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
Misanthrope-
Misanthrope a self-imposed name? “Malaprop” would be more true to life. Let me quote you: “The flaw in this [Referee’s] reasoning is self-evident. Authority to defend oneself flows from the individual right to life. There is no ‘group’ right to life.”
Do you understand the flaw in your own reasoning? “Individual right to life . . . no ‘group’ right to life.”?! WTF is a ‘Right’? Absent ‘group’, or ‘culture’, or ‘society’, the term ‘Right’ is without meaning. Your all-too-obvious lack of study/understanding in philosopy and logic implies that you live in a Hobbesian state of nature, a “war of all against all”. Perhaps being w/o friends in junior high or high school is like that (Are you 16? You sound 16. Such ‘ressentiment’ in your voice).
You read and you write- your reading/writing (poor though they are) are the result of your GRANTED RIGHTS within OUR culture, your RIGHT to education.
You post here, in a forum, that celebrates Apple- a company run by a man whose politics are at the left-end of American culture. Even if corporate contributions to our world in no way go beyond monetary growth (and, by God they do!), does it bother/disgust you that Apple’s stock has STOMPED on the Fortune500 because its CEO values both ‘man’ and aesthetics, and not merely himself for his own sake?
There’s hope for a society that rewards such work. There’s hope for you- go to college.
“The responsibility,” of government, Churchill told the British Parliament “for the public safety is absolute and requires no mandate. It is in fact, the prime object for which governments come into existence.”
Remember, “We the People …
The People – not just windows users
The People – not just the skinny ones
The People – not just the healthy ones
The People – not just the rich ones
The People – not just the smart ones
The People – not just the white ones
You would think ProLife would include all The People.
To all those who agreed with the MDN take on hurricanes this should nnot be an issue, surely the Mac users only have themselves to blame for their situation and they should stop complaining and take responsibility for the situation and buy a PC like everyone else. Loosers.