New Website

[Mark Rogers]

On 17 July 2013 09:22, Square Penguin <hello at squarepenguin.co.uk 
<mailto:hello at squarepenguin.co.uk>> wrote:

    The implied sentiment (one you are not necessarily making but others are)
    that new users should be discouraged so that the old timers can continue
    to enjoy the spoils is, frankly, repellent. get_iplayer is a free (in all
    senses) and open source tool created for everyone to use. Respecting that,
    and the BBC's usage terms, is at the core of its use.


Sadly, I was initially guilty of this sentiment, although I recognised it and 
came to the same conclusion: making it hard for people to use just because I 
am able to use it (and somehow that might protect a tool I use from attack) is 
unfair on others.

GiP should do everything it can to be a legitimate alternative to the 
"official" tools, at least in spirit if not fully matching the BBC T's & C's. 
The BBC should recognise the demand for such a tool, and I'd even go so far as 
to say they should actively assist at a technical level where it would be 
useful (eg in terms of documentation or improvements to APIs), or at the very 
least not discourage capable BBC staff from contributing to what is a valuable 
open source tool. I have no idea what official position the BBC has on GiP (if 
any) but given the money it can apparently spend on software development 
without getting anywhere it should embrace FOSS wholeheartedly. The BBC isn't 
just a supplier to me as a UK citizen but it is part "owned" by me as a 
licence payer too.

However, whatever the bureaucratic issues at the BBC, limiting access to the 
tool to "techies" so that I might be able to continue to use it for longer is 
just not a fair solution.

I agree with others that changing the domain and logo would be no bad thing 
but the basic idea of providing useful information about a useful tool to a 
wider audience is the baby that should not get thrown out with the bathwater.

Mark

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