🚀 go-pugleaf

Horry wrote:
> 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.

That's not what you said the first time.


> 
>> And it's not that simple anyway -
> 
> What is "not that simple anyway"?

I'll bet you mummy taught you better manners than that

> 
>> 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?

So it's not so simple - no-one thinks about video formats at the time 
that they buy a PC.


> 
>> 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?

Who knows? It's bad enough that 97% of desktops run fat windows. This 
sort of thing will kill the last 3%

> 
>> 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.

Does the public know that?

> 
>> 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.

You didn't ask.

You stated:
"It's simply providing what the vast majority of the public wants"

Yet you don't know what the public wants

Then you back-flipped with:
"I simply assumed that most members of the public are in their right minds".


> 
> There must be a reason behind it.
> 
> Before criticizing the ABC for relying solely on Flash, I'd like to know 
> that reason.

So would I

> 
>> 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.

Oh great, a survey sample of one

> 
>> - 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.

Such as?


> 
>>>> 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?

Of course not, which is why the original poster is wanting the ABC to do 
the responsible thing.

> 
>>> 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.

Yes, they owe their audience an explanation.