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FEMA Demands Use of IE To File Online Katrina Claims
WebHostingGuy writes "As reported by MSNBC, if you survived the hurricane and are a Mac, Linux or Firefox user you cannot file a claim online. Further, you must have javascript enabled or face rejection. From the site: 'We are sorry for not being able to proceed your requests because you have failed our tests.' Opera and Netscape don't work either." Also reported at InformationWeek. From that story: "To file a claim online at FEMA's Individual Assistance Center, where citizens can apply for government help, the browser must be IE 6.0 or later with JavaScript enabled. That cuts out everyone running Linux or the Mac operating systems, as well as Windows users running alternate browsers such as Firefox or Opera. When TechWeb tested the site using Windows XP and Firefox 1.0.6, the message 'In order to use this site, you must have JavaScript Enabled and Internet Explorer version 6. Download it from Microsoft or call 1-800-621-FEMA (3362) to register' popped up on the screen." Update: 09/08 13:48 GMT by Z : Added word 'Online' to title to clarify story.
Exactly, now read the sentence from the summary. "if you survived the hurricane and are a Mac, Linux or Firefox user you cannot file a claim online." That is blatantly incorrect, as you pointed out from the article. Just a poorly worded article and and an even worse summary in my opinion.
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I know. I mean requiring a piece of software that 99% of people have access too. I mean, it's just insane.
And to also offer an offline alternative. Wow, what were they thinking.
Help me take back Slashdot. When did 'News for Nerds' become 'FUD and Conspiracy Theories for Extremist Nutjobs'?
After all, this is a major branch of the Federal Government being run by a political hack whose main experience is running the National Arabian Horse Association.
What would happen if it said "Sorry but because you're black you can not use this website" ?
Yeah, that would be an issue...
I hope that last line was sarcastic, because to be honest, George Bush simply doesn't care about black people. Except when they pose a threat to him, in those cases, he'll deny them their legal rights.
Some may think this is flame-bait, but I'm being deadly serious. When he doesn't care about black people, what makes you think he's going to care about an even smaller minority (the non-IE users) of America?
Great, the biggest natural disaster in this country's history, and you're encouraging people to waste their time with complaints about browser support issues that really won't affect anyone.
Way to show that this community has a handle on what is important right now.
Help me take back Slashdot. When did 'News for Nerds' become 'FUD and Conspiracy Theories for Extremist Nutjobs'?
they can use the phone.
*stands up and raises hand*
You must assume that anyone who doesn't agree with you on politics is simply stupid, and therefore cannot be a Mac-user. How narrow-minded...
To participate in this tragedy your computer must also meet the following tragic specifications:
Internet Explorer 6
Or you can opt out of online filing and complete one of the following:
>Completing a claim form and sending it by US Mail. (Please wait 6-8 weeks for delivery)
>Shooting yourself (Please allow 6-8 nanoseconds for bullet delivery)
The upcoming Katrina 2.0 enhances the disaster experience by mythological proportions:
>Fire
>Locusts
>Lakes of blood
>Frogs
>A greatly expanded FEMA bureaucracy
Get yours today...before it gets you!
Vos teneo officium eram periculosus ut vos recipero is.
Now c'mon guys. It is really nasty to nitpick on FEMA in this moment. So you expect them to make their site cross browser compliant, when there are more important things like saving lives. And I just don't understand how guys here have the time and enthusiasm to check out little things on the site in browsers like Opera. It is a shame really. The site gives a phone number and a place to download IE if you don't have it. So who cares? Is the site really going to cause inconvinience to anyone needing the site?
Besides why don't you guys blame the browsers and W3C to agree on common standards instead of whining about FEMA? Why on earth is Opera so different and offers a crazy way to change the User Agent?
Folks keep blaming Microsoft for adding non-standard extensions to IE. But think about things like XMLHTTPRequest, just because MS saw its use long back today we are experiencing some nice interactive websites. If Firefox had to copy it why didn't they simply make it work the same way it was working in IE? Why their own request and way of handling errors? And what is W3C doing? Why couln't the 100s of "experts" preparing tomes at w3c not anticipate such a simple thing?
This cross-browser is such a unrewarding drain of development time. I wonder how much of combined development time has been spent on this artificially generated problem, solving which provides zero gain to the users.
Explore your creative side
...how many Linux and Mac users do you think you'll find among the flood victims that are most in need of assistance? I can see Firefox users and maybe the oddball Opera user, but that's about it. The FEMA site is likely not employing the most technically adept people to manage their site. They're either outsourcing it to people who use the simplest tools (FrontPage, ColdFusion, etc...) or their in-people are paid low enough that they can't hire enough talent to actually understand how to code for cross-platform compatibility. No matter. This SHOULDN'T be an issue right now because Katrina victims need to be getting help no matter how. Another example... Even though Walmart is the scourge of the Earth, it would probably be stupid of me to turn my nose up at the water they were going to supply if I was a Katrina victim in New Orleans. Can you picture this: "I haven't had clean water to drink in 38 hours, but I'll be damned if I drink water from Walmart just on the principle of the whole thing". How stupid is that? Same thing here with the IE requirement. Pick your battles folks.
-"...bad old ideas look confusingly fresh when they are packaged as technology" - Jaron Lanier (Digital Maoism on Edge.o
I DIDN'T say cell phones work. I said they worked in Central Florida when the hurricane came through.
As to whether they work in NO, I assume they still work in many places. I honestly have no idea, but I was basing an assumption on my past experience.
Why act like an asshole when you respond? How many hurricanes have YOU been through? Right. Thank you for applying a perspective that has no bearing whatsoever.
Sometimes I hate slashdot, specifically because of dickheads like you. Everyone KNEW it was anecdotal evidence, and I NEVER attempted to claim otherwise. Still, you shoot your idiot mouth off and some other idiot mods you insightful. Maybe in the land of imbeciles you are insightful, but here, you're just an asshole.
Which am I, an asshole or a dickhead? Have you just learned to swear? I think you are just taking it personally.
Please, by all means, take your ball and go home. I encourage it.
This comment is guaranteed*
*not guaranteed
Hear Hear!!! This is the first sense I've seen posted on here in forever. I tried to talk sense into people, but it don't work. People are so blind only to what they want to see, who they want to blame. Check out the survivor stories. They KNOW how badly mismanaged their parish and state were... and have been calling for their ousts for years. And WHO has run that state for the last 30 years? Democrats. Oh, and to hear them say it... Black ones. So everyone bitching about race.... look to the BLACK leaders of New Orleans that stood by for 30 years and did jack shit.
Sorry man... the Internet pooped on me.