[Gllug] The BBC and Microsoft.

[Chris Bell]

On Sat 27 Oct, Gordon Joly wrote:
> 
> 
> >But even if they do extensively use Linux and related technologies like
> >Ogg Vorbis does not imply they are not in bed with Microsoft. Thinking
> >back to the Paxman interview with Gate's it wouldn't surprise me if they
> >were:)
> >
> 
> 
> Yes, but the BBC Desktop in Windows. There is loads of Linux and 
> Solaris at the BBC... but remember "channels" that were released with 
> IE4? The BBC button was there right from the start (in the UK).
> 
> Gordo
> 
   You are assuming that there is one BBC, but it was effectively minced up
into tiny pieces called business units, which were then instructed to
compete with each other. The result was a loss of communication, information
exchange, and cooperation, with isolated departments doing whatever they
pleased. Internal total costing for everything down to the last paperclip
meant that it often appeared cheaper (on paper) to buy from an outside
supplier rather than the specialist department next door, although not
always so when all the "extras" were included on the final bill.
   Some of the problems arise because programmes are often made by outside
contractors, with freedom to produce them as they choose. It is difficult to
prevent them from accepting assistance from companies anxious to get their
products seen on TV, or accepting contracts from other organisations to
produce similar material at the same time, and using material gathered from
the editor's waste bin.
   If the open source community were to offer a ready-made series on
computing, or to offer their advice and assistance to produce such a series,
I am sure that it would be accepted gladly, (although it is much more
difficult to produce good television programmes than most people think). It
might be worth including computer construction, set-up, use, and programming
information, after all it is a long time since the BBC produced the series
that introduced the public to computing with the "A", "B", and "Master"
series.

-- 
Chris Bell


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