cpjackson.co.uk

As you may know – there’s been quite a lot of controversy over the past few days – caused by Ashley Highfield pulling stats about linux users from thin air. Apparently he believes there are between 400 and 600 users of Linux in the UK who access the BBC.co.uk website… And according to Ashley’s logic – this means that the BBC are completely and fully correct producing a DRM crippled video player. (Ashley has recanted these stats and said ‘oops – actually it’s more like 40,000 – 90,000′).

There are various articles out there spewing comments about Ashley and his inaccurate figures – including one by an ex-employee. There’s also a petition. The problem is that most of the blog postings are pissed off about the 400-600 figure – and at the end of the day – this isn’t the issue.

The issue is that the BBC, a publicly-funded institution that acts on behalf of the UK TV licence payers, is bringing out the iplayer that will ONLY allow people to play BBC content on Windows PCs.

• It WONT allow you to play the content on your mac.
• It WONT allow you to play the content on your mobile phone.
• It WONT allow you to play the content on your linux box.
• It WONT allow you to play the content on your PDA.
• It WONT allow you to play the content on your home/car DVD player.
• It WONT allow you to play the content on your VHS recorder (due to DRM).

Linux is only a small part of the issue, yet Ashley wants to target Linux users because they are the ones making the fuss.

Ashley went on further to say that such a small minority (0.3% – 0.8%) of it’s audience does not need to be catered for…. Is this what Ashley thinks of the blind community (Approx 0.25% of the UK)?