Action Alert: Web Braille Shut Down for "Security" Reasons

Earlier today, mjohnson posted a diary about the shutdown last Thursday of the Library of Congress' National Library Service (NLS) Web Braille site for unnamed "technical and security difficulties". Through this service, braille readers who were approved by their regional library, were able to access Web Braille digital braille book files with a computer and a refreshable braille display (electronic device that raises or lowers an array of pins to create a line of braille characters) or a braille embosser.

I have since exchanged emails with Christopher Gray, the President of the American Council of the Blind (ACB) and gotten an update. Chris spoke with the head of the NLS, Frank Kurt Cylke, with very unsatisfactory results. More on this after the jump.

There is now an online petition and I encourage all Kossacks to review it and (hopefully) add your names. There's more...

In his follow-up letter to Cylke, ACB Pres. Chris Gray was very clear:

I note here for the record that you provided no specific reasons or recent occurrences that might justify the closure of the site except the vague assertion of technical and security issues.  Let me assure you that the blind community will not stand by and accept such pablum as reasonable explanation for the taking of such a drastic and precipitous action by NLS.

Needless-to-say, I will be encouraging Chris to join Kossiannia ASAP. But he's just getting warmed up.

Of the many alternative actions available to you as the chief administrator of this program, you have chosen the most irresponsible, unreasonable and harmful alternative for those patrons who rely every day on NLS for their reading needs.  The lack of judgment that such an action demonstrates is shocking and wholly unacceptable from the individual most responsible for the reading needs of all blind Americans.

Chris then goes on to recount how Cylke told him that "should the (blind) community protest (the) decision, that would only lead to delays in the reinstatement of Web-Braille."

Now I'm not blind, but I'm a leg amputee and active in our own national organization and I can tell you exactly how people with disabilities react to the Great White Father telling us to behave like good little cripples and we might get a few table scraps. "Take your patronizing bullshit and stick it" would be the polite form. Chris finishes up:

ACB will use the full force of its organizational and advocacy strength to bring about the immediate return of Web-Braille.  Very rarely do we choose to pursue activities that can be construed by some as adversarial.  Very rarely though are we confronted with such an outrageous display of disregard toward braille readers and certified library patrons.  Also, we foresee the distinct possibility that should this action be allowed to stand unchallenged, it can lead to other erosion of services in the future.  We in ACB cannot and will not allow even the first step down this pathway to be taken unchallenged.

In his President's Message in next month's ACB newsletter, titled "That All May Read Except Those Who Read Braille", Chris issues a call to action:

ACB calls on NLS to reinstate Web-Braille immediately while continuing to work on acceptable procedures that are not burdensome to borrowers, while assuring compliance with copyright law.  To our knowledge, Web-Braille has not been abused by those who it is intended to serve, and registered borrowers and the blindness community as a whole should not be punished as if they have violated the law.

I ask each ACB member to contact their elected representative in Congress today in Washington D.C. and ask them to use their influence with NLS and its director Frank Kurt Cylke to urge the immediate restoration of Web-Braille access to registered users. Congress should also take this opportunity to clarify and assure that "fair use" for blind and visually impaired citizens includes Web Braille and similar projects.

In addition, feel free to express your concerns to NLS Director Frank Kurt Cylke at [e-mail] or at 1-800-424-8567. Let me assure you that this narrow interpretation of the law can endanger other services being provided by both public and private organizations wishing only to bring the joy of reading to all of us.  The pressure you can bring on NLS and Congress is all that stands between you and restored equal access to the written word.

I'm asking fellow Kossacks to stand with ACB and users of Web Braille in calling for accountability from our government and restoration of the Web Braille service. How many more cutbacks of services and civil rights do we have to endure under the guise of unspecified "security threats".

Please contact your representatives and sign the online petition.  And when Chris signs up for a DKos ID, please welcome him to our merrie band.

•  Tip jar.

  I hope lots of folks will get behind this. Thanks.

  by homogenius on Tue May 16, 2006 at 03:51:59 PM PDT

  •  Thank you everyone.

