5 loaves, 2 fischers

Riaan Cruywagen has been reading the news on television since it...

Fri, 21 Nov 2008 10:23:16 +0200

Riaan Cruywagen has been reading the news on television since it arrived in South Africa in 1976. He prides himself in the nickname “The face of news in South Africa” and his record of the longest serving Afrikaans news reader in the world. In the context of South Africa’s spectacular transformation to democracy, Riaan explains how his professional ethics have kept him in the news reader’s seat.

Boycott Novell Protesters Man-handled at National Conference on Free Software 2008

Sun, 16 Nov 2008 17:53:44 +0200

Non Free Software is Bad, Boys and Girls.

http://playingwithsid.blogspot.com/2008/11/boycott-novell-protesters-man-handled.html

Peace, Love and Bad Request (Invalid Hostname)

Mon, 10 Nov 2008 11:07:44 +0200

People are weird sometimes. Very Weird.

When I started www.digitalapartheid.com, I really wanted it to be a peaceful “demonstartion” of people who are concerned about Browser Rights, the Freedom to access Information and the Freedom of Movement.

However, what has been happening lately, is unacceptable, people are “attacking” the IEC website, I’m not sure what this is suppose to achieve but as someone pointed out to me, it’s doing more Harm than Good, people that use Open Source are generally mild mannered, intelectual and democartic.

Don’t resolve to Digital Anarchy, because of what has happened, we have to thank the IEC for addressing the Problem. Share the Love and maybe a Hug.

Kudos Colin.

UDM's response on www.elections.org.za

Mon, 10 Nov 2008 09:48:53 +0200

Dear Mr Fischer

Recent media reports stated that the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC)
website is not coping with the number of South Africans trying find out if
they are registered or where their closest registration point is. Problem
one is connecting to the site: “I have Internet Explorer, but get the
following error message when I logon: Internet Explorer cannot display the
webpage. No matter how many times I refresh… I’ve given up.”

Problem two; the IEC’s website’s exclusion of non-Internet Explorer users.
That is: “I, for instance, choose to use open source software… and I can’t
even access the IEC’s site! Why do I even try? They don’t take me (the
voter) seriously, why should I take them seriously.”

The UDM believes in transparency, dissemination of and access to
information. The IEC should pull its socks up! The Electoral Commission’s
Act, in Chapter 2, has spelled out the IEC’s responsibilities. In the same
chapter, paragraph 5) 2) b) it very specifically legally obliges the
Commission to “establish and maintain the necessary facilities for
collecting and disseminating information regarding electoral matters.” The
IEC is simply reneging on its responsibility.

We know that the internet is one of the quickest and best resources to
access information. One of the problems facing us this coming election is
voter apathy especially amongst young South Africans, who certainly must be
one of the biggest internet user-groups. The IEC must make accessing
election information and voter education consumer friendly; they cannot
discriminate based on your browser.

The IEC has a responsibility to ensure that all South African Internet users
can access the Commission’s site (at all times) irrespective of browser,
bandwidth or connection device.

Ms Jana Warffemius
UDM Webmaster

Digital Apartheid

Wed, 05 Nov 2008 12:32:43 +0200

I started www.digitalapartheid.com, in response to the IEC website that doesn’t support Firefox.

The issue is much Bigger than you think …

The website does not comply to Open Standards
The website only works on Microsoft Internet Explorer
The website only works on Microsoft Windows

The Website excludes the Following people

People that use Firefox, Safari and Opera
People that use Operating Systems like Mac OS X, FreeBSD, Linux and Solaris
People that only access the Web via their Cellphones

People can’t use the Website that They have paid for.

So … like I said there and I’ll say again :
If the website http://www.elections.org.za/ does not work in Mozilla
Firefox, I would be strongly motivated to give up my constitutional right
to vote. Fellow South Africans who fought in the struggle would have died
in vain if I can’t fulfill this right. They died so that I could live in a
Free and Democratic South Africa, not in a South Africa governed by Digital
Apartheid.

Election website campaign grows

Tue, 04 Nov 2008 16:57:03 +0200

Election website campaign grows: The campaign to demand that the South Africa’s Independent Electoral Commission makes its website available to all Internet users gained momentum today with the launch of the No Firefox! No Vote!”…

The Twins, they are growing up before our eyes!

Tue, 04 Nov 2008 15:29:00 +0200

The Twins, they are growing up before our eyes!

