Hi Kiggs, this is very helpful. I think it would be a good idea if we explain our issue to the project team. We could also offer help. If someone can sell his services to URA and fix this, that is fine. It would solve our problems and someone is paid for services.
But I think we can also do something as a community. There are some bugs we could fix (like the datepicker), or even the spreadsheets. (we have a working version it seems, just by removing all the field validations. Totally untested though) I can't do this alone, and so can any of us (unless you are a retired millionaire with programming skills), but we have very few on this list. I think we could come up with a collective email. Let me suggest a few points that we could mention there: - Can we create a bugtracker for FOSS issues where the community and URA can work together? - If possible, could you still find the budget to adapt the existing spreadsheets to be workable with OpenOffice? - Can we submit patches for the website, and will you implement them? - Once we have fixed all bugs for Firefox for you, will you put a download link for firefox on your website? Would there be more points that we can discuss with URA? And are there any objections to send an email like this out "on behalf of the FOSS community" (or Linux User Group). Once we have fleshed out the list of points a bit, I can make a writeup of the full email. -- rgds, Reinier Battenberg Director Mountbatten Ltd. +256 782 801 749 www.mountbatten.net Do you have a businessplan? Make your idea work: www.startyourbusiness.ug On Friday 15 January 2010 08:01:39 Kiggundu Mukasa wrote: > Reinier > My search has found the following info > 1) URA signed a contract with TCS ( Tata consultancy services ) which > only committed to working with IE 6 and Above and Microsoft Office. > because "this is what they could offer as a stable platform" > 2) there is a URA Project team that really want to gain acceptance > from the tax payer for this system and would listen to your complaints > 3) You would be expected to have "Fix suggestions" on hand that are > specific and not too general as you are the experts in this FOSS you > are talking about :-) > > 4) the Project team can be contacted via [email protected] > > Kiggs > > On Jan 14, 2010, at 4:37 PM, Reinier Battenberg wrote: > > Hi, > > > > As some might know the URA is switching to an online system for > > filing your > > taxes. Very commendable, i hope it will help them with their > > efficiency. > > > > Unfortunatly, there are a few issues when trying to use the system > > when using > > openoffice and firefox. > > > > the site is http://www.ura.go.ug > > > > Some are small things, for example, the datepicker used when you > > create an > > account shows a bit funny in firefox. > > > > More difficult is the Excell spreadsheet that you have to download, > > fill in and > > post back. We don't have a copy of excell, but in openoffice we see > > a LOT of > > vbscript and we get some very funny errors > > > > For example the check on some fields is not checking for a Number > > between 0 and > > XXXXX, but it is checking for "more than 0 and less than 15 > > characters" > > OpenOffice thinks that Numbers are no characters, so "60000" is > > invalid, but > > "60000abc" is. I dont think that is what the check should do. > > > > As Linux and FOSS community, what would you suggest is the way > > forward in > > helping the URA to support people in Uganda that choose to use free > > software? > > > > > > Reinier Battenberg > > Director > > Mountbatten Ltd. > > +256 782 801 749 > > www.mountbatten.net > > > > Do you have a businessplan? Make your idea work: > > www.startyourbusiness.ug > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > > LUG mailing list > > [email protected] > > http://kym.net/mailman/listinfo/lug > > %LUG is generously hosted by INFOCOM http://www.infocom.co.ug/ > > > > The above comments and data are owned by whoever posted them > > (including attachments if any). The List's Host is not responsible > > for them in any way. > > --------------------------------------- > _______________________________________________ LUG mailing list [email protected] http://kym.net/mailman/listinfo/lug %LUG is generously hosted by INFOCOM http://www.infocom.co.ug/ The above comments and data are owned by whoever posted them (including attachments if any). The List's Host is not responsible for them in any way. ---------------------------------------