    The response to this has been incredible. Once again, please check out the petition  and sign. Please be polite if you leave comments as this is going to the Library of Congress. Also, please forward to  your friends and family.

    The petition can also be reached at:

         www.restorewebbraille.com

    The rethugs want desperately to restrict access to the information stream. This is just one more way they think they can get away with it. "Security" and "copyright" are just the latest pretext. Again, many thanks.

    by homogenius on Tue May 16, 2006 at 06:04:27 PM PDT

    •  "homeland" security vs. "DRM"

      Your write-up did not qualify what you meant by "security". It seems it has to do with DRM/copyright. Please edit your article to make this explicit and state what the problem is.

      My take is that the NLS provides free electronic braile versions of copyrighted material. It is possible that a sighted person can access such and convert it to plain readable text and thus somehow circumvent copyright. Thus I might be able to generate and electronic copy of the latest Harry Potter and read it on some device.

      But please, if I want to read Harry Potter I can just take it out of my local library and read it for free. I have yet to find an electronic reader that is better than a physical book.

      Maybe the security concerns are to prevent real piracy - the whole purpose of copyright law - where someone starts unauthorized printing/distributing and makes money off it? This is easy to do by just photo reproduction. If a pirate wants his edition to look 1st generation it can be newly printed from text generated by OCR.

      What scares the DRM people is that with unrestricted P2P communication it may happen in maybe 10 years the bonbon eating romance reading sub population will learn enough technology to escape the physical bounds of book seller or libraries.

      Nope. P2P networks have and can be shut down. Mass marketing to people who like say pirated romance novels can really only become mass if there is some driving profit making company behind. And such a company can be shut down.

      So what are the real (expressed or unexpressed) security reasons for shutting down the NLS. Who is behind it?

      by MonkeyBoy on Tue May 16, 2006 at 07:22:49 PM PDT

      •  "Security" is undefined.

        Presumably it has something to do with the new copyright law possibly impacting the online availability of these materials. However, the system was set up in this way specifically to stay within the definition of fair use. The key to limiting this is that users have to be approved  by their regional library in order to gain access to Web Braille materials. It is absolutely not available to the general public.

        If you follow the link to the petition site, there is more information.

        But in the current climate, simply invoking "security" is suspect, even by a division of the Library of Congress. The rethugs have demonstrated repeatedly, both in the executive and legislative branches that they will do anything and say anything. Add to that the cavalier attitude displayed by the head of the NLS.

        The problem is they won't say exactly what the problem is. There have been no lawsuits filed over this by copyright holders and no credible legal opinion that a problem exists. And if the blind community dares to complain about it, they threaten to take longer to fix it.

        by homogenius on Tue May 16, 2006 at 07:44:18 PM PDT

        •  Not that kind of 'Security'

          "Technical and security problems" at a website suggest that the site is not secure enough from unauthorized access. In the context of copyright law, it looks like they just need to be able to be able to prove that they only let authorized people access the site. This is an important service to reinstate as quickly as possible, but the tone of outrage here seems over the top. And the diary should, as mentioned in another comment, be edited to make clear that this is not a "national security" issue.

          by AceDeuceLady on Tue May 16, 2006 at 08:07:33 PM PDT

          •  Respectfuly disagree.

            We don't know what the "security" reasons are because the NLS won't tell anyone what the reasons are. We are left to infer the reasons for ourselves. I never said or implied it was "National" security and the NLS never said that it wasn't. They simply refuse to answer the question, even from a reputable representative of the blind community.

            If anyone infers anything from this, it has more to do with NLS not being forthcoming and the abyssmal record of the Bush administration and the Republican Leadership in Congress, to whom the NLS ultimately belongs.

            What's over the top is that we no longer can have confidence in any agency of the federal government. NLS has been given ample opportunity to be transparent and forthcoming and refused. You are free to infer whatever you like.

            by homogenius on Tue May 16, 2006 at 08:43:08 PM PDT

  •  Good for you for fighting for this! Signed!

    It pains me to hear this since reading is so important, especially for the blind who have so few resources otherwise, compared to sighted people. I sure hope that this gets cleared up. The petition is a great idea.

