podcast, this page has a few upcoming narrated ones that are not audio dramas but I found maybe 2 out of this whole list? I didn't try them all yet, so have fun exploring! These aren't audiobooks you buy, these are free. https://audiofiction.co.uk/collections/upcoming.php #AudioBook #Podcast #Podcasts #Audible @bookstodon

weirdwriter, to tech

So I'm reading Blood in the machine and actually think being called a Luddite is the highest complement you can give someone today. I encourage everyone to read Blood in the Machine. Luddites weren't technophobes. https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/brian-merchant/blood-in-the-machine/9780316487740/?lens=little-brown #Tech #Technology #Books @bookstodon

weirdwriter,

You, and others, might love this blog I found the other day! https://theluddite.org/#!home @SteveClough @bookstodon

weirdwriter,

It's okay! I had that very same thought too! I started looking into the luddite movement though and, well, that lead me to checking out blogs and otherwise like Disconnect, but I like this blog much better, link at end. I found this one recently. Really liked almost all of their posts so far! https://theluddite.org/ @seastardodell @bookstodon

weirdwriter, to books

So I looked into the viral no one buys books post because something just didn't set right with me about this author that appeared to be grifting at me with every positive paragraph about Substack and, well, the more I read posts like this one that break it down, the more I think, hmm. Me thinks Griffen's data is slightly askew! How about that. https://countercraft.substack.com/p/no-most-books-dont-sell-only-a-dozen #Books #Book #Publishing @bookstodon

  • All
  • Subscribed
  • Moderated
  • Favorites
  • •
  • JUstTest
  • mdbf
  • ngwrru68w68
  • InstantRegret
  • magazineikmin
  • thenastyranch
  • rosin
  • khanakhh
  • tacticalgear
  • Youngstown
  • slotface
  • Durango
  • kavyap
  • DreamBathrooms
  • anitta
  • ethstaker
  • GTA5RPClips
  • modclub
  • tester
  • provamag3
  • osvaldo12
  • cisconetworking
  • everett
  • cubers
  • normalnudes
  • megavids
  • Leos
  • lostlight
  • All magazines
    •