[Gllug] BBC + Web 2.0 + Microsoft = uh oh ...

[Simon Morris]

On Fri, 2006-09-29 at 09:47 +0100, John G Walker wrote:
> Maybe GLLUG should be making official representations about this? The
> growing relationship between Microsoft and the BBC has been commented
> before within the open source community, so perhaps it's time, if not
> for action, then at least for letting the powers that be know of our
> views,

We absolutely should be saying something about this.

I don't object at all to the BBC partnering with a large technology
partner (even if it is Microsoft) to deliver these kinds of services but
I do object strongly to the fact that people will be excluded from
accessing the content based on their choice of Operating System. 

This also goes deeper in that the bottom line is that you can only
access BBC content if you are a Microsoft licence payer (or have full
access to BBC content) which has financial impact for underprivileged
families in the UK.

In this case Microsoft are the wrong people for the job - they don't
deliver effective cross-platform solutions. The information that will be
generated will be forever locked in a file format that is controlled by
a foreign corporation

Could someone draft an open letter to them... I'm going to mail them
personally with my FSFE hat on.

Thanks

~sm



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