    Let us know whether or not this changes please.

    by Gorette on Tue May 16, 2006 at 08:02:58 PM PDT

  •  I didn't spot one....

    Is there an online record of the correspondence you've noted above? Then I won't have to add so many quotes when I pass it on.

    Thanks for the important heads-up. I've already sent it on to an activist in Texas I know.

    (she's not handicapped, she says.... she's "Severely Euphemized")

    by PBen on Wed May 17, 2006 at 06:14:00 AM PDT

    •  ''Severely Euphemized''

      Crip Humor
      By and For the Severely Euphemized

      by PBen on Wed May 17, 2006 at 10:29:09 AM PDT

•  Slightly off-topic...

  But I feel this is a good place to ask...

  I'm sighted and an adult, but I would like to learn braille. I think it might be a useful skill to have. Would it be difficult for me since I didn't learn it as a child?

  by Arken on Tue May 16, 2006 at 03:53:47 PM PDT

  •  I'm no expert...

    But lots of adults lose their sight and learn braille. I'm sure there are lots of resources online, or if you live in or near a major city there is probably some type of center for the blind.

    You could always check the American Council of the Blind website for the local affiliate. One of the great things about ACB is that they are an integrated organization--the local chapters are part of the national organization. This is something that we don't have in the amputee community.

    by homogenius on Tue May 16, 2006 at 04:07:13 PM PDT

    •  There's a huge braille center in Los Angeles.

      I was just worried about the difficulty. Thanks.

      by Arken on Tue May 16, 2006 at 04:11:05 PM PDT

      •  That's a great center.

        I did some reading for books on tape there many years ago when I lived in SoCal. (Unfortunately they never had anything explicitly sexual for me to record,)

        by homogenius on Tue May 16, 2006 at 04:20:26 PM PDT

      •  As a language teacher

        I can tell you that having learned to read any written language-form greatly enhances your ability to learn to read a second one.

        I have heard that people never achieve fluency in Braille if they don't learn it as children, but that doesn't jibe with what we know about written language in general.

        by SensibleShoes on Tue May 16, 2006 at 06:32:41 PM PDT

    •  You might also try

      The American Foundation for the Blind.

      by MrSandman on Tue May 16, 2006 at 04:45:52 PM PDT

      •  Those are the two majors...

        ACB and AFB are the big guns for the blind community.

        by homogenius on Tue May 16, 2006 at 04:47:21 PM PDT

  •  My uncle learned it at 90

    but not everyone can, it is like a foreign language, some people can learn it, others just can not. If it turns out you are one of the Braille challenged, then there are voice programs for the computer that can compensate blindness to a certain degree. Good luck. Lighthouse for the Blind is a good starting point.

    by sailmaker on Tue May 16, 2006 at 05:03:56 PM PDT

    •  I learned Braille at 18-20

      I was married to a blind man with retinitis pigmentosa, and wanted to understand as much as I could about living with blindness. I learned to read first year Braille (did it at night while watching TV!), learned to write a little Braille, learned how to use a cane, read a Braille watch, prepare food without sight ... ADL's, basically.

      I'll be signing the petition.

      It isn't easy being green.

      by emeraldmaiden on Tue May 16, 2006 at 06:11:16 PM PDT

    •  People who can't learn a foreign language.

      I've only met three who couldn't, out of hundreds upon hundreds of hopefuls. The languages they couldn't learn were Spanish, English, and Haitian Creole respectively, and the reason was the same in all 3 cases: they insisted on trying to find an equivalent for every word in their own native language.

      They could have learned, of course, if they'd just let go. I don't believe anyone can't learn a foreign language, unless they've been severely brain damaged.

      by SensibleShoes on Tue May 16, 2006 at 06:39:12 PM PDT

      •  fascinating observation

        I never graduated from college because of a "language deficiency."

        I would study study study and then go to take the test and my Spanish vocabulary would fall out of my brain and disappear. Completely. Not just can't remember now, but must relearn from scratch.

