Re: [Fsfe-uk] BBC's DRM Iplayer windows only

[Jon Grant]

Hi there Noah,

<snip>
> The GNU Project's goal is to create an operating system according to a
> certain set of philosophies. Even then, the GNU Project also includes
> GNOME which has many applications opening and creating documents such
> as .doc, .ppt, .pdf etc etc.

GNOME does not purely support and work with .doc, .ppt files, if GNU
was advocating that I would also not agree with that stance. .doc and
.ppt formats can only be used temporarily as part of a migration
strategy to something open in my view...

> > That's debatable, given at least one FSF webmaster refuses to link to
> > UK LUGs because apparently that would imply endorsement of everything
> > on their web sites.
>
> This is totally unrelated and I think, again, you are confusing GNU/FSF.
>
> > That seems like a refutation of a point that wasn't made.  I think the
> > question is why isn't FSF developing or supporting a multimedia
> > framework, instead of supporting Gnash?
>
> Again, confusing FSF/GNU. The FSF doesn't develop software.

The FSF runs the GNU project, it is even in the title of this page:

"Gnash - GNU Project - Free Software Foundation (FSF)"
http://www.gnu.org/software/gnash/

People could argue that to all intents and purposes FSF == GNU and
vice versa, but that is probably a separate debate.

> The FSF's support of Flash is a very clever strategic position and
> absolutely essential if we are to get regular users to make the switch
> to a free operating system.

I'm not sure how clever it is, it seems pretty obvious to support de
facto formats when their is no choice otherwise like MS-Word files.
However, it shouldn't be the primary format supported and advocated,
which is what FSF/GNU are doing as I see it.

> No matter how much you dislike Flash, as do I, not including a free
> Flash player with GNU/Linux is shortsighted at best, damaging at
> worst. Flash is the defacto multimedia format on the WWW at the moment
> and that isn't going to change any time soon.
>
> Sure, build a better, open, format - but until that becomes popular
> Flash is still important for the FSF to get support from regular
> users.

I think we may be arguing the same side of the argument here, why not
share some of the resources 50/50 with a better open format? rather
than 100% supporting Adobe's proprietary Flash format? -- this is the
only real point I wished to make.

Kind regards, Jon
-- 
linkme: http://www.linkedin.com/in/jongrant
web: http://jguk.org/