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Re: [LUG] [Fwd: BBC iPlayer now available on Mac]

 

On Thu, 18 Dec 2008 22:12:24 +0000
Tom Potts <tompotts@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

> On Thursday 18 December 2008 20:35, Richard Brown wrote:
> ...
> > Found it:
> > <http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/install/bbc_iplayer_desktop>
> > Downloading and installing now!
> oh great I know have to completely upgrade my system to do something that 
> could have been done in javascript if these ^%^&)(*^'s hadn't been allowed to 
> 'help develop the standard'
> I just hope the recession takes them out.

Not to mention that *none* of the required software for GNU/Linux is
remotely free. Do people really think so little of the freedoms granted
via the OS that they are willing to put up with this non-free rubbish,
just for a repeat??

"The iPlayer is the BBC's online media player that lets viewers stream
programmes for up to seven days after broadcast or download and watch
them for up to 30 days." 

You want software on your GNU/Linux system that expires downloaded data
based on the timestamp? Gee, thanks for nothing.

GPLv3 was developed to exclude this kind of restriction and here's
everyone lapping it up and crying when it doesn't work. Newsflash - it
is non-free, therefore broken by design. In Debian, we're agonising
over the last few kilobytes of possibly non-free firmware in the
kernel to the point where the Lenny release is delayed again and again
- ostensibly because our "users" care about such things.

If you want to have a copy of a TV programme, use a recording device or
something like Sky+. Even better, wait for the DVD and buy it.

Don't come looking for support when this lot breaks - or if you want to
use the non-free stuff on GNU/Linux with non-x86 architectures.

It needs to be free to make it worth having, you need access to the
source code to make it work properly with the rest of your free OS.

http://www.fsf.org/campaigns/drm.html

http://defectivebydesign.org/

Needless to say, I'm no fan of iPlayer, on any OS.

-- 


Neil Williams
=============
http://www.data-freedom.org/
http://www.nosoftwarepatents.com/
http://www.linux.codehelp.co.uk/

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