        And maybe your explanation is it. you've given me great food for thought here. Thanks.

        by Timroff on Tue May 16, 2006 at 10:41:11 PM PDT

        •  I had a 'math problem'

          took 3 simultaneous calc tutors to get me a B.A. Everyone has abilities and disabilities.

          by sailmaker on Tue May 16, 2006 at 11:46:07 PM PDT

        •  I'll give you more.

          If you still want to learn Spanish, watch Destinos: An Introduction to Spanish, available at many public libraries and also on PBS. Do not try to translate anything. Just enjoy the show.

          You're hard-wired to learn a second language. Most human beings speak at least two. It's only in America that multilingualism is rare.

          A quick-and-dirty guide to how humans acquire second languages is here:

          http://www.gabrielatos.com/...

          by SensibleShoes on Wed May 17, 2006 at 06:41:20 AM PDT

  •  send me an email

    Send me an email, and I'll pass on my wife's email address. She taught herself braille. Blind.

    by gmhowell on Tue May 16, 2006 at 06:16:23 PM PDT

•  Chris will be more than welcome

  I had read the previous diary, and wondered.  This cemented my thoughts.  What I would ask is if those who are I'net savvy can do some digging here:  Whois, Netcraft, etc.

  I'm wondering if it is funding, technical, or what the heck is the reason for shutdown.  If they had been hit by a DoS, that's easy to admit.

  If hacked - they need to let users know that, they certainly wouldn't be the first to be hacked!

  Something is not right here, and I cannot put my finger on it.  I actually never heard of these guys until today, but my radar is distinctly going off.

  by kfred on Tue May 16, 2006 at 03:55:03 PM PDT

  •  The assumption is....

    The NLS is jumping the gun on potential conflicts under the new copyright law. But this is way premature. There have been no legal challenges to the system in its current form.

    But in the current climate, you and I hear the word security and assume that big brother is up to his usual tricks.

    by homogenius on Tue May 16, 2006 at 04:02:41 PM PDT

  •  Like the users can read 'No Server Access'?

    Mom's 86, blind and in a wheelchair, but she loves her "Christian" leaders in government.

    When will any of the unempowered git the fact that this administration just plain does not give a shit about anything but big monied donors to their campaigns?

    She "reads" books on tape from the Library for the Blind. Will that be a copyright infringement too???

    by MrSandman on Tue May 16, 2006 at 04:42:05 PM PDT

    •  As soon as they privatize libraries...

      (Right after they privatize water) I expect they'll try to impose royalties on book lending just like video rental.

      At issue here is what is covered under fair use. We think the dispute is over the security features of the Web Braille system. But, of course, they won't give out any specifics.

      by homogenius on Tue May 16, 2006 at 04:45:26 PM PDT

      •  Wasn't there a blind radical islamic cleric

        I think he was in the UK.....

        So some genius in BushCo probably came to the conclusion that Braille supports terrorism.

        It's all in your best interest, now sit back and drink your Kool-Aid

        by surferal on Tue May 16, 2006 at 05:11:30 PM PDT

        •  Omar Abdel-Rahman

          Linky link

          Sheik Omar Abdel-Rahman (Arabic: عمر عبد الرحمن) (b. May 3, 1938) is a blind Egyptian Muslim cleric who is currently serving a life sentence at the Federal Administrative Maximum Penitentiary hospital in Florence, Colorado, United States.

          by allmost liberal european on Tue May 16, 2006 at 05:43:04 PM PDT

  •  Web Braille

    I need the domain name or something to get started.  Is there a page somewhere that says "I'm down because..."?

    by smokeymonkey on Tue May 16, 2006 at 06:46:25 PM PDT

    •  I think you need a login.

      The way the system works is you have to be approved by your regional library before you can log on to Web Braille. I'm told it is hard to find on the Library of Congress web site.

      I'm not sure, but I think the out of service message may only be available to users who log on or attempt to.

      by homogenius on Tue May 16, 2006 at 07:07:00 PM PDT

•  They will stop at nothing

  security difficulties? This is just ridiculous.

  I haven't done this before, but today I urge everyone reading this to recommend this diary. This deserves some attention!

  by jedinecny on Tue May 16, 2006 at 03:55:06 PM PDT

  •  Thank you so much.

