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

[Jon Grant]

Hi Noah,

On 07/01/2008, Noah Slater <address@hidden> wrote:
> On Mon, Jan 07, 2008 at 12:18:45PM +0000, Jon Grant wrote:
> > The FSF plan is to solely support Flash, that is a flawed plan IMHO,
>
> Not really, the FSF's goal is to make sure that you can use any format
> (be it open or closed) using free software. If you ask any "normal"
> folk you will find that on their relatively short list of requirements
> for switching to GNU/Linux is the ability to watch YouTube etc. That
> the FSF has the wisdom to see this as important is lucky for us.

You're entitled to your view, personally I'd be thoroughly
disappointed if I moved to GNU-Linux and continued to be required to
rely on WMA, MS-Word and Adobe Flash proprietary formats. Supporting
open standards is definitely what FSF is doing and should continue
doing instead of proprietary format support over the long term.

> > just like solely supporting MS-Word file format would be.
>
> But the FSF is not doing this so your arguments are a strawman. The
> FSF has plashed Gnash as a priority project, that doesn't mean that
> the FSF somehow "endorses" the format.

I can't see what your point is or why you think it's a strawman. Are
you suggesting FSF are not solely supporting Adobe's Flash format in
their Gnash project now? If so that's a great change finally after I
suggested they do that for a long time (over the last few years). I am
really glad they have changed tack if that is what you were meaning. I
can't see any mention of this on their web page though.
http://www.gnu.org/software/gnash/

FSF runs the GNU project, which in turn announced+sponsors the Gnash
development (formerly GPLFlash) as I understand it.

http://www.fsf.org/news/free-java-and-flash.html

http://www.linux.com/articles/45154

> > Instead they should develop a multimedia standard for
> > audio/video/vector graphics and scripting which is better
>
> Are you kidding? The FSF has better things to do with it's time and
> /my/ donations. Leave stuff like this to the W3C who have, infact,
> already done such a thing, namely SVG.

W3C have foundered in recent years with regard to multimedia (consider
the way Vorbis/Theora has recently been ripped out of HTML5 standard),
and SVG is nothing compared to the functionality offered by Adobe's
proprietary Flash format. We can't even script audio playback in a
browser out of the box.

> > and include backwards compatible support for Flash files as an
> > option to assist in the migration to an open standard.
>
> I think this is actually on the roadmap for Gnash.

what open standard do you see on the roadmap? I can't spot a mention
of one, sorry if I've missed it.

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