Gifts for gamers

Two lists, the first by Brenda Brathwait
http://bbrathwaite.wordpress.com/reading/
--note that if you know anyone who is looking for books on how to design games this is a great place to start--
and
the annual AbleGamers shopping guide for gamers with disabilities
http://www.ablegamers.com/game-news/ablegamers-2010-holiday-shopping-guide.html
although this last focuses strongly on games and devices for gamers with mobility impairments and is completely lacking anything which could be played by blind gamers--one more reason to love Echo Bazaar.

Take the WebAim screen reader user survey

Kes: This is still the only information-gathering resource that I am aware of which actually collects and shares information regarding how real people are using screen readers, including social media and mobile devices. I was surprised to find out how many people without disabilities actually use screen readers, and also that I am in a minority as a blind user of Firefox (Chrome is still inaccessible, thanks Google!).

WebAIM WebAIM's 3rd Screen Reader User Survey

We are pleased to announce our 3rd screen reader user survey -
http://weba.im/survey3
If you use a screen reader, please take a few minutes to complete it.
The results provide invaluable information to web developers, standards bodies, assistive technology vendors, and others that are
passionate about web accessibility. You can see the results of our previous surveys at
http://webaim.org/projects/screenreadersurvey/
and
http://webaim.org/projects/screenreadersurvey2/
This survey will give us trends and changes from previous surveys, as well as insight into many new and interesting questions.
It's important that we get many screen reader users to complete the survey. Even if you use a screen reader only for evaluation and testing, your responses are valuable - particularly because they provide a useful comparison with other screen reader users.
Please help us spread the word and the URL -
http://weba.im/survey3

Thanks!
Jared Smith
WebAIM.org

A very useful idea for book reviewers

Kes: The following quote finally managed to put into words why I wince whenever I hear writers going on about "world building" as I can practically see the chapters of description appearing in the air above their heads. Plus, I just like the fact that the author ca discuss writing in terms of something so simple as Legos.

Beware the Trap of 'Bore-geous' Writing
By
AYELET WALDMAN
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704243904575630580347359368.html

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Though you won't find it in Webster's, there's a word to describe the kind of meticulously constructed writing that bores even its author. A "bore-geous" novel is one that is packed with gorgeous, finely wrought descriptions of places and people, with entire paragraphs extolling the slope of one character's
nose, whole chapters describing another's perambulations through a city. These novels are often historical or set in foreign lands, their bore-geousness inspired by the author's anxiety about making an unfamiliar world feel convincing and true. It's not that the sentences aren't well-constructed, even lovely.
They are. That's part of the problem. Bore-geousness happens when you are writing beautifully but pointlessly.
block quote end