Census 2006 -- Linux is OK after all

Sun May 14 11:22:09 UTC 2006

On Sun, 14 May 2006, Geoff. Mitchell wrote:

I just tried it. Firefox still got the same notice. Using Konqueror got me in to the point where when it halted I could paste the link where it gave up back into Firefox and enter my questionnaire number. Finally Firefox stopped working with a complaint that the server was down. Maybe Statcan doesn't have its servers running on Sunday mornings? I hardly think so.
> 
> From: Peter <plp-ysDPMY98cNQDDBjDh4tngg at public.gmane.org>
> Date: 2006/05/14 Sun AM 04:30:29 EST
> To: tlug-lxSQFCZeNF4 at public.gmane.org
> Subject: Re: [TLUG]: Census 2006 -- Linux is OK after all
> 
> 
> 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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