HiSoftware founder Streamlines Book Distribution

Today, Understanding Accessibility, Second Edition, published by 34a Labs was published. Now companies can get redistribution rights for their organization simply by requesting it by sending a mail to ryonaitis@34alabs.com. A version of the book in PDF will be embedded with your permission for reprint, if you want the Word or HTML Formats they are available also. Turn around time on requests is 24 hours.

http://www.understandingaccessibility.com/

HiSoftware Founder Publishes new Edition of his book Understanding Accessibility 2nd Edition

Today, under the domain of http://www.understandingaccessibility.com/ HiSoftware founder publishes a new edition of Understanding Accessibility and Announces a Third Edition that will be forthcoming on August 1, 2009. The Substantial difference coming on August 1 is complete coverage of WCAG 2.0 and other technologies. As more information becomes available it will be published on the understandingaccessibility.com website.

Working on 34a Labs Accessibility Workshop for SharePoint

Hello All:

OK, What is 3aWs? 3aWS is a new open source project that I have started working on in my spare time. It deals with some basic requirements for Compliance while delivering the content via WSS v3, SharePoint 2007 and 2007 WCM Scenarios.

There are several main parts to the solution.

1. Extensions for MS AKS that is tested, extended and supportable in an Enterprise Environment :

• XHTML/HTML Compliance
• WEB Parts (OPEN Source)
• Style Sheets
• Master Page Handler
• Compliance Handler

2. TTS Tools for Captioning and Transcription development as a Media Control or as an Open Source Desktop Application

3. Understanding Accessibility Updates covering WCAG 2.0 - Complete tutorial and Workshop for each potential error with guidance and more.

The complete kit will be built and tested on litware with a Litware Demo Image Install. More then just a set of tools it is hoped that this open source extension will be delivered and expanded on by the community. More information will be coming from the 34aLabs website. 34aLabs is being built as an open source repository for products and solutions initiated by Robert B. Yonaitis. http://34alabs.com/

Cheers
Rob

Released Chapters 9&10 of -My thoughts on the founding of HiSoftware for Comments

Chapter Nine – a new MillenniumThe Evening was uneventful. No Server crashes, the world did not end, there was no second coming that I could tell, just one day off before the craziness started again! A point of order, as a founder of a young software company your day off will usually have something to do with your company, especially if you start it in your house or in your garage. At the beginning of 2000 the offices were done and we now had:
http://hisoftwarefounding.blogspot.com/2009/06/my-thoughts-on-founding-of-hisoftware_28.html



Chapter Ten – Aristotle, Virtue and 2001While 2000 was hot, 2001 was a year that, beyond a shadow of doubt, would change the world, not just Hiawatha Island Software’s world. Perhaps it dictated how the millennium would start, but even the best of us were not prepared for what would come. Let’s drop back to the past again for a moment to another of the greats in Western philosophy. Aristotle was born in 384 BC. Some notes that we all know of Aristotle; he was hired by Philip of Macedon to be the tutor of the greatest Alexander of all, Alexander the Great.
http://hisoftwarefounding.blogspot.com/2009/06/my-thoughts-on-founding-of-hisoftware_6860.html

Are Ethics Important In Technology Companies?

Hello All:

Wanted to take a quick comment to put out a technology company question. Do ethics matter:

1. Does being truthful with your employees matter?
2. Does being truthful with your partners matter?
3. Is it OK to break contracts with your partners?
4. Is it OK to ship software that you know is not tested and has major Flaws?

I would say

1. Yes
2. Yes
3. NO
4. NO

What are your thoughts?

Cheers,
Rob

HiSoftware founder seeks support in beginning global extensions of Microsoft AKS, European tour to discuss in July

Hello Everyone:

There was a recent post/review on the Microsoft Accessibility Kit for SharePoint which is Paid for and belongs to MS. It is open source with the goal of extension and support. I believe that this has good merit but it has not been widely and openly adopted due to as pointed out on Twitter by @AccessForAll this reviewer says: http://www.lifeonplanetgroove.com/blog/index.php/2009/06/25/review-accessibility-kit-for-sharepoint-half-finished-product/

This is a pretty fair assessment but neglects to comment on Microsoft's true commitment to improve on the accessibility of MOSS. With this in Mind I am suggesting that a bunch of us who have committed ourselves to #a11y get together and extend this Microsoft Open source project and really give it QA and Really start building it open source.

Anyone who wants to join in please send me a email to ryonaitis@gmail.com

I will be in Italy and a couple other places mid July if anyone wants to meet to discuss this.

Cheers

Euros, Rome, Florence and Munich in July

Just got my notification that my euros shipped, hotels booked, time to do a Euro Tour to Drive up some consulting work. If I have time One day in Paris is in order.

Updates from the trip and different #a11y standards in Europe.

Cheers,
Rob