[Accessibility] For today's call: Sec2b

Janina Sajka janina at rednote.net
Thu Sep 11 12:45:00 PDT 2003


Allen and Doug:

I wonder if the difference between "any user" and "administrator" goes
along with my comment about "normally available?"

One of the strong points of free and open operating environments, like
Linux, is that everything is there if you want to get involved. Clearly,
you wouldn't give ordinary users powers in a enterprise environment, but
the fact that Apache, LDAP, PHP, MySql, PostgreSQL, PHP, Bind, etc., and
all the source that makes them tick, are all available to any Jane Doe
that can find an old pentium and install a few CD ROM's worth of
software. This is tremendously powerful opportunity, and no less so to
the person with a disability who might just find a path to a good job
among all this technology.

Of course most ordinary users will never care. That's OK, because it's
their option.

So, in my mind, it is always available to "any user," but a user who's
doing these things is functioning as "administrator" at that point, even
if it's administration for a system with only one user.


Allen Wilson writes:
> From: Allen Wilson <wilsona at us.ibm.com>
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Thanks, Doug, for the comments.
> 
>  What I was trying to say in the last sentence is that the administrative
> commands, tools, and documentation should have the same level of
> accessibility support that is available in applications used by a more
> general user population.  One can image that the developer of a system tool
> might not give the same level of attention to accessibility, given the
> relatively small number of admins who use the tool, as the developer of a
> more general application, such as a word processor.   I struggled with the
> wording trying to convey the idea that admin and support staff should not
> be at a disadvantage when compared to a wider user population.  So I think
> the change to
> 
> "available to any administrator who needs them".
> 
> is not what I'm trying to say.  Maybe
> 
> "available to all the system users who need them."  is better?
> 
>  Again, the idea was to ensure that admin tools, commands, documentation
> provide access comparable to application with a larger audience.
> 
> Thanks.
> 
> Regards,
> 
> Allen K. Wilson
> IBM Accessibility Center
> Telephone:       512 838-7872   T/L 678-7872
> FAX:                 512 838-0330   T/L 678-0330
> Internet:  wilsona at us.ibm.com
> 
> 
> 
> 
>                                                                                                                                                
>                       Doug Beattie                                                                                                             
>                       <dbb at linkexplorer.com>            To:       Allen Wilson/Austin/IBM at IBMUS                                                
>                       Sent by:                          cc:       Janina Sajka <janina at rednote.net>, accessibility at freestandards.org,          
>                       accessibility-admin at freest         accessibility-admin at freestandards.org                                                 
>                       andards.org                       Subject:  Re: [Accessibility] For today's call: Sec2b                                  
>                                                                                                                                                
>                                                                                                                                                
>                       09/11/2003 12:47 PM                                                                                                      
>                                                                                                                                                
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Sorry, but I had a spelling error on the word administrator below.
> 
> On Thu, Sep 11, 2003 at 11:44:05AM -0600, Doug Beattie wrote:
> > Allen:
> >
> > I like your rewrite of the last 2 paragraphs into the one you have
> > below.
> >
> > I would only make one minor change.
> >
> > In the last sentence, change "available to any user who needs them" to
> > "available to any adminstrator who needs them".
>  "available to any administrator who needs them".
> >
> > Just a thought.
> >
> > I'd be satisfied with this for #9.
> >
> > Doug
> >
> > On Thu, Sep 11, 2003 at 11:48:21AM -0500, Allen Wilson wrote:
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > Greetings all,
> > >
> > > 9 of Sec2b, Guidelines for System Administrators, seems to have at
> least
> > > two different roles included, system and application administration and
> > > user technical support.  The tools and techniques used in each role is
> > > different.  As an example, the system administrator role might include
> > > operating system setup and administration of the system's operating
> system,
> > > application setup and administration for applications such as Apache
> HTTP
> > > server, and the use of system management tools such as data backup and
> > > recovery application.  The technical support role includes system setup
> and
> > > configuration for user desktop systems, application support from a
> user's
> > > perspective as opposed to application administration, and the use of a
> > > different support applications such as a trouble ticket tracking
> system.
> > >
> > > Paragraphs two and three seem to cover the technical support role but
> do
> > > not address the system and application administration role.  The
> following
> > > paragraph might help clarify the administration role.
> > >
> > > Professional system and application administrators are responsible for
> the
> > > installation, configuration, and management of a system's operation
> system,
> > > applications, and system management tools.  An example is a system
> running
> > > the Apache HTTP server using a "Web-based Distribute Authoring and
> > > Versioning" (WebDAV) tool.  Administrators use commands, tools, and
> > > documentation that are not normally available nor useful to
> > > nonadministrative users.  Nevertheless, these operating system and
> > > application administration resources need to support the same
> accessibility
> > > facilities, best practices, and assistive technologies that are
> generally
> > > available to any user who needs them.
> > >
> > >
> > > Regards,
> > >
> > > Allen K. Wilson
> > > IBM Accessibility Center
> > > Telephone:       512 838-7872   T/L 678-7872
> > > Internet:  wilsona at us.ibm.com
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > _______________________________________________
> > > Accessibility mailing list
> > > Accessibility at freestandards.org
> > > http://www.freestandards.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/accessibility
> >
> > --
> > Doug Beattie
> > dbb at linkexplorer.com
> >
> 
> --
> Doug Beattie
> dbb at linkexplorer.com
> 
> _______________________________________________
> Accessibility mailing list
> Accessibility at freestandards.org
> http://www.freestandards.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/accessibility
> 

-- 
	
				Janina Sajka, Director
				Technology Research and Development
				Governmental Relations Group
				American Foundation for the Blind (AFB)

Email: janina at afb.net		Phone: (202) 408-8175




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