Fwd: [sf-uk-discuss] GNU/Linux users - sign petition to say you use BBC web site!

[Sridhar Dhanapalan]

On Sat, 3 Nov 2007, Derek Broughton <news at pointerstop.ca> wrote:
> Sridhar Dhanapalan wrote:
> > On Sat, 3 Nov 2007, Derek Broughton <news at pointerstop.ca> wrote:
> >> Ahem!  Why does the petition specifically refer to people who access the
> >> Beeb from _within_ the UK?
> >
> > The BBC is primarily funded to provide services to UK residents.
> > International audiences are of a secondary importance, so it is vital to
> > show them that there are many GNU/Linux users within the UK.
>
> Except (a) that's not true - BBC has all sorts of world service, and the
> website is specifically intended to reach everybody;

I said "primarily funded", not "totally funded". The bulk of the BBC is funded 
through television licences levied on UK residents. The BBC World Service is 
funded through a grant-in-aid by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

It is generally expected that UK residents receive an acceptable rate of 
return on the BBC's licence revenue.

> and (b) "The BBC's 
> head of technology, Ashley Highfield, in making excuses for the iPlayer,
> claims that only 400-600 people access the BBC website using Linux!" - says
> nothing about it being only 400-600 people in the UK.

Given the expectation that most BBC investment benefit the domestic market, it 
is important that we prove that there are many local residents who access BBC 
resources using free software. Including international visitors in the same 
figures will only dilute the message.


-- 
"The use of quantity of money as a target has not been a success. I'm not sure 
that I would as of today push it as hard as I once did."
	- Milton Friedman, Financial Times (UK), June 7, 2003
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