🚀 go-pugleaf

On Fri, 01 Aug 2008 00:19:29 +1000, B J Foster wrote:

> Horry wrote:
>> On Thu, 31 Jul 2008 11:50:16 +0000, netvegetable wrote:
>> 
>>> Please return to putting up news items as mp4/wmv/mpg files.
>>>
>>> A small number of us use open source operating systems. Because we
>>> make this moral choice, we often don't have access to adobe flash
>>> software. As a consequence, we don't have access to abc online video
>>> and news.
>>>
>>> We may only be a minority, but we pay our taxes too. And I don't
>>> believe we should be penalized for our ethical stance.
>>>
>>> Please stop trying to lock us into using proprietary software.
>> 
>> The ABC isn't "trying" to lock you into using proprietary software.
>> It's simply providing what the vast majority of the public wants --
>> that is, news in a format that is compatible with the software
>> pre-installed on their computers.
> 
> There are a couple of things wrong with your statement:
> 
> How do you know what the public wants?

No-one in his right mind would want news in a non-compatible format.

I simply assumed that most members of the public are in their right minds.

> And it's not that simple anyway -

What is "not that simple anyway"?

> at the time that I buy a $500 linux PC, it's unlikely that I'll be
> thinking about the ABC's file formats.

So what?

> However my experience will be ruined when I discover it later.

What "experience"?  Your "news listening experience"??

What percentage of computers (in Australia) are sold with Linux pre-
installed, but without Flash?

> On the other hand, fat PCs *do* support mp4/mpg files,

And Linux *does* support Flash.  You just need to download the 
appropriate software from the Internet.

> so the ABC can
> reach a greater audience by adhering to open standards.

I agree.

This is why I asked if the ABC has given a reason for stopping using non-
Flash formats.

There must be a reason behind it.

Before criticizing the ABC for relying solely on Flash, I'd like to know 
that reason.

> Producing content in flash is like publishing music in Apple's
> proprietary AC3 format.

No it's not.

> It locks us in to overhyped, overpriced,
> non-standard devices

No it doesn't.

I can play Flash just fine on my standard computer -- on software that 
didn't cost me a cent.

> - and you can see the effect, a standard MP3 player
> costs around $20 whereas an iPOD costs around three times that *and* it
> won't play MP3.

This example isn't even remotely analogous.

> The public wants functionality - and the public wants competition.
> Proprietary formats eliminate competition.

No they don't.

Even you should be able to see that there are currently several competing 
proprietary formats out there.

>>> We do not
>>> want to be beholden to software giants like Adobe, and we do not
>>> believe our taxes should be going to helping foreign corporations like
>>> this dominate the web.
>> 
>> Unfortunately for you, there probably aren't enough voters/tax-payers
>> who feel the same way.
> 
> Probably? Did you take a poll?

Do you seriously think more than 5% of the Australian population are even 
aware of the differences between proprietary and open-source media 
formats, let alone care what the ABC uses -- so long it provides content 
that is readily playable on their computers?

>> Has the ABC given a reason for stopping providing news items in
>> MP4/WMV/ MPG formats?

Before criticizing the ABC for relying solely on Flash, I'd like to know 
the answer to this.