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

[MJ Ray]

"Dave Crossland" <address@hidden> wrote:
> On 13/01/2008, MJ Ray <address@hidden> wrote:
> > And you may not fix those bugs, because it's verbatim copying terms.
>
> You may fix the bugs by reporting them to address@hidden and also
> by volunteering to help webmaster the GNU website and then help draft
> a new version?

I'll forward the last mail now it's written, but most of my bug
reports about GNU websites are unanswered, rejected, deferred or
the bugs reappear later, so I usually work on more productive tasks.

I won't help webmaster the GNU website because it's under terms I
disagree with and I doubt they'd accept a redrafting under the GPL
without copyright assignment.  I could volunteer for other groups
which do stuff I disagree with and I could even write on similar
topics for other bosses under copyright terms I don't like for money
(I get about an offer a month lately).  Generally, I don't do help
groups under unacceptable terms and it's a bit silly to suggest I do
so.  It almost makes me wish I hadn't answered the question of what's
wrong with the GNU FAQ.

The bugs in FSF+GNU websites are mere irritations to me, but they're
vital problems for FSF in getting their message out there. They mean
those sites are less widely used than competitors.  I try to persuade
FSF to open the sites under more liberal licences and describe how to
download the site source code, which would get them more
contributions, but they don't.  Even when I persisted long enough with
one bit to get source code, it was unnecessarily hacking-hostile and
not the current version.

As a result, FSF offerings are not as good as they could be if they
were free software, developed openly.  For example, I don't search
http://directory.fsf.org/ as often as other sites mainly because it's
18 tabs to reach the search box and there's no access key for it.
I've mentioned this sort of thing a few times and that particular one
recently, but similar things keep happening.

If you can see how to fix those problems, go ahead.  Otherwise, we'll
keep on working around FSF, building things like www.lug.org.uk/lugs/
which works rather than something GNU which doesn't.

Regards,
-- 
MJ Ray http://mjr.towers.org.uk/email.html tel:+44-844-4437-237 -
Webmaster-developer, statistician, sysadmin, online shop builder,
consumer and workers co-operative member http://www.ttllp.co.uk/ -
Writing on koha, debian, sat TV, Kewstoke http://mjr.towers.org.uk/