    (And not just because my pathetic starving ego needs a recommended diary, although it certainly does).

    The response Chris received was so bogus. But petty bureaucrats have been emboldened by this administration.

    by homogenius on Tue May 16, 2006 at 04:00:19 PM PDT

  •  Agreed.

    Recommended.  And I signed the petition, too.  This is outrageous.

    by Nightprowlkitty on Tue May 16, 2006 at 04:24:19 PM PDT

    •  Thanks so much.

      And please forward the petition URL to your friends and family:

           http://www.PetitionOnline.com/...

      by homogenius on Tue May 16, 2006 at 04:27:26 PM PDT

•  Unbelievable

  n/t

  by Sprinkles on Tue May 16, 2006 at 03:57:05 PM PDT

  •  The worst part is the condescension.

    The guy actually threatened that if the blind community opposed this, it would take longer to restore service!

    by homogenius on Tue May 16, 2006 at 04:08:32 PM PDT

    •  That's not what he said!

      He gave his assessment of the situation, which was that making a big issue about it was likely to delay things rather than speed them up. He may or may not have been right, but he wasn't threatening anyone. The more I read the comments on this diary the more upset I'm getting. The NLS is not the enemy. Librarians have been on the front lines both of providing resources to underserved populations and of defending the right to privacy. I have worked on accessibility issues in a library context, and I know that it is really upsetting to feel like such a valuable resource is threatened. But good grief, keep some perspective, and  take a minute to sort out friend from foe.

      by AceDeuceLady on Tue May 16, 2006 at 08:18:16 PM PDT

      •  Here's the larger quote:

        Again, this is from Chris Gray's email following up on their phone conversation (reprinted by permission).

        "Finally, you threatened the blind community by saying that should the community protest your decision, that would only lead to delays in the reinstatement of
        Web-Braille.  This is an extremely odd statement given that you have characterized the alleged problems in Web-Braille as "technical" and "security" in nature.  As the Director of NLS, I would expect that your involvement in such solutions would be that of an administrator, not an implementer.

        "Given the entirely unsatisfactory nature of your explanation, only a vague assurance of the return of Web-Braille to NLS-authorized patrons, and your threat to slow down such a return should the blind community advocate for it with you and elsewhere, you have left me no choice but to submit the attached article for publication in the June issue of the Braille Forum, ACB's monthly magazine.  Please note the title:  "That All May Read Except Those Who Read Braille".  I know no better way to sum up your actions as Director of NLS."

        Final comment: If Chris tells me he was getting jerked around, I believe him. Chris's job is to advocate for the blind community. He is doing so openly and transparently. The NLS has the opportunity to do the same, but so far has chosen not to do so. If you have more information, please share it.

        by homogenius on Tue May 16, 2006 at 09:49:59 PM PDT

•  I signed the petition

  Geez - here I work on a website for a state agency that has devoted hours upon hours to make sure that we meet the ADA accesibility requirements (and we're a small conservation agency).  What the hell is going on here????  This is very disturbing... take away accesibility at this level and what else is going dwon the toilet???

  by seefleur on Tue May 16, 2006 at 04:33:46 PM PDT

  •  You got it.

    Your government at work. Not.

    Thanks for signing.

    by homogenius on Tue May 16, 2006 at 04:36:40 PM PDT

  •  What else? How about...

    Budget Cut Would Shutter EPA Libraries

    War on Brains?!

    by veruca on Tue May 16, 2006 at 04:48:22 PM PDT

    •  That one ...

      ... deserves a diary of its own.  Another outrageous act by this Admin.

      by Nightprowlkitty on Tue May 16, 2006 at 04:51:40 PM PDT

      •  It's getting hard to keep track.

        The McLaughlin Group always has the Outrage of the Week. With the Bushies, it's more like Outrage of the Hour. You just can't keep up with them. Sad, but true.

        by homogenius on Tue May 16, 2006 at 04:55:06 PM PDT

        •  Olbermann worst persons in the world ?

