Online Newspapers Do Something Right For A Change

from the tell-AP-to-shove-it dept

Earlier this month, the Associated Press launched a streaming video offering for its partner newspapers, so they could offer video on their websites. There was just one problem: it only worked on Microsoft IE on Windows. While Microsoft still has the majority of the browser market share, that's still an odd decision. Firefox and other browsers do have enough marketshare to matter at this point, especially among early adopters and the type of people you'd want to watch the video. The same is true of the Mac community. This raised a lot of discussion online, and it appears that at least one newspaper company has turned down the AP until they figure out how to make the service cross-platform compatible. It's nice to see a newspaper willing to stand up for its users -- as this seems like the type of story that could just generate a lot of discussion, without the newspapers actually doing anything, leaving the AP to stick with it's Windows IE-only policy.
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  • identicon
    paperchick, 30 Mar 2006 @ 4:16pm

    considering...

    most papers use macs to do their design work, why on earth would the AP offer something only available on windows machines?

    ~first-ever first post!~

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Darwin, 30 Mar 2006 @ 4:32pm

    Quit complaining

    Yes, IE is the most used browser out there. So it make perfect sense that they would FIRST offer usability to this browser. Common, I like MAC and firefox as well, but you can't expect them to release it to a mutiplatform base without having some production time first.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 30 Mar 2006 @ 4:45pm

    If they built it right in the first place, it wouldn't make any difference which browser was used. If you build an website or web-based tool for a single platform or browser, you are missing a key point of the Internet.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    ZOMG CENSORED, 30 Mar 2006 @ 5:24pm

    IE Tabs for Firefox

    Just get that extension and you don't really have to worry about this "problem". Most savvy "Foxers" already have it installed and aren't stopped by such minor hiccups.

    However, with that said. A good designer designs for all platforms not just one, so that a maximum amount of accessibility can be reached.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    fishbane, 30 Mar 2006 @ 5:43pm

    If they built it right in the first place, it wouldn't make any difference which browser was used.

    You neglect to consider that there might be business deal involved.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 30 Mar 2006 @ 6:24pm

    Probably because firefuks and the other browsers suck. MS rules!

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Concerned Mac user, 30 Mar 2006 @ 6:57pm

    AP shows they suck

    AP sucks why would an intelligent PC/Mac user want to read their drival anyway?

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Tech, 30 Mar 2006 @ 7:01pm

    That's the AP for you.

    This is par for the course for the AP. When they came out with their pciture service, on the web, it ws the same way. After about 2 years, it could be used on other platforms and with other browsers. They promise to get a service out by a certain date and NEVER make that date. This is the result. I am surprised, though, that a newspaper would not take the service. They must not be on the board of directors, or low on the list of meber newspapers. AP is run BY it's membership which is mainly newspapers.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Roger Harkness, 30 Mar 2006 @ 7:14pm

    I Use Linux

    As much as we used to put down Real Player, now that I have Linux I wish everyone chose to stream in Real Player because Quicktime and Windows media player doesn't work in Linux, at least not streaming, but Real Player Works.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 30 Mar 2006 @ 7:22pm

    Linux sucks too. Get a real life, PUNK!

    link to this | view in chronology ]

    • identicon
      Anonymous Coward, 31 Mar 2006 @ 5:26am

      Re:

      yay, same flamebait! Mommy says to put the computer down, you have a big day tomorrow!

      link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Jason Frank, 30 Mar 2006 @ 8:19pm

    What is the point

    of the flaming, get back on topic.

    Anyway, Macs do have an available IE for them. In which case, that would give a much broader audience access.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Svensk, 30 Mar 2006 @ 8:26pm

    Client-server

    If it only plays for one web client it is a client-server application, not a website.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    discojohnson, 30 Mar 2006 @ 8:51pm

    FTA, "'The issue isn’t Microsoft’s business practices,' he wrote. 'The issue is a decision by Associated Press that the immediacy of revenue from Microsoft’s ad network is more important than the fact that X percent of people using AP member sites will not be able to view its product (at least, not initially). When we [at Network World] decided on a video platform, we went with Flash because of the cross-browser compatibility. But we have a dedicated sales staff (in a niche market) so we didn’t face the revenue issues described by AP. Our first advertiser? Microsoft.'

    that is exactly why it's an IE based product. this forum is finished.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    A Funny Guy / The Poison Pen, 30 Mar 2006 @ 10:39pm

    You people have come up with some of the craziest shit i have ever heard.....

    Bottom line there needs to be a web based lauguage that works the same in any browser. That would bring standarization to the broswer world and this crap would not keep happening

    link to this | view in chronology ]

    • identicon
      Agonizing Fury, 31 Mar 2006 @ 6:16am

      Re:Sarcasm

      Bottom line there needs to be a web based lauguage that works the same in any browser. That would bring standarization to the broswer world and this crap would not keep happening

      I hope that was meant to be sarcastic remark ~Agonizing Fury

      link to this | view in chronology ]


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