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FEMA Demands Use of IE To File Online Katrina Claims

Posted by Zonk on from the small-but-annoying-details dept.

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.

5 of 1,165 comments (clear)

  1. Re:You knew it was coming... by 1u3hr · · Score: 0, Offtopic
    ot only a Mac-using Bush voter, but the editor of Slashdot's Mac section and and activist in the GOP.

    And now any email I send to daddypants@slashdot.org to point out errors somehow is routed to him and bounces back with a very annoying message

    <chris.nandor@osdn.com>:
    12.152.184.162 failed after I sent the message.
    Remote host said: 550 This message scored 13.9 points. Congratulations!
    Have I been singled out or is this more general?
  2. Re:You knew it was coming... by NMerriam · · Score: 0, Offtopic

    You must assume...

    Interesting how you took a fairly innocuous joke (based on the stereotype of the hippie flower-power mac user) and managed to make all sorts of assumptions about the writer's politics, and then insult him based on those incorrect assumptions.

    Who is the stupid, narrow-minded one again?

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    Recursive: Adj. See Recursive.
  3. Re:You knew it was coming... by NMerriam · · Score: 0, Offtopic

    I find it fascinating from a psychological point of view that he gave you the option of being called rich or stupid, and he even opined that you were rich, but you chose to believe anyways that you were being called stupid.

    I hope that some day you can work through this issue you have with your self-image.

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    Recursive: Adj. See Recursive.
  4. Re:You knew it was coming... by aardwolf64 · · Score: 0, Offtopic
    1) Stupid and Ignorant (includes religious morons)
    2) Rich Greedy Bastards who are getting a kick back out of this corrupt administration.
    I find it fascinating that you don't see a problem with only allowing a person to fall into one of two categories. As someone who is neither "stupid" nor a "rich greedy bastard", I must be a paradox.
  5. Re:You knew it was coming... by NMerriam · · Score: 0, Offtopic

    Yeah, but the "correct" answer of course would be to say up front that you were neither, that it was a false choice.

    But you didn't do that, you just went with stupid and argued against that, even though he specifically suggested you were NOT stupid.

    It just stood out to me, because it's the same thing you did earlier in the thread -- latched on to the word "stupid" and got defensive about it in particular, not even noticing that the context was clearly NOT accusing you of being stupid.

    I mean, seriously, what would you think if you had a friend who was constantly saying things like "I DON'T have a small penis!" even though nobody had suggested that was the case?

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    Recursive: Adj. See Recursive.