On 13/08/07, Matthew Cashmore <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > Cool.... Perhaps someone would like to post to the list why this protest is > happening, what it's aims are (if any) and what are the points that the > group would like to get across are?
You could try the "groups" website(s). Defective By Designs website is: http://defectivebydesign.org/ A quick bit of background to provide you with some context (provide corrections anyone if this is incorrect): DBD is a project run by the Free Software Foundation (FSF). DBD's main purpose is the abolition of DRM (Digital Rights Management, or Digital Restriction Management, depending on your view). The FSF is the main sponsor of the Gnu Project, I project that aims to provide a completely free Operating System. Not just free in that you don't have to pay for it but free in that you can do much more with it than other software. For instance you could read the "source code" (technical term meaning the stuff the software developers/programmers actually type, instead of the code that the machine executes which is normally transformed by a special program, not always though). Currently they provide many tools that are then bundled with the "Linux" kernel (the kernel is the core of an OS, it does much of the low level stuff that you don't really see but you are glad is there). Needless to say they are likely unhappy at the BBC's actions which could cripple UK Linux adoption. It could also pose significant harm to other OS vendors, such as Apple (of MacOS fame), and the people behind the different versions of BSD. You might find: http://defectivebydesign.org/iPlayerProtest and http://defectivebydesign.org/blog/BBCcorrupted useful to understand why there are protests. FreeTheBBC ( http://www.freethebbc.info/ ) is a project from "Binary Freedom Boston", please don't ask why someone from Boston is behind FreeTheBBC, I don't know (and I did ask once). Of course a quick reading of the BBC's charter states clearly that one should not take the term "UK license fee payer" literally. As I don't know much about Binary Freedoms background I will quote part of their site: > 1. Rid BBC content and programming of harmful DRM > 2. Make BBC content and programming available in free formats > from: http://www.freethebbc.info/node/7 I think the main aims are: - Opening up access to _all_ Operating Systems, not the select few (currently one). As far as I can tell their appears to be no plans for an "all OS" solution, only a "select few, but more than one" solution*. - Use of openly specified protocols and formats (of which there are way too may to list, but the BBC knows this already, it's a member of the consortium that writes some of them!!! (BBC is listed as a member of W3C, source: http://www.w3.org/Consortium/Member/List )). - Removal of DRM. Of course you would need to ask the individuals involved what their personal reasoning is. I shall not be there tomorrow, it clashes with a more important event "work". I may check news sites during my lunch though, now where does one find an impartial reporter on this matter? _Andy * this is only as far as I can tell, official sources regarding "all OS" would be welcomed. And in the spirit of the BBC: I am not responsible for the content of external sites, Other websites are available. -- Computers are like air conditioners. Both stop working, if you open windows. -- Adam Heath - Sent via the backstage.bbc.co.uk discussion group. To unsubscribe, please visit http://backstage.bbc.co.uk/archives/2005/01/mailing_list.html. Unofficial list archive: http://www.mail-archive.com/backstage@lists.bbc.co.uk/
