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Re: [News] Open Source Consortium Goes Against BBC Over Microsoft Lockins

Verily I say unto thee, that Rudolph Hooker spake thusly:
> Roy Schestowitz wrote:
> 
>> Open sourcers wave handbags at BBC
>>
>> ,----[ Quote ]
>> | "This action from the BBC effectively promotes one operating system
>> | vendor at the expense of others," says OSC Chief Executive Iain
>> | Roberts. "It is very disturbing that the BBC should be using
>> | licence payers' money to affect the operating system market in
>> | this way. Imagine if the BBC were to launch new digitial (sic)
>> | channels, but only make them available on a certain make of
>> | television - there would be uproar."
>> `----
>>
>> http://www.theinquirer.net/default.aspx?article=38183
>>
>>
> You missed the important bit at the end of the article:
> 
> ---[Quote]
> 
> Perhaps the open saucers are forgetting that the BBC is a public service
> broadcaster whose duty is to supply as many people as possible with a
> service within a very tight budget. By using WMP as the basis of the
> iPlayer, the Beeb will reach 90 per cent of the population with a single
> player. It is unlikely that the lack of an iPlayer service for the UK's 15
> Solaris users played much of a part in this particular business decision.

The (obviously bigoted) author's interpretation of this public services
company's "duty" is a bit inaccurate, isn't it? The BBC has a duty to
provide an *equal* service level to *all* it's subscribers, not "as many
as possible".

If I pay for a service, I expect to receive it, not be told "sorry we
only provide the service *you have paid for* to other people."

IMO if the BBC cannot provide an Open Standards solution for this
service, they should either withdraw it entirely (until such times as
they *can*) or partially refund those subscribers who are unable to
receive it.

> 15 Users? That many???

Regardless of how many users it is, the principle stands; you simply
cannot charge customers for services that they can not possibly use.

Additionally, in the case of the BBC, it is a publicly funded utility,
governed by a charter specifically deigned to ensure accountability and
fairness, prevent bias and favouritism, and ensure the BBC does not
abuse it's relationship with third parties in such a way as to violate
that charter.

-- 
K.
http://slated.org - Slated, Rated & Blogged

.----
| "Future archaeologists will be able to identify a 'Vista Upgrade
| Layer' when they go through our landfill sites" - Sian Berry, the
| Green Party.
`----

Fedora Core release 5 (Bordeaux) on sky, running kernel 2.6.19-1.2288.fc5
 03:38:11 up 22 days, 15:03,  3 users,  load average: 0.55, 0.87, 0.88

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