(Andrew, you have to burn that Ubuntu CD so we can add our names to the list!)

[cosmolinguist]

kaet says:

In a bizarre statement, the BBC's head of technology claims only 400-600 UK linux users use the bbc websites, to justify his laziness with iPlayer platform dependence. I know that's nonsense, and just to prove I'm not barking I've set up a quick petition (not so much a petition as a name collection) here. Unfortunately the software is a bit crappy, and doesn't ask for your address, or anything, but it will at least be interesting to see if we can find 400-600 people just through our friends and families, :).

It's good to know that keepers of the public purse have such vague grips on reality.

PS, pass it on.

http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/linuxbbc/signatures.html

Comments

[kmusser]

dude, just checked my website logs - my personal website has gotten over 12,000 hits from linux users over the past year - somehow I'd think BBC gets more than that *grin*

[cosmolinguist]

Apparently out of their 1.7 million users, only 400 use Linux! According to Mr Bizarre Claim, who also says such twattish things as:

And as for the battle with the Open Source Consortium? "The 12 people who demonstrated outside our offices have every right to demonstrate," says Ashfield. "But I think 'the 12 people' says it all."

So clearly he's telling the absolute truth there, and not downplaying the popularity of Linux or anything. :)

[diffrentcolours]

Or indeed missing the point. The BBC has a mandate to deliver content to all license-fee payers in a cost-effective manner, and the only way to do that is to use open standards, which permit a variety of software (both free and proprietary) on a multiture of platforms.

[diffrentcolours]

Incidentally, duly posted to my LJ and debian.

[cosmolinguist]

Thanks. :) You were one of the people I thought might be interested. Also, your post is much more packed with facts than I am and thanks for it; I'd forgotten about that Groklaw interview though I know I tried to read it when you first posted it so I'm reading it now.