Census 2006 -- Linux is OK after all

[Peter]

On Sat, 13 May 2006, James Knott wrote:

> Alex Beamish wrote:
>> Ha!
>>
>> "In response to demand, Statistics Canada has removed the restriction
>> for Linux. This change takes effect May 13th, 2006."
>>
>>   http://www22.statcan.ca/ccr02/ccr02_003_e.htm
>>
>> This seems to support the hypothesis that barring Linux browsers from
>> taking the census was a bad decision -- or at least, not one based on
>> reality. That's pretty cool.
>
> It appears complaining may have help.  When I called for support and
> complained Linux wasn't supported, I was told a note would be passed on
> to appropriate people.

This is nice. I did not expect such a nice reaction. There is hope!

What I was thinking was, how about a standard 'note' or 'letter of 
complaint' for such cases. Arguing the same issue over and over again is 
getting old. The letter could be put on a website and anyone needing it 
would download it, add his or her comments, sign it, and forward it to 
whomever it may concern. The letter should be *very* short, perhaps 
containing a link to an online page describing the problem (in general) 
in more words (but still very few, less than two pages).

E.g. the template letter should contain:

- Dear Mr/Mrs/Webmaster/Sitemaster/(Site Manager)/(Web Designer)

- Concerning your webage/site/form <url>

- I would like to complain about it (actively restricting)/(restricting)/(not working)
when accessed using the well known viewer/browser/program/os ppppp, 
which I know to be able to render well content of the type your site 
contains.

- I, and many other users, cannot enjoy the use of your 
webpage/site/form if you do not take minimal measures to (ensure 
compatibility with)/(disallow blocking of) well known 
viewers/browsers/programs/oses. Your lack of support for 
viewer/browser/program/os ppppp may (cause you to lose up to 20% of 
traffic)/(may violate my constitutional (?) rights)/(other as 
appropriate). [NOTE: NO POLITICS HERE]

- I know that easy and well known configuration/(web programming) 
solutions exist, which would make your webage/site/form compatible with 
the well known viewer/browser/program/os ppppp . Please visit 
<explanation-url> to read more about this. Meanwhile I have taken the 
liberty to discuss this problem on the [local/country] (mailing 
list)/(forum)/(newsgroup) nnnnn where I have met other users who could 
not use your webage/site/form for similar reasons.

- The problem I have encountered while trying to use your 
webage/site/form <url> was: <Description follows, short, <10 lines>

- Thank you, <signed>

-----end short letter

The <explanation-url> should contain:

- Percentage of well-known open source browsers in use (>20%)
- The fact that many users cannot use other operating systems than they 
are using at the time for a variety of reasons (ranging from IT 
decisions, through technical issues, to being blind, politics is not 
everything, it is just trying to be everything).
- That there is a market war going on between a convicted monopolist and 
every other software maker out there, in which there is no trick that is 
too low to be tried, if it can put the opponents at a disadvantage.
- That the main tactic used by the convicted monopolist and its 
supporters in this war, is that of apparently adopting well known coding 
standards and subtly altering them to cause incompatibility with well 
known applications written to comply with the original standards, in the 
hope to turn users away from them. Short list of precedents: JavaScript, 
Java, DHTML/Frontpage, incompatible embedded objects (using CLSID= 
windows registry selector), incompatible media (WMA).
- That this big company policy affects everyone in the web and IT 
business in a very unpleasant and undesirable way, and that it is simply 
bad for business, and that the monopolists lobbying and politicking 
approach to technology should not be allowed to interfere with user 
experience and with the function of a business or government site.
- That fortunately, in most cases easy and well known fixes exist, which 
can be applied by coders, webmasters and sitemasters, to restore 
compatibility with well known applications in those cases where 
standards are not respected, and that these can usually be applied in a 
very short time and at low cost.
- Short list of URLs pointing to relevant precedents, as examples:
- monopolitst's conviction by a judge and his getting away with it
- link to the amount of money spent by the monopolist on lobbying
- link to article about netscape suing them for explorer integration
- link to article about sun suing them over java and settling out of court
- link to article about the ec suing them over media player intergration
- link to the open document debacle/Massachusetts
- link to the famous visit and handshake that kept Munich off open source
- a few more like this (about ten in all).
- at least a link to a page that was not compliant before and is now 
compliant as a result of petitioning by open source users.
-----end explanation letter

sorry for the long post,
Peter

PS: Another article on Munich I have not seen before:

http://www.usatoday.com/money/industries/technology/2003-07-13-microsoft-linux-munich_x.htm
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