RE: License conditions Re: aDesigner - was Re: Bobby - a bad tool

I agree. Looked at the tool early this morning and, on first inspection, it looks pretty good.

I don't see what the problem is regarding paying for software that costs a great deal to develop. Seems like everyone wants everything for free on the internet.



-----Original Message-----
From: w3c-wai-ig-request@w3.org [mailto:w3c-wai-ig-request@w3.org]On
Behalf Of Jim Tobias
Sent: 28 October 2004 15:24
To: w3c-wai-ig@w3.org
Subject: RE: License conditions Re: aDesigner - was Re: Bobby - a bad
tool



What's going on here?  

1. Anyone who's tried aDesigner knows it's a pretty good tool.  It's as good
as some of the tools that cost money.  Any dissent on that?  From my use of
it, it's an excellent training tool as well as an evaluation tool with some
features not found elsewhere, especially the low vision evaluation window.

2. We blow hot and cold on commercial involvement.  On the one hand we want
companies to take accessibility seriously.  On the other hand we don't want
anyone to make any money doing so.

3. It's quite likely that the current conditions in the license are out of
the hands of aDesigner's team.  In any event, is it diabolical of IBM to
protect its IP in the event that it becomes a commercial product?  Does this
seem to people on this list as a
"first-one's-free-now-you're-hooked-and-the-price-is-one-MILLION-dollars-bwa
hahaha" game?


Geez, what ever happened to being supportive towards professional
colleagues?

*****
Jim Tobias
Inclusive Technologies
tobias@inclusive.com
732.441.0831 v/tty
www.inclusive.com
  

> -----Original Message-----
> From: w3c-wai-ig-request@w3.org 
> [mailto:w3c-wai-ig-request@w3.org] On Behalf Of Patrick Lauke
> Sent: Thursday, October 28, 2004 9:32 AM
> To: w3c-wai-ig@w3.org
> Subject: RE: License conditions Re: aDesigner - was Re: Bobby 
> - a bad tool
> 
> 
> So, to sum it up: look, but don't touch, and even if you like 
> what you see
> there's still no guarantee that we'll ever release it as a 
> commercial product.
> 
> Nice.
> 
> Patrick
> 
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: Charles McCathieNevile [mailto:charles@sidar.org]
> > Sent: 28 October 2004 12:03
> > To: Phill Jenkins
> > Cc: w3c-wai-ig@w3.org
> > Subject: License conditions Re: aDesigner - was Re: Bobby - 
> a bad tool
> > 
> > 
> > 
> > I read the license. As I understand it, I am allowed to use 
> this for a
> > maximum of 90 days from the time I install it (which is where 
> > I agree to
> > the license), and only for testing it, not for any actual usage. In
> > fulfilling the license I am also required to keep a record of 
> > when I have
> > copied it.
> > 
> > Furthermore, if IBM releases some commercial product based 
> on this, my
> > right to use it expires immediately, and I have to buy the comercial
> > product.
> > 
> > At the end of either 90 days or the release of commercial 
> > product by IBM I
> > have ten days to remove this from my system.
> > 
> > Then there are a set of conditions that apply according to 
> > the country I
> > was in when I downloaded the software. In general they 
> > specify particular
> > courts where we agree to handle any legal dispute over the 
> software or
> > license, and occasionally they add notes pointing out that 
> the general
> > conditions of teh warranty are not valid in some jurisdictions.
> > 
> > Since I only intend to evaluate the thing, this seems fine. 
> But anyone
> > who, for example, wanted their university web designers to 
> > use it in order
> > to produce more accessible production content, would be in 
> > violation of
> > the license, and liable for damages (likely to be the cost of any
> > comercial version or commercial license).
> > 
> > Does this sound right, or did I miss something?
> > 
> > cheers
> > 
> > Chaals
> > 
> > -- 
> > Charles McCathieNevile           charles@sidar.org
> >                  http://www.sidar.org
> > 
> > <quote who="Phill Jenkins">
> > > I won't comment on the other tools, but I do need to let 
> > you all know
> > > about a new kind of a tool from IBM alphaWorks called 
> > aDesigner.  It does
> > > things no other tools do.  It simulates barriers 
> > experienced by people who
> > > have disabilities so that Web designers can ensure that 
> > their pages are
> > > accessible and usable.
> > >
> > > It is available for evaluation from
> > > http://www.alphaworks.ibm.com/tech/adesigner
> > >
> > > Besides the IBM alphaWorks forum discussions, Jim Thatcher 
> > has posted the
> > > only other opinion about it that I know of.
> > >  http://www.jimthatcher.com/news.htm
> > >
> > > btw, although Jim says: "It's free", please read the 
> > alphaWorks license
> > > which let's you evaluate it, not deploy it into production.
> > >
> > > Regards,
> > > Phill Jenkins
> > > IBM Worldwide Accessibility Center
> > > http://www.ibm.com/able
> > >
> > 
> > 
> > 
> > 
> 
>

Received on Thursday, 28 October 2004 14:40:03 UTC