Monday, December 28, 2009

What's next on Main Menu?

I enjoy every Main Menu show I have the opportunity to host and produce, but this one was especially fun. Read the announcement below:

Main Menu begins 2010 with a bang! We first hear a greeting from ACB president Mitch Pomerantz. Next, your host is joined by J.J. Meddaugh of Blind Bargains and Rick Harmon of The Blind Geek Zone to discuss the top news stories of 2009 as published on Blind Bargains. The number one story of the year will be posted on the site just hours before the panel discussion airs on Main Menu. Finally, the three of us predict what stories will rank in the top ten list for 2010. Take notes and see how close we are!

Main Menu airs on Saturdays at 1:00 UTC; that’s Fridays at 8:00 Eastern time in the U.S. Subscribe to the Main Menu podcast feed at: http://mainmenu.acbradio.org/rss.php
Call the Main Menu comment line at (206) 338-7823

AccessWatch Stays

Greetings all:

I won't take the time to write a fancy announcement. I will just let you know that AccessWatch isn't going away. I spent a lot of time doing some soul-searching and visiting privately with some members of the blind community who I respect greatly. I believe in AccessWatch and have spent too much time on the project to let it die. I will redouble my efforts to make the current site thrive over the next year and to possibly take it in some new directions. My thanks to Rick Harmon of the Blind Geek Zone, J.J. Meddaugh of Blind Bargains, and the loyal AccessWatch users who took the time to write me privately. Your comments are much appreciated.

May you all have a blessed and prosperous 2010.

Jamie Pauls

Tuesday, December 8, 2009

AccessWatch Going Offline As Of December 12

Greetings AccessWatch Users:

It is hard to believe that AccessWatch is approaching its sixth birthday I truly believe that the site has been a service to the blind community, and the creation of a review system for accessible software has been a truly unique service as well.

Since the creation of AccessWatch, I have had the privilege of accomplishing other goals such as creating some tutorials which have been a positive influence as well. Although my blogging has been very minimal, I have enjoyed that too and have come to respect those who do it regularly and well. While I am reminiscing, I mustn’t forget my brief podcasting career either. Since May of this year, I have been honored to serve as producer and host of ACB Radio’s Main Menu technology show and continue to enjoy the work that I and others on the Main Menu team do for ACB Radio and the blind community at large.

Unfortunately, I feel that AccessWatch has begun to slip more and more into the background over the past year or so; I have updated the site once in that time and I can’t recall the last software review I submitted for the site. This brings me to the purpose of my e-mail. (Remember when AccessWatch users got at least one of these per year?) I feel that it is time to put AccessWatch.info to rest. I will continue to maintain the AccessWatch blog and may even attempt to revive it in the near future, but the AccessWatch Web site and review system will be taken offline as of December 12.

I would be interested to receive feedback from those of you who have benefitted and perhaps continue to benefit from the site. If the responses indicate that I should change my mind regarding this matter, I will consider doing so. If not, then AccessWatch will cease to exist in its present form as of this Saturday.

Please send all comments to

jamiepauls@sbcglobal.net

Thanks to those of you who have been such loyal supporters of the Web site over the past nearly six years. It has truly been fun!

Jamie Pauls