Letter Sent: Action Against JEE Board

[A. Mani]

Thanks for all the suggestions. The final version mailed is as below.
An online petition may also be put up.
The file mentioned is at : https://www.dropbox.com/sh/6ngqqhaqdhxhrmi/hzySjAOeDQ

_______________________________________________________

To,
The Executive Director
Joint Entrance Examination Unit
Central Board of Secondary Education,
F.I.E, 482, Patparganj, Industrial Area,
Delhi-110092.

AND

Related Personnel of CBSE.


Sub. Main JEE site is discriminatory, non standards compliant and
excludes non-IE Users

Dear Sir/Madam,

I am writing on behalf of the following Free
Software groups* based in India.

We notice with dismay that the main JEE website
(http://jeemain.nic.in/jeemain2013/Welcome.aspx ) excludes all those
who use standards compliant browsers like Firefox and Google Chrome
and makes the use of Microsoft Internet Explorer mandatory.

The attached file documents the problem with handling admit cards on
the site with non IE browsers.

This practice of favoring Microsoft preferentially (despite its
anti-freedom machinations, technical incompetence, noncompliance with
standards and dwindling user-base (see [6]-[8] and related links))
suggests many things. Also any browser-specific 'lock-in' is a direct
violation of clause 7.6 (b) of 'Guidelines for Indian Government
Websites' (http://darpg.nic.in/darpgwebsite_cms/Document/file/Guidelines_for_Government_websites.pdf
).

"It is a MUST that Indian Government websites are tested for multiple
browsers and versions of browser, operating systems, connection
speeds, and screen resolution to ensure access by all"

We (and all other honest people) will be pleased if you will take
appropriate remedial action in this regard.

Thank and Regards

A. Mani

(On Behalf of the following FOSS Organizations)

*
[1] Kolkata GNU/Linux Users Group
http://www.ilug-cal.info
http://www.iglug-cal.org

[2] Free Software Movement of India
http://www.fsmi.in

[3] Free Software Foundation of India
http://www.fsfi.org

[4] FOSS Community Network of India
http://fosscomm.in/

[5] ILUG-Chennai
http://www.ilugc.in

___________________________________

[6] http://en.windows7sins.org/
[7] http://www.reddit.com/r/ragecomics/comments/11c1t1/internet_explorer_rfunny_said_i_should_post_it/c6lbhu2
[8] http://techrights.org/wiki/index.php/Microsoft_influence_in_the_Indian_government
[9] http://techrights.org/wiki/index.php/Companies_That_Harm_Software_Freedom

___________________________________________





Best

A. Mani


--
A. Mani
CU, ASL, AMS, CLC, CMS
http://www.logicamani.in

[Narendra Sisodiya]

2013/3/15 A. Mani <a.man...@gmail.com>

Thanks for all the suggestions. The final version mailed is as below.
An online petition may also be put up.
The file mentioned is at : https://www.dropbox.com/sh/6ngqqhaqdhxhrmi/hzySjAOeDQ

Please Add my name in the list of person who support this.

[Debasish Ray Chawdhuri]

My name too

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--
Debasish Ray Chawdhuri
http://www.geekyarticles.com/
[A collection of advanced articles on java]

[G.T.RAO]

Greetings,

Add my name in the list of person who support this.

G.T.RAO

http://fossyatra.wordpress.com
mobile:07737031761
लिनक्स: नि:शुल्क और खुले स्रोत सॉफ्टवेयर आप के लिए और दुनिया के लिए अच्छा है. ना कोई adware,ना कोई spyware, सिर्फ अच्छा सॉफ्टवेयर.
Linux(લિનક્ષ ): મુક્ત અને નિઃશુલ્ક(મફત) ઓપન સોર્સ સોફ્ટવેર તમારા માટે અને વિશ્વ માટે સારું છે. ના કોઈ એડવેર , ના કોઈ  સ્પાયવેર, માત્ર સારું સોફ્ટવેર.

[Peeyush Chandel]

Please add my name also.

[Tushar Maroo]

Please add my name also.

Regards
Tushar Maroo | Student at JECRC Foundation
Blog:Coder2's Blog | Twitter: tusharmaroo | Linkedin: Tushar Maroo | Facebook:Tushar Maroo
M: +91-9571640968 | Alternate mail: tusharma...@jecrc.ac.in

[nikhilesh meshram]

Add my name after removing the word "honest" from the letter.