          Does he have a site to recommend worst person?

          by Gram E on Tue May 16, 2006 at 06:10:29 PM PDT

          •  I sent a link to this dairy to Countdown

            . . . as a Worst Person nominee. I also suggested that someone on the Countdown staff might get a better response from the Library of Congress.

            by peraspera on Tue May 16, 2006 at 06:15:34 PM PDT

  •  Disturbing is not the word!

    You do remember that the first targets of the Nazi's were the weak and handicapped, right?

    I am beyond upset.

    by means are the ends on Tue May 16, 2006 at 05:27:01 PM PDT

•  That's kind of pathetic

  isn't it?  And then to threaten the blind community on top of that?  WTF???

  by Mz Kleen on Tue May 16, 2006 at 04:40:31 PM PDT

•  they are afraid that sheikh rahman

  or whoever that blind guy was, will log onto the web site from prison and read flight manuals in braille about how to fly airplanes but not how to land them, and wipe out more office buildings.  Can't have that happen.  Gotta shut the site down.

  by clyde on Tue May 16, 2006 at 04:41:27 PM PDT

•  Excellent diary; recommended.

  Great letter by Chris Gray.  I love me some fightin' words straight out of the gate!  I do hope he joins us here at some point; his take-no-prisoners style will find a welcoming home at DKos.

  homogenius, I'm intrigued by the books on tape thing. Do they only want people who speak English with an American accent or would they have any interest in English with an English accent such as mine?  And do they expect you to be an actor in any way, or can you just read matter-of-factly, so to speak?  Or read newspapers onto tape for them?  I would like to volunteer for the reading part, but am shy of anything that would involve playing a role.

  by Loquatrix on Tue May 16, 2006 at 04:55:43 PM PDT

  •  I'm really out of date on this.

    My experience was 25 years ago. Some centers for the blind record their own books. These are primarily titles that are not mainstream enough to be out as Books on Tape or already recorded by a national organization. It could be specialty titles or genre (i.e., mystery, romance, sci fi) among others.

    I have no idea about British vs. American accent. You would need to check with whoever is located near you.

    by homogenius on Tue May 16, 2006 at 05:03:37 PM PDT

    •  They have various criteria

      The big thing is whether you are intelligible to the target audience. For example, if I remember correctly, women's voices are preferred because they are audible over a broader range of hearing ability. (Don't quote me on that, the point is that they have criteria that may not be quite what you would expect.)

      by AceDeuceLady on Tue May 16, 2006 at 08:33:46 PM PDT

  •  contact your state's library

    and find out of they have a recording studio - volunteers are always needed (not just readers but people to be "sound engineers" and to listen to the recording & make sure they got it right, etc etc). I put a link, hope it works.

    http://www.loc.gov/...

    If not them, then there's Recording for the Blind and Dyslexic. They do mostly textbooks:

    http://www.rfbd.org

    by anotherdemocrat on Wed May 17, 2006 at 12:27:21 PM PDT

•  signed and made a comment

  I added this to my signature:

  Christ always put the well being of those who were in any way marginalized as a chief good and goal of the Kingdom of God. I urge you to restore this service to those who need it so much. Yours in Christ

  Never hurts to remind them of the most important things -

  by Wee Mama on Tue May 16, 2006 at 05:12:22 PM PDT

  •  another good one:

    Matthew 25:31-46 (New International Version)

    34"Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. 35For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, 36I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.'

    37"Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? 39When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?'

    40"The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.'

    41"Then he will say to those on his left, 'Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. 42For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, 43I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.'

    44"They also will answer, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?'

    45"He will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.'

    by Cedwyn on Tue May 16, 2006 at 11:06:22 PM PDT

•  So this is how

  they're going to get the deficit down. The old, "Fuck 'em. They're blind." strategy. Now I get it.

  Actually, I'd bet they realized it's the last government repository that they haven't sanitized and reclassified. They're worried there might still be some truth accessible on it. Can't have that, now can we.

  by justme on Tue May 16, 2006 at 05:39:33 PM PDT

  •  I gather you were joking ...

    but I wonder if there might actually be a lot of truth to what you said:

    I'd bet they realized it's the last government repository that they haven't sanitized and reclassified.

