How Does BETSIE Work?

	Several months ago, there was a discussion in this group
about BETSIE which is the text version of the BBC Television web site.

	It seems as though lynx users had trouble accessing the
main BBC site due to the usual problems with javascript, etc.

	It is my understanding that BETSIE automatically
processes the web pages from the main site and renders them in
script-free html.

	Is this true and how likely is the concept to be able to
be transplanted to some other site?

	I am asking because we have a bunch of web sites where I
work that are created with Lotus Domino and would be accessible
via lynx if not for all the javascript navigation.  I would like
to see something automated because we all know how much trouble a
second but never equal text site can be.

	I would like to say to our web group, "See, it can be
done without lots of on-going extra effort.  Just set it up and
the problem is 95% solved."

	I am sure it never gets that simple, but anything is
better than the present situation if it can allow a UNIX user to
access our web pages without having to learn a foreign operating
system and spend lots of extra money.

	Additionally, this might help us provide accessible
distance learning services to remote students who happen to be
blind.

	I think we have already had one or two instances of
students in other towns who had difficulty because their access
software didn't work with whatever system was being used at the
time.

Martin McCormick WB5AGZ  Stillwater, OK 
OSU Center for Computing and Information Services Network Operations Group

Received on Monday, 29 July 2002 12:34:39 UTC