(See this follow up article: Guess What? Fox News is Responsive to the Linux Community.)
This will be a short web log post. Try to view the Video page at foxnews.com from a Linux system using any browser and see what happens. http://www.foxnews.com/video/index.html
I see these results. The first is Firefox on Linux the second is Opera on Linux.
Up until recently there was no problem viewing video content on Fox News Video web pages. Apparently some Microsoft and Apple Only types have taken over the video content pages for Fox News. I for one would appreciate it if these large organizations would stop trying to pretend that Microsoft and Apple are the only games in town.
Please alert each person you know in the Linux community to take action and send foxnews.com polite messages or make polite phone calls about this. We are likely to get more results being polite than trying to rip off their heads and puke down their bleeding necks. Here is how to contact them:
- Phone calls in the USA: 1-888-369-4762
- E-mail from anywhere: foxnewsonline@foxnews.com
I have already sent my e-mail:
To: foxnewsonline@foxnews.com
Date: 04/25/08 11:52 pm
Dear Fox News Online,
I am seriously disappointed that you choose to deny me access to your video
content because I only use Linux operating systems. Please change to a video
format that will work across all operating systems and most web browsers.
There are proper ways to do this and you were doing it well in the past. But
you choose to do otherwise. I appreciate your working to make it where all in
the Linux community will once again be able to view your video content. Thank
you for fixing it as I am sure you will.
Oh yes, I have a web log article about it. I have included this message there:
http://blog.eracc.com/2008/04/25/does-foxnewscom-hate-linux-users/
Gene
--
Micro$oft - Convicted Monopolist, restrictive licenses, limited choice
GNU/Linux - No monopoly possible, Open Source, FREE, lots of choices
Use GNU/Linux - http://www.distrowatch.com/ (I like Mandriva)
http://www.eracc.com/ - Linux preloaded computers
Edit Sat Apr 26 06:21:12 UTC 2008: It appears I am not the only one to notice this and I am a bit late to the game: Fox News Videos at MozillaZine Forums
Heh, it appears I did not proof-read my message well. I meant to say “But now you choose to do otherwise.”. Oh well, I think they will get the gist of what I meant.
a current fix is to simply install the user agent switcher extension and spoof your agent as IE7
Thanks for the comment. Someone following this at tuxmachines.org said to use User Agent Swticher (UAS) see http://www.tuxmachines.org/node/26277. I already know about UAS and have used it when absolutely necessary. However, in this case the Fox News Video site did work with my browsers without using UAS which is Linux friendly. Now it requires “Windows 2000, Windows XP, Windows XP Media Center 2005, Mac OSX 10.3 or Mac OSX 10.4 is required to view this page” which is decidedly not Linux friendly. I’d rather they be Linux friendly and so ask the Linux community to help me do something about it.
Actually, UAS is not a fix but is instead a bandage over the problem. The problem being web sites that check for specific operating systems or specific browsers and deny access based on the results. For one thing, requiring an operating system to view a web site is just wrong. Web sites should be operating system indifferent. Checking for a browser is a bit more understandable but even then all content can be made to work with the Big Three, Firefox, IE and Opera.
[...] Source: ERACC [...]
[...] Sure enough, they won’t serve up video to Linux based computers.? I got the low down from The ERACC Web Log. [...]
It?s Fox news; I?d say not letting linux users watch is doing them a favour.
But seriously, I ask, why? Not actively supporting linux users (by, say, using WMVs or something) is one thing; but they’ve actively blocked linux users from a website that otherwise linux friendly? WTF?
(BTW, @Gene: The third in the ‘big three’ would be safari [source]; but you should really support all four.)
PJ, thank you for the comment. Yes, I forget about Safari as I am not an Apple guy. I’ll try to remember that next time.
Funny, that. Yet somehow, Firefox on Linux using a user agent switcher (‘faking it’ as IE7 Vista) and the page loads and videos play with no problem. Hrmm… I detect the foul stench of a*****e page admins…
My latest message to Fox News:
Dear Fox News Online,
Perhaps you already know this. But now the article on my web log about how you deny access to your Video page for Linux users has had over 21,200 reads since I posted it less than two days ago. Many people from Digg.com have shown up to read this. Apparently this article has touched a nerve in the online community. It appears you need to have a chat with your subcontractor that provides your video content feeds.
Gene