On Tuesday, September 6th, we posted an article “FEMA: Mac users drop dead – Hurricane Katrina online assistance site is Windows only,” which explained that FEMA’s online aid application for hurricane survivors worked only on Windows PCs with Internet Explorer. At the time, we commented that this was “more short-sighted Windows-only bullshit from the U.S government.”
Many other websites also reported the story and it looks like it has made something of a difference.
FEMA updated their online FAQ on “Monday, 09-Sep-2005” which, of course is impossible, unless you’re part of the government. Maybe that’s why some of these government agencies botched the hurricane relief efforts? The simple lack of a common calendar?
Anyway, FEMA explains that they are now, as of “Monday, 09-Sep-2005” presumably, “in the process of modifying the application so that it will be available to additional browsers.” How long that will take is anybody’s guess, especially since the boys and girls at FEMA seem to have their own totally unique calendar, but we cynically tend to believe support for non-IE browsers will be later rather than sooner. Still, we suppose one can always hope.
Related articles:
Macs need not apply for use on UK Parliament network – September 12, 2005
FEMA: Mac users drop dead – Hurricane Katrina online assistance site is Windows only – September 07, 2005
World Wide Web Consortium objects to US Copyright Office’s Internet Explorer-only browser plan – August 25, 2005
U.S. Copyright Office: Use only the world’s most insecure browser to secure your copyright – August 17, 2005
U.S. Copyright Office: is it okay if our new website only works with Internet Explorer? – August 11, 2005