REALLY, Public School System?

[rikibeth]

They just sent me an e-mail labeled "Outreach Communication" which contained ONLY a link to an audio file of a pre-recorded message from the superintendent. With a note saying To listen to the above message, you will need audio software and speakers on your computer.

Worse, the link is contained in an image file, so there wasn't even a link to CLICK until I made the thing display images, which is not my default.

HOW FUCKING HARD IS IT TO PUT THE MESSAGE "All after school activities today are postponed, and 8th grade Parents' Nights at both high schools are rescheduled to $DATE" in PLAIN TEXT? Why the extra fucking steps?

And what about parents who are deaf or hearing-impaired, or who work at places where they don't have sound capability on their computers?

I mean, I just fucking hate listening to audio messages anyway, because I process things much better in text and it's faster. But what about people for whom that's a genuine block to getting the information at ALL?

FAIL, automated thingy.

And, yes, I left a short nastygram through the school system website.

FAIL.

Comments

[txanne.livejournal.com]

Every possible kind of accessibility fail. What about the visually impaired? Or those of limited dexterity? Grrrrrrrr. See also just about every school website I've looked at this week. Why do they all insist on Flash? WHYYYYY?

[bifemmefatale.livejournal.com]

And what about those poor enough to not own a PC at home or have reliable net access? Ableist and classist to boot.

[rikibeth.livejournal.com]

They also do robocalls, which is one thing for non-computer access, and I've set those to go to my ringer-off landline because I hate robocalls so much, but, SERIOUSLY, if I want the info as an email, I WANT IT IN TEXT.

[bifemmefatale.livejournal.com]

Oh gods, I hear you, I hate the high school robocalls too. Somehow, they always happen during dinner or when I'm at work.

[greeneyes-rpi.livejournal.com]

And in plaintext, to boot. Don't make me have to pore over your damned html in order to pick out the actual content.

failfailfail

Maybe they need to have a report card sent home regarding their communication success.

[flewellyn.livejournal.com]

That is pretty much 100% pure, all-natural, organic, dry-roasted Columbian fail. With failcream.

[ceo]

Well, that's... special. And not in the good way.

[seaya.livejournal.com]

Where I work just puts a one line concise text thingy in red above the website for the day in question. They also send emails in text. I guess I should thank them?

[auspeople.livejournal.com]

I am about to post a public school fail thing too. It's clearly going around.