20080826
Dems leave Linux users in the dark
As much as I support Barack Obama for President, the Democratic National Convention Comittee screwed the pooch by choosing to use Microsoft Silverlight instead of Adobe Flash for their video needs. The decision is in conflict of an article the DNCC called The 2008 Democratic National Convention: The Most Technologically-Savvy Event Of Its Kind.Silverlight does not allow Linux or UNIX users to view online video like Flash, Windows Media, Quicktime, or Real can.
So why only support Windows or MacOS? No other software is bias against the users' operating system software preference. If the Obama website supports Flash video, why doesn't the DNCC?
This is why I refuse to do any programming on Microsoft IIS, ASP.Net, or SQLServer. (That and I don't know jack about ASP.Net in the first place. I mean, come on? $300 for software or free? Which would you pick if you were a poor starving college kid?) If that is going to affect my job search, then good! I'd rather do programming the right way (Apache + PHP + MySQL), rather than the easy way.
At least the DNCC got one thing right: Using an open source CMS called Silver Stripe
In short, Silverlight = BAD, SliverStripe = GOOD.
In terms of Joe Biden as VP, while I do not agree with his stance for supporting RIAA or MPAA, at least he is not Carly Fiorina who nearly destroyed Hewlett-Packard a few years ago with her ability to micromanage. If McCain has 7 houses from marrying his trophy wife, and Fiorina has 5 private jets (two she had to give back) that she bought by showing 5000 HP workers pink slips, what are the chance that McCain will NOT become the next president of the United States? Nearing 100%. Ask anyone working in the Tech industry, especially in Silicon Valley (San Jose,CA), who Carly Firornia is and they'll likely say she makes Hillary Clinton look like a saint.
In terms of technology, I believe that any politician who plans on making any technology decisions and has a bias against hackers needs to read "The Conscience of a Hacker", at least one technical book (i.e. HTML for Dummies), and needs to under stand the workings of email, cell phones, and the Internet. We don't need anymore Ted Stevens-like senators who don't know jack about technology but are put in charge of a Senate Committee responsible for Comererce, Science, and Transportations just so they can be spoon fed what the NTCA tells them and prays to God that no one finds your emails (cough!MattBlunt!cough!)
Labels: linux, microsoft, politics, shovelware, software
posted by Bushido Hacks 8/26/2008 09:52:00 PM
