[Wylug-discuss] Natwest online banking SUCCESS!

[Dave Fisher]

On Fri, Jan 16, 2004 at 12:44:31PM +0000, Lanfranco Gandolfo wrote:
> I tried again to install IE 6, but now I am back at square one.
> In my opinion, however wonderful Wine might be, not being able to
> use a native browser is not real freedom.

Hi,

As I am sure you are aware, absolute freedom is logically impossible in
a universe choc full of interdependencies.

Wine will never be as good as the latest MS-Windows for running
Microsoft applications, and no one should be led to believe otherwise.

Wine is first and foremost a comforter (or bridge) for those who can't or
won't make a wholehearted switch to open systems, but who hope to make
such a switch in the relatively near future.

Most people who expect to continue depend indefinitely on MS-Windows
programs for core activities should not bother with Wine or Linux at
all.

Users of Windows applications whose authors/industries are committed to
developing and maintaining Wine support (the film industry's project to
maintain Wine support for Photoshop springs to mind) are possible
exceptions, but the rule applies in the general case.

However frustrating and time consuming it may be, people who want to use
Natwest banking on Linux are most to achieve long term success by
persuading Natwest/RBOS to follow WC3 web standards.

This is an entirely winnable argument, because it plays to the economic
self-interest of site owners in so many different ways.

Most immediately, it eliminates the costly requirement to code for
different versions of the dominant IE browser, i.e. you don't have to
plead for support based on the hypothetical growth of alternative
(minority) platforms.

Over the last two years there has been a very noticable trend away from
browser-based design and towards standards-based design in corporate web
sites and web applications.  I would be very surpised if there were not
a significant lobby within the Natwest/RBOS technical community to 'get
with the program'.

Perhaps even more significantly, non-technical senior managers are
finally coming to realise that competitors are only too willing and able
to exploit the fragility (and rigidity) of browser-based design.  I can
see no other explanation for the recent rash of conversions to
standards-based design amongst UK retailers.

Dave