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

[Smylers]

Lee Evans writes:

> > My signature is number 242, so about half of the audience has signed
> > up already :)
> 
> Whilst I agree and suspect the number quoted by Ashley Highfield is
> wrong, I'm also, unfortunately, incredibly skeptical about the
> validity of this petition.

It's a web petition -- but it doesn't pretend to be anything more than
that, so its lack of scientific rigor is readily apparent to all.

> the actual issue (of whether or not the quoted figure is accurate) is
> being overshadowed by the long-standing (and in my view unreasonable)
> "outrage" at the inability to watch the BBC's on demand content on a
> Linux system ... ... so I've cheekily attached Smlyers' particularly
> well written post from a few months back the points in which I pretty
> much agree with wholeheartedly.

Unsurprisingly, I still agree with me as well.  But I did sign this
petition, because being counted as a Linux user who views the BBC
website doesn't conflict with anything I said there.

Roger writes:

> Lee's quote of Smylers' includes a link to:
>
> > > >  http://www.currybet.net/cbet_blog/2007/06/free_the_bbc_drm_debate.php
>
> That page now carries a link to:
>
> http://www.currybet.net/cbet_blog/2007/11/busting_the_bbcs_600_linux_users_myth.php
> 
> All I'm trying to argue is that this petition isn't enough to change
> to world in the way I think we'd all like ...

That second page has been updated saying that the original figure of
400-600 has been revised by the BBC to 36600-97600.

I don't think it's unreasonable to think that the petition had some
effect in the BBC bothering to do that.  Sure, the petition didn't solve
poverty in Africa -- but just because there are other, bigger, changes
that we'd all like in the world doesn't mean there's anything wrong with
getting a small misconception remedied.

Smylers