[YLUG] GNU/Linux users of BBC Websites

[Robert Hulme]

>From LJ community debian:

In a recent article, BBC Head of Technology Ashley Highfield has
claimed that the BBC websites at bbc.co.uk only have 400-600 GNU/Linux
users. There's a petition going round to collect signatures from us,
which I expect will get 600 signatures very quickly.

The claim is incredible - if true, it means that my office represents
~10% of the BBC's entire GNU/Linux usage. Either far more GNU/Linux
users are pretending to be on Windows than I would expect, or
Highfield is downplaying the number of GNU/Linux users accessing BBC
services on line, in the same way that he downplays the Defective by
Design protests.

It may make sense for him to do so; the BBC is coming under fire for
spending £130 million of license-fee payers' money on software which
is tied to Windows XP and Microsoft-specific Digital Restrictions
Management. An article I linked recently shows the depth of ties
between Microsoft and Auntie, and the Free the BBC campaign exists to
oppose this.

Please forward the petition link to your local LUG, favorite IRC
channel, LiveJournal community etc. and encourage UK GNU/Linux users
to sign, and sign up to the Free the BBC Mailing List. Only when the
BBC provides content in open formats without DRM which can be accessed
from any platform and operating system will we have a fair, free and
equal service.

Original link (which includes hyperlinks):
http://community.livejournal.com/debian/329016.html




-- 
http://www.robhulme.com/
http://robhu.livejournal.com/

We read the Golden Rule and judge it to be a brilliant distillation of
many of our ethical impulses. And then we come across another of God's
teachings on morality: if a man discovers on his wedding night that
his bride is not a virgin, he must stone her to death on her father's
doorstep (Deuteronomy 22:13-21).
-- Sam Harris