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Copyright Office: Everyone Uses MSIE, Right?

Posted by timothy on from the typical-myopia dept.

richardtallent writes "Tim Bray caught that the United States Copyright Office's upcoming copyright pre-registration web application apparently only works with Internet Explorer, and they are seeking written comments from anyone who might have a problem being forced to use IE. Slashdotters, start your snail-mail."

13 of 101 comments (clear)

  1. Be Respectful! by kajoob · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Can I just say that if you do write in, don't flame. Be intelligent, clear, concise, to the point, and most of all RESPECTFUL. This isn't a rant, this is a opportunity to voice a legitimate gripe. Since they're requesting our opinions, they'll likely listen - let's not blow it.

    --
    Quidquid latine dictum sit, altum viditur
    1. Re:Be Respectful! by SeekerDarksteel · · Score: 4, Funny

      Dear US Copyright office:

      zOMGWTFBBQ! J00 R NOT 1337! E4T SH17 4ND D13!

      T3H 1337-533K1N9 Mi55i13!

      --
      The laws of probability forbid it!
    2. Re:Be Respectful! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Funny

      I sent them one and now have a patent for sending goatscx pictures.

    3. Re:Be Respectful! by toddbu · · Score: 3, Informative

      Do you have to say that you're using Linux? Just say something like "I use the Firefox web browser which currently holds 10% of the browser market. I feel that it's important the U.S. government support at least the top two web browsers on its web sites as this will promote free market competition in this area."

      --
      If you don't want crime to pay, let the government run it.
  2. Comment removed by account_deleted · · Score: 3, Funny

    Comment removed based on user account deletion

  3. The best answer I usually give.. by Lally+Singh · · Score: 5, Interesting

    I simply tell people that IE's been discontinued for the macintosh. Everyone recognizes the Mac as a different platform that other people use, and the fact that IE is no longer shipping on it is a good motivator. Simple, easy to understand for non-techs, and respectful.

    --
    Care about electronic freedom? Consider donating to the EFF!
  4. The address (RTFM iz hard) by Safety+Cap · · Score: 4, Informative
    for mail:
    Copyright GC/ I&R
    P.O. Box 70400
    Southwest Station
    Washington, DC 20024-0400
    --
    Yeah, right.
  5. At least they're asking! by freality · · Score: 3, Interesting

    A few years ago they probably would have assumed IE and skipped the public comment process. Now there's too many creatives using macs.

    Now, asking for 5 copies of a comment letter is like saying "Unless you're a corporate lawyer representing a major publishing house, keep your comments to yourself. You serf."

    And no, they don't care about Linux users since it's the office of copyRIGHT, not copyLEFT.. that office is located at creativecommons.org.

    1. Re:At least they're asking! by badfish99 · · Score: 3, Informative

      No, no, the reason they want you to make 5 copies of the letter is because they want to distribute it to 5 different people and they don't want to get caught copying it themselves in case you have copyrighted it.

  6. Security by Gadren · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Perhaps it should be mentioned that it's odd that Homeland Security said that it's best to use an alternative to IE, and the same government is requiring IE.

  7. Isn't this like. . . by Tachikoma · · Score: 5, Funny

    . . .only permitting people who drive stationwagons to enter the postoffice parking lot? What genius CIO thought it would be a good idea to limit people who can use this to one, albeit large, sect of people? If I said "hey boss, lets make a great web app, but lets only let MSIE people use it because I'm incapable of making it available to more than one browser and MSIE is the whore of internet browsers and lets anything in" he would laugh at me. Then fire me. And then laugh a lot more. And then have a heart attack, but that's just my CIO...

    "I'm sorry ma'am, you can only apply for a patent if you only have 1 leg."

    "But I have two legs, its much more effiecient and I'm much more stable!"

    "Two legs huh? That's nice but my give-a-shit is broken today, so you're going to have to handicap yourself like everyone else to use this. And you have to get in the back of the line."

    --
    i don't care
  8. software design government style by Captain+BooBoo · · Score: 4, Interesting
    At this point in the process of developing the Copyright Office's system for online preregistration, it is not entirely clear whether the system will be compatible with web browsers other than Microsoft Internet Explorer versions 5.1 and higher. Filers of preregistration applications will be able to employ these Internet Explorer browsers successfully. Support for Netscape 7.2, Firefox 1.0.3, and Mozilla 1.7.7 is planned but will not be available when preregistration goes into effect. Present users of these browsers may experience problems when filing claims.

    Sounds like they hired the developers under the common practice of the "lowest bidder"

  9. rtfa? by mullein · · Score: 4, Informative

    From the federal register link in the /. article:

    "Support for Netscape 7.2, Firefox 1.0.3, and Mozilla 1.7.7 is planned but will not be available when preregistration goes into effect. Present users of these browsers may experience problems when filing claims."

    It doesn't seem that they plan on restricting usage to IE users only, and in fact sounds more like they have the position, "it might work on firefox, but we haven't tested it."