[ubuntu-uk] BBC and open formats??

[Andy]

On 03/11/06, Pete Ryland <pdr at pdr.cx> wrote:
> They are a business after
> all, so the powers that be are likely not to approve spending
> resources just to satisfy some "bunch of hippies and their demands".
Are they a business? They are publicly funded to provided a service
which they are failing to do.

Wasn't the whole purpose of the BBC to provide content for the
sections of society that was not covered by the mainstream?

By taking the action to explicitly block non Microsoft based systems
(some content actually requires ActiveX and thus Windows), are they
not violating the spirit of why the BBC was created, if not the legal
agreement?

I have also seen another couple of threads regarding this on other
mailing lists. Including the FSFE-uk list (only just signed up to
didn't see it when signed up t other FSFE lists), who are writing an
open letter to the BBC about their partnership with Microsoft, still
they haven't done anything about the RealPlayer issue, begging the
question how effective is the FSFE?

Are forces seem to be a little divided and there is few of us as it
is, maybe we should unite the people so to speak.
The BBC website is used by a lot of people, getting it to play nice
with Free Software and Open Source would show that the community can
do something worthwhile. And it _should_ be easier than with other
broadcasters because they have an obligation to allow access to the
license payers, and some license payers use Linux.

I like the idea about sending Ubuntu Linux to my MP (even if the
poster was joking, not sure).
Need to compose a letter to him first.
All I need is a good introduction to Linux, Free Software and Open
Source for idiots.

Still waiting for the BBC to respond to my second complaint, (6 days
to go till 10 day target)

- Andy

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