    I say this 'cause I seem to remember reading or hearing something along these lines recently, tho I can't recall where. I'm pretty sure it was in the news, not just speculation. Does this ring a bell with anyone besides me? All I remember for sure was that the story had to do with the Library of Congress and the shutting down, classification, or reclassification, of something seemingly innocuous. It didn't get much media play and shortly vanished altogether.

    .

    by aitchdee on Tue May 16, 2006 at 07:15:28 PM PDT

    •  Aww, c'mon.

      Everybody needs a little revisionist history now and then.

      I was kidding about the deficit.

      Not so much the other.

      http://www.gwu.edu/...

      I figure they didn't even think about the braille archive. Why would they? That would mean acknowledging that blind people exist, and are allowed to read, which would be anathema to a modern neocon.

      by justme on Tue May 16, 2006 at 08:32:54 PM PDT

•  This story is just depressing on so many levels

  n/t

  by inclusiveheart on Tue May 16, 2006 at 06:09:14 PM PDT

•  814 sigs now n/t

  by MTmofo on Tue May 16, 2006 at 06:16:06 PM PDT

  •  Whoa. Kossiannia rules!!

    Before I posted the diary there were 727. This is great! I'm about to call Chris and let him know.  Bravo Zulu everyone.

    by homogenius on Tue May 16, 2006 at 06:28:09 PM PDT

•  signed ~ and recommended

  But I am sorry that I was so mad... I made a comment on the prtition that was quite angry...called it a 'mad dog administration'. Mea Culpa    :o(

  by Dvalkure on Tue May 16, 2006 at 06:20:59 PM PDT

•  Did bush sell the Library of Congress to

  Viacom, too?

  by Friend of the court on Tue May 16, 2006 at 06:27:34 PM PDT

  •  Sssshhhhhh!

    Don't give 'em any ideas.

    by homogenius on Tue May 16, 2006 at 06:30:17 PM PDT

•  Yeah there's no telling how many buildings

  ...those blind people will fly airplanes into.

  Good call, F-ckuplicans :)

  by cskendrick on Tue May 16, 2006 at 06:49:46 PM PDT

•  #852

  Thanks for alerting us to this. They got some 'splaining to do.

  by Ahianne on Tue May 16, 2006 at 06:52:57 PM PDT

  •  I'm so annoyed I think my head will explode. n/t

    by ChuyHChrist on Tue May 16, 2006 at 06:59:18 PM PDT

•  Technical

  Starting from the beginning here, but did anyone try to email the webmaster for a statement?  [e-mail]

  by smokeymonkey on Tue May 16, 2006 at 06:56:22 PM PDT

  •  Really good idea.

    You can also email the head of the National Library Service of the Library of Congress, Frank Kurt Cylke, directly:

         [e-mail]

    Once again, please be polite while you rip him a new one.

    by homogenius on Tue May 16, 2006 at 07:10:59 PM PDT

    •  Wait a Minute: Kurt Cylke Is a Good Guy.

      I wouldn't be jumping to conclusions about some nefarious plot -- these are dedicated, professional librarians who spend their lives looking for ways to provide the best possible service to all members of society. Whatever has gone wrong, you can be sure they are as upset as anyone.

      by AceDeuceLady on Tue May 16, 2006 at 07:49:15 PM PDT

      •  That may be.

        But he's not acting like a good guy.

        Chris Gray is an extraordinary guy--one of the finest people I have ever known. We worked together very closely for almost two years. In addition to being a successful Senior Technical Writer for a major internet-related company, he is the elected President of the American Council of the Blind, which has (I believe) 25,000 members and a paid staff of 12 in Washington. Along with AFB it is one of the two major groups in the blind community.

        Chris called Cylke after Web Braille was taken out of service last week and asked for an explanation and was given the runaround. Moreover, Cylke warned him that if the blind community complained, it might take longer to put back in service.

        If he was such a good guy, he would know that ACB and the blind community are his strongest potential allies. If there were problems in the new copyright law, then they would be active in lobbying congress. I have worked as a library page. I have a close friend whose wedding I was in who just completed her dissertation for her Masters in Library Science. I am totally pro-Librarian--they are heros of mine.

