Open source: you all should use open source and private services because we’re not a corporation out to exploit you or your data.
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Open source: you all should use open source and private services because we’re not a corporation out to exploit you or your data.
Disabled users: hey, your registration edit field is not labeled so I can’t use my adaptive technology to register or even use your platform. Could you fix it, because, right now, the mainstream/corporate offering has taken accessibility more seriously and I’d rather use a tool/service that I won’t need to struggle with in order to operate.
Open source: what exactly do you expect? We can’t be expected to make things accessible for you, so you can either fork it yourself or just not use our software/services. We’re a small team and corporation has more money than we do so they can devote more time and effort to accessibility. You can always fork the project though and make accessibility yourself!
Disabled user: well, I can’t code, so it looks like I don’t have any other choice but to go back to using this corporate offering that at least took the time to label their registration field correctly and actually took my request more seriously. Oh well, maybe open source tools just aren’t for me.
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@weirdwriter And thus the problem only compounds.
I'm not saying it isn't a hot mess that needs fixing. It absolutely does. And you can't do anything if it's just impossible of course, but sometimes the switch isn't easy and requires lots of effort that doesn't seem worth it. But in the end sometimes you just have to do the hard thing even if it sucks.
I don't think I've seen many that just straight up say "we don't care about disabled users and will do nothing to fix it, go fix it yourself." There are plenty who don't care and thus don't think through stuff like fixing those fields, so the problems do crop up in the first place, but usually if you tell them, they will take note and put in a patch. This obviously varies because it is real humans doing it, not corporations.
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@nazokiyoubinbou @weirdwriter The reason not many straight up say they don’t care is because what they do care about is their reputation. It’s not socially acceptable to admit you don’t really care about accessibility, but it’s entirely socially acceptable to do nothing to make your software/platform accessible. Many are already sacrificing connections they built on other networks to give Mastodon a try without any guarantees. Why would disabled users sacrifice even more for potentially nothing? Applies to other things besides Mastodon too. And mind you disabled people are already jumping through hoops DAILY.
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@morgana_catbus @weirdwriter I don't think we're talking about mastodon specifically. I believe it's a general "open source in general" thing. If you want to know why not to use the corporate platforms, just look to their owners there. It would be better not use social networks at all if you can't use an alternative such as Mastodon. It's literally becoming dangerous to use services like X.
It is true SOME devs just won't admit they really don't care. (Though some companies won't admit they don't care too!) It's not true that it is most or all.
If there is a problem, try asking. It doesn't always work, but making blanket assumptions isn't the answer. You're compounding the problems. If they don't know about a problem they don't know to fix it and continue developing around it.
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@morgana_catbus @weirdwriter BTW, I want to be absolutely 100% clear, it is not hyperbole in regards to the corporate-owned social media networks. They are EACH actively working in various forms to bring harm to people. Again, this is NOT hyperbole. If you or anyone you know are on one, GET OFF. I'm not even going to claim Mastodon is the perfect solution. It's not. It never will be. It's sure as heck better than nothing at all, but regardless, it's better to have nothing than to be on sites like those. Especially X.
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@nazokiyoubinbou @morgana_catbus @weirdwriter
" it's better to have nothing than to be on sites like those."
Are you vegan? Do you avoid using a car? Is all of the electricity you use sustainably generated? Are you flight free? Do you refuse to buy products that aren't from cooperatively owned businesses and guaranteed sweatshop free?
I'm willing to bet you answered "no" to at least one of those questions, because while we can aspire to being entirely ethical, (1/2)
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@nazokiyoubinbou @morgana_catbus @weirdwriter
living a life and holding down a job in the society we've built often means practicalities get in the way. And it's deeply unfair when those practical prohibitions fall more heavily on one section of society than another, in this case disabled people. Social media is useful for keeping up with friends &news. You can't just tell blind people that if they can't access the most ethical social media they shouldn't access any social media at all. (2/2)
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Hans Hafnerreplied to Robert Kingett backup last edited by
@weirdwriter the kicker is, that once these people get older themselves and the eye focus is slowing down or worse, they're going to wish their tools, devices and software would speak to them.
I sort of expect getting there myself...
