Web accessibility (likely TID)

[Bernard Robertson-Dunn]

Carl.Makin@ipaustralia.gov.au wrote:

> I'm constantly fighting a battle here to stop the intranet and internet web
> development being done solely for internet explorer and win95, these being
> the "standards" since all Macs were forcibly ejected from the organisation
> a few years ago.
> 
> Since you are only supposed to have win95 and ie on your machine here I'm
> constantly finding web pages and development projects that will only be
> usable by that combination. (I test using netscape from FreeBSD and a Mac
> from home)
> 
> This seems to be happening more often as the wintel monoply tightens its
> reins around Australian Government.

Standards - Hmmm.

I seem to remember the Government being really interested in using
standards to solve their interoperability problems a few years ago. 
The term GOSIP seems to ring a bell.

I wonder what happened to GOSIP.

Oh. Look what I found. An email from a certain ex OGIT officer - 

> Thu, 20 Nov 1997
> Have seen you question on the status of GOSIP. The GOSIP mandate is
> still formally on the statute book but the policy has not been applied
> over the past three years or so. The intention was to include its
> removal from the statute book to coincide with submission of the
> "blueprint" to Government. For a number of reasons the completion of the
> "blueprint" has been delayed hence the hiatus in formal removal, however
> for all practical purposes it ia no,longer applicable.

(sic all grammer and speling misteaks)

I'm not sure whether the public service is ignoring the government's
wishes (it WAS the previous government) or if this government has no
regard for due process.

Just don't hold your breath for standards from the current bunch.

-- 
The main thing men use their computers for is to talk to other men
about their computers.
-- George Hackett.

Regards
brd

Bernard Robertson-Dunn
Canberra Australia
brd@dynamite.com.au