[Supreet Sethi]

On Fri, Mar 15, 2013 at 10:04 PM, A. Mani <a.man...@gmail.com> wrote:

Thanks for all the suggestions. The final version mailed is as below.
An online petition may also be put up.
The file mentioned is at : https://www.dropbox.com/sh/6ngqqhaqdhxhrmi/hzySjAOeDQ

I just could not help but put my media studies hat and pick some issues with the register of the Letter. I will attempt to humbly suggest a reformat stated below. I would not suggest naming a company, but a technology stack. Since JEE board may not be doing purposeful bias. It may just reflect a general trend. Also suggesting such change without suggesting direction of change may entail just removal of "only Microsoft" and not other modifications. I have marked changes with **.

Also we should do a media campaign by doing a audit of all government websites.

To,
The Executive Director
Joint Entrance Examination Unit
Central Board of Secondary Education,
F.I.E, 482, Patparganj, Industrial Area,
Delhi-110092.

AND

Related Personnel of CBSE.


Sub. Main JEE site is discriminatory, non standards compliant and
excludes non-IE Users

Dear Sir/Madam,

                   I am writing on behalf of the following Free Software groups* based in India and **also as technically savvy representative of general public **.

We notice with dismay that the main JEE website (http://jeemain.nic.in/jeemain2013/Welcome.aspx ) excludes **majority of people from painlessly using your website. As the authoritative statistics (http://www.w3schools.com/browsers/browsers_stats.asp) suggest  Google Chrome forms close to 50% users reach-out to view the site. Several of them use mobile phones as well. By applying a policy of supporting Microsoft Internet Explorer, JEE board is taking up an elitist view how the website is consumed.**


**To illustrate an example**, there is an attached file documents with the problem of handling admit cards on the site with non IE browsers.

This practice of favouring one company and one platform preferentially despite its dwindling user base suggests deeper bias. Also any browser-specific 'lock-in' is a direct violation of clause 7.6 (b) of 'Guidelines for Indian Government Websites' (http://darpg.nic.in/darpgwebsite_cms/Document/file/Guidelines_for_Government_websites.pdf
).

To quote:

"It is a MUST that Indian Government websites are tested for multiple
browsers and versions of browser, operating systems, connection
speeds, and screen resolution to ensure access by all"

We as representative of general public will be pleased if you will take appropriate remedial action in this regard. **We suggest http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Responsive_web_design as a good starting point for design website such that it works on desktop and mobile phones seem-lessly**

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--
Supreet Sethi
Ph IN: +919811143517
Ph Skype: d_j_i_n_n
Profile: http://www.google.com/profiles/supreet.sethi
Twt: http://twitter.com/djinn

[gajendra khanna]

Just saw this. The letter can be written in a better way still in my opinion.

[A. Mani]

On Wed, Mar 20, 2013 at 10:30 AM, Supreet Sethi <supree...@gmail.com> wrote:
>
>
> On Fri, Mar 15, 2013 at 10:04 PM, A. Mani <a.man...@gmail.com> wrote:
>>
>> Thanks for all the suggestions. The final version mailed is as below.
>> An online petition may also be put up.
>> The file mentioned is at :
>> https://www.dropbox.com/sh/6ngqqhaqdhxhrmi/hzySjAOeDQ
>>
>
> I just could not help but put my media studies hat and pick some issues with
> the register of the Letter. I will attempt to humbly suggest a reformat
> stated below. I would not suggest naming a company, but a technology stack.
> Since JEE board may not be doing purposeful bias. It may just reflect a
> general trend. Also suggesting such change without suggesting direction of
> change may entail just removal of "only Microsoft" and not other
> modifications. I have marked changes with **.
>

I do not think the letter suggests that. It clearly mentions the
anti-freedom part.
Only a very naive reader in IT will do that kind of interpretation.

> Also we should do a media campaign by doing a audit of all government
> websites.
>
>
>

<snip>

>
> Sub. Main JEE site is discriminatory, non standards compliant and
> excludes non-IE Users
>
> Dear Sir/Madam,
>
> I am writing on behalf of the following Free Software
> groups* based in India and **also as technically savvy representative of
> general public **.

We are not writing for half-baked *technically savvy* persons :)

>
> We notice with dismay that the main JEE website
> (http://jeemain.nic.in/jeemain2013/Welcome.aspx ) excludes **majority of
> people from painlessly using your website. As the authoritative statistics
> (http://www.w3schools.com/browsers/browsers_stats.asp) suggest Google
> Chrome forms close to 50% users reach-out to view the site. Several of them
> use mobile phones as well. By applying a policy of supporting Microsoft
> Internet Explorer, JEE board is taking up an elitist view how the website is
> consumed.**

Where is the *elitism* in M$ IE?
It is a backward mess from all points of view except for *Marketing*.

IT people are usually not illiterate.

>
>
> We as representative of general public will be pleased if you will take
> appropriate remedial action in this regard. **We suggest
> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Responsive_web_design as a good starting point
> for design website such that it works on desktop and mobile phones
> seem-lessly**

In summary, your suggested modifications do not appear to be appropriate.