[Wylug-discuss] GNU/Linux users - sign petition to say you use BBC web site!

[Roger]

Mike Goodman wrote:
> I'm finding this "debate" pointless and unprincipled.

Sorry if I sound to be picking nits, Mike, that really isn't my intention.

One principle seems quite plain to my mind: as a public service, funded 
by the public, the BBC ought to make their work freely available (both 
as in speech and as in beer, once the license fees have been paid).

As I see it, the difficulties start raising their heads once one moves 
from principle to practice.  Performers, writers and technicians are all 
worthy of their hire - and contracts have and continue to be written and 
signed laying down the terms that embody that.

In the old days of analogue broadcasting things were comparatively 
simple: if you weren't listening (or had a recorder running) when a 
programme was broadcast, you'd missed it.  If it was re-broadcast, 
writers and performers could be paid repeat fees according to how many 
times it was repeated.

On demand broadcasting screws that model from top to bottom.

The BBC has also been dumped on with a new lead role in the analogue to 
digital conversion, while at the same time their revenues have been capped.

To a degree, the BBC is the orange pip between two fingers squeezing 
more and more tightly together and if they aren't to disappear into the 
invisible distance, they have to take cost into consideration.

But back to the thread topic: I think that this petition - which is 
about numbers - has the potential to give the 'good guys' at the BBC 
some bullets to fire about linux and oss, but only if the numbers really 
are significant.  Destroying the guy's credibility about "400 to 600" 
isn't enough.  If we can 'prove' that there are 8,500 linux users of the 
BBC stuff, that's still only 0.05% (one hundredth of the Mac brigade) of 
the total.  Financially speaking, that entirely justifies the BBC 
ignoring us.

What I'm trying to advocate is much more: MUCH bigger numbers for us 
(keep up the pressure to sign); chipping away at that 17.1 million 
figure (what does it really mean); arguing for a more more fundamental 
reconsideration of the role and duties of the BBC; and so on.

And supporting what the BBC does get right, if not perfect.

Roger