Xinomorph

So, the OSC (Open-Source Consortium) is continuing its little fight with the BBC over the forthcoming iPlayer.

iPlayer, when launched to the public on July 27th, will allow people in the UK to watch a selection of highlights of the BBC's programming over the previous 7 days.

However, upon launch, the service depends on technologies only available in Windows Media Player, and certain aspects of the Windows XP operating system.

The OSC, who advocate the use of free software, think that this is unfair and are demanding that the BBC makes iPlayer compatible with other operating systems and media players. This is despite the BBC having stated that they fully intend to do so, but have concentrated on Windows XP for the time being as it is the vastly predominant operating system, and Windows Media Player in particular as it is the only media player (or certainly one of few) with the necessary security capabilites.

In a statement on their Website, the OSC say:

It is unacceptable that a publicly funded organisation, which surely has the resources and capability to deliver a platform agnostic digital media player, has adopted a technology that indirectly excludes access to its content to around 25% of the IT enabled public.

Presumably, therefore, they are saying that the other 75% of the population should be denied the opportunity to use iPlayer until it works universally. Which really is akin to "no one is allowed to play or listen to piano music until I learn how to play."

OSC's Chief Executive, Rick Timmis, also claims that having the iPlayer only work with Windows will force people to buy Microsoft software. Which is blatant bull shit, both on the assertion that a) it forces people to do so, and b) that people actually would. In fact, the BBC has also said that they expect and hope to launch a Mac-friendly iPlayer in the autumn, and a Windows Vista (as opposed to Windows XP) version shortly afterwards.

It is utterly ridiculous that these people are making such ridiculous demands. The BBC have stated on numerous occasions that they will be making iPlayer usable to all. Complaining about it, and reporting them to the European Commission - as the OSC has threatened to do - seems extremely counter-productive to the BBC's development process. To anyone with an ounce of sense, it is totally understandable that the predominant software would be catered for first. If others are too stubborn to use non-open source software, then that's their own problem.

Idiots. And that's being overly polite.