It’s Twins! yesterday we went for our second scan, Guess...

Wed, 22 Oct 2008 09:08:13 +0200

It’s Twins! yesterday we went for our second scan, Guess what ? Yes, it’s Twins we are so happy and excited!

"There once was a message to test; Repeated unto being a pest; While marked to ignore; It was seen..."

Tue, 21 Oct 2008 11:03:00 +0200

“There once was a message to test; Repeated unto being a pest; While marked to ignore; It was seen more and more; Until other begged, ‘Give it a rest!”

- Darrin Chandler, in a January 29th, 2008 message on the OpenBSD -misc mailing list.

PC-BSD 7 and iTunes 7.7

Mon, 20 Oct 2008 15:01:41 +0200

PC-BSD 7 and iTunes 7.7

PC-BSD 7 with GNOME 2.22.3 (PBI)

Fri, 03 Oct 2008 14:26:00 +0300

PC-BSD 7 with GNOME 2.22.3 (PBI)

Meet Baby Fischer, here Baby is 5 Weeks and 5 Days old.

Wed, 24 Sep 2008 13:31:30 +0300

Meet Baby Fischer, here Baby is 5 Weeks and 5 Days old.

Hello Baby

Fri, 12 Sep 2008 15:44:32 +0300

Last week Friday, Carina phoned me, 5 times, I was on the bike so I couldn’t hear it, my first thoughts was it’s her car. I was surprised to find out that we where and still are pregnant. This is interesting and we are very excited. I heard a few comments thatfrom people that say congratulations, oh wait it’s just gonna be another mac user :D
And so another Chapter in our lives is starting. Cool.

I’m excited, the OSS Migration is gonna rock this Country!

Tue, 02 Sep 2008 16:16:34 +0300

I’m excited, the OSS Migration is gonna rock this Country!

Chrome, Google Browser

Tue, 02 Sep 2008 07:16:16 +0300

Chrome, Google Browser: Cheeze, another browser, I’m sure that it’s not necessary a bad thing.

But this just brings up the whole Webkit / Gecko debate again ?

Well I guess Apple is smiling and it is Open Source.

Install PC-BSD 7.0 Fibonacci in 3 Minutes

Tue, 19 Aug 2008 15:39:39 +0300

Install PC-BSD 7.0 Fibonacci in 3 Minutes

"Live as if your were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever."

Tue, 05 Aug 2008 07:28:26 +0300

“Live as if your were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever.”

- Mahatma Gandhi

Black Coffee

Wed, 30 Jul 2008 08:16:17 +0300

So here is a scenario, I like drinking coffee, at work, we have this magical Machine that makes coffee, It Grinds beans, adds milk and sugar. It’s got a very usable front end for Managing you Coffee making Experience.It’s got all the flavours Cappuccino, Espresso maker, Hot Chocolate, Everything, All the Bells and Whistles.So I was standing of this dispenser of Legalised Hot Pure Drug, and I notice a 24 Hour Support Number on it.

It gets me thinking … it’s a Coffee Machine. Come on. Get real. Surely I can just use the Kettle, Boil my own water for my coffee, add sugar with a spoon. Stir. Drink and Enjoy. I can measure exactly what I want with the spoon, luckily most
teaspoons are standard. I know what my taste is. I can make it exactly how I like it.

This is in stark contrast to Coffee Machine, sure it’s convenient but when it’s broken you have to phone support. You have to use a Key to unlock the Machine to change the settings, and then everybody drinks Coffee the way “you” like it.

Why am I ranting on Coffee ? This makes me think that using Open Source for stuff is just better, Sure it’s gonna take a bit more effort but everything I need is interchangeable. I’m not locked into one teaspoon, If the Kettle is Broken I can replace it. If the Sugar is finished I can use other Sugar without opening a Machine with a Key.

Maybe this is the way I should evaluate Collaboration Software?

Ah the Joys of Automating People ....

Tue, 22 Jul 2008 11:50:53 +0300

Oops! i did it again … I replaced you with a Script …. You are an Automater Action ….

Oops! You broke my heart … I replaced you a Computer how does that make you feel …

Oops! I did it again with a Code Snippit … Oh Please just zippit …

you are killing me … it’s not compatible with w3c …

Independent Electoral Commission - IE Only! Aren’t they...

Fri, 18 Jul 2008 17:54:25 +0300

Independent Electoral Commission - IE Only!

Aren’t they suppose to be the Protectors of our Democracy ?