        But if Chris Gray tells me that he got the runaround and thinly veiled threats (my description) from Cylke, then I absolutely believe him without reservation. Chris is the nicest guy in the world and you have to push him WAY over the line to get this kind of reaction.

        Web Braille was designed to stay within the legal definition of fair use. NLS has, thus far, failed to say exactly what the problem is. And it has treated the blind community with contempt. As far as I'm concerned, the ball is in their court.

        by homogenius on Tue May 16, 2006 at 08:05:53 PM PDT

•  Is Al Qaeda...

  using braille-literate readers like some Navajo Code Talker-ish sorta cryptography thing...some sorta newfangled flesh-and-bone Enigma machine?

  Sounds like a bad episode of 24...

  by rgilly on Tue May 16, 2006 at 07:21:31 PM PDT

•  Thanks for this. Signed and recommended.

  by fezzik on Tue May 16, 2006 at 07:22:29 PM PDT

•  What POSSIBLE reason?

  What, the NSA doesn't have enough to do recording every fucking phone conversation and email? I'm hearing-impaired and this is the BIGGEST piece of BULLSHIT I've seen come out of the putrescent psyches of this pencil-dicked administration!

  Why I expect more from a bunch of animal abusers that send young men to fight a war they were too chickenshit to fight themselves when they were THEIR age, so they can feel like macho men, I don't know.

  "We can't stop the Net until the telcos get control of the pipeline, but we can black out the blind people right now! Soon, the whole country will only SEE what we want them to! HAHAHA!"

  by Rat on Tue May 16, 2006 at 07:26:50 PM PDT

•  I hate web petitions

  I just signed this one.

  by Nowhere Man on Tue May 16, 2006 at 07:55:03 PM PDT

•  New signatures should roll in

  My wife is on a couple of lists. One DB (deaf blind), one for some accessible equipment, and maybe one other. She said her friends had been complaining for a few days. She doesn't use it, so it hadn't effected her. Anyway, I sent her the link to the petition, and she is sending it on to her friends. With luck, they'll add their names.

  by gmhowell on Tue May 16, 2006 at 08:03:35 PM PDT

•  Wow, I didn't know that the blind were...

  affected by the NSA program.  Not, to be stereotypical but, how can a blind person plot a terrorist attack?  I bet sometime this month a kosser or kos himself will write a diary about how Daily Kos is watched by NSA officials b/c the officials are "suspicious" that we are plotting terrorist activities.  LOL, the only terrorist activity that I am plotting is to vote Democrat on Election Day.

  by punkliberal on Tue May 16, 2006 at 11:32:51 PM PDT

•  963

  as of my signature.

  And I wonder -- is the Library of Congress risking legal action under the Americans with Disabilities Act? Or could they be hoping for legal action, so that there would be a test case that Roberts and his conservative cronies could use to throw ADA out altogether?

  Hey, you're not paranoid if they really are out to get you...

  by Cali Scribe on Tue May 16, 2006 at 11:55:27 PM PDT

•  National Security Letter

  There is a simple explanation:

  They received one of the "National Security Letters" requiring them to report accesses to materials.

  The letter prohibits them from telling anyone they received it. That's why Cylke is being evasive, I'll bet it pains him.

  Their systems were not set up to record which users were reading which material. Being librarians, they naturally tend to protect patrons' privacy. The only reason librarians ever want to track usage is to make sure circulating material is returned. That doesn't apply here. Once a user is logged in, there is no reason to track what they read. So the system wasn't designed that way.

  But now they are being required to report all those blind wanna-be terra'ists.

  by Robert Ullmann on Wed May 17, 2006 at 04:35:12 AM PDT

•  signed

  my grandmother was blind; she didn't learn braille and likely wouldn't have used a computer had it been available to her. She watched a lot of tv and we read a lot of books, as well as did a lot of orders for books on tape.

  I am absolutely appalled that the very limited resources available to the blind community would be further restricted for any reason, and especially for the lack of a good reason.

  by draftchrisheinz on Wed May 17, 2006 at 05:46:17 AM PDT