<br><font size=2 face="sans-serif">Hi, </font>
<br>
<br><font size=2 face="sans-serif">The ODS site works without any problem with a browser like "Fast Browser". </font>
<br>
<br><font size=2 face="sans-serif">You can download it from : http://www.fastbrowser.net/download.html</font>
<br><font size=2 face="sans-serif">More on "Fast Browser" on: http://www.fastbrowser.net/index.html</font>
<br>
<br><font size=2 face="sans-serif">Kouraich</font>
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<br>
<br>
<br>
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<td><font size=1 face="sans-serif"><b>Ramin Kaweh</b></font>
<p><font size=1 face="sans-serif">06.01.2005 14:54</font>
<br>
<td><font size=1 face="Arial"> </font>
<br><font size=1 face="sans-serif"> To: Kouraich Jaouahdou/GVA/UNCTAD@UNCTAD-NOTES</font>
<br><font size=1 face="sans-serif"> cc: </font>
<br><font size=1 face="sans-serif"> Subject: Fw: [WSIS CS-Plenary] About the UN document system, and lessons for information diffusion</font></table>
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<br><font size=2 face="sans-serif"><br>
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *<br>
Ramin Kaweh<br>
Programme Officer<br>
UN-NGLS (Non-Governmental Liaison Service)<br>
Palais des Nations<br>
1211 Geneva 10<br>
Switzerland<br>
tel: 0041.22. 917 2078<br>
fax: 0041.22. 917 0432<br>
ramin.kaweh@unctad.org<br>
www.un-ngls.org<br>
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * <br>
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<br>
</font>
<br><font size=1 color=#800080 face="sans-serif">----- Forwarded by Ramin Kaweh/GVA/UNCTAD on 06.01.2005 14:54 -----</font>
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<td><font size=1 face="sans-serif"><b>Andy Carvin <acarvin@edc.org></b></font>
<br><font size=1 face="sans-serif">Sent by: plenary-admin@wsis-cs.org</font>
<p><font size=1 face="sans-serif">06.01.2005 14:35</font>
<br><font size=1 face="sans-serif">Please respond to plenary</font>
<td><font size=1 face="Arial"> </font>
<br><font size=1 face="sans-serif"> To: plenary@wsis-cs.org</font>
<br><font size=1 face="sans-serif"> cc: </font>
<br><font size=1 face="sans-serif"> Subject: Re: [WSIS CS-Plenary] About the UN document system, and lessons for information diffusion</font></table>
<br>
<br>
<br><font size=2><tt>Not sure if anyone has mentioned this aspect already, but the site fails <br>
even the most basic Web accessibility standards for the disabled (the <br>
W3C WAI standard). They don't even provide ALT tags for the graphics on <br>
the homepage.<br>
<br>
http://bobby.watchfire.com/bobby/bobbyServlet?URL=http%3A%2F%2Fdocuments.un.org&gl=wcag1-aaa&test=<br>
<br>
If this had been a US govt site, it would have also failed to pass the <br>
Section 508 guidelines required by law to make all government sites have <br>
rudimentary accessibility.<br>
<br>
http://bobby.watchfire.com/bobby/bobbyServlet?URL=http%3A%2F%2Fdocuments.un.org&gl=sec508&test=<br>
<br>
ac<br>
<br>
Rik Panganiban wrote:<br>
> Thanks everyone for your detailed feedback on the ODS system. I am in <br>
> touch with some United Nations folks about this, who are also concerned <br>
> about the non-compatibility of the code. Indeed it would be strange if <br>
> the UN did not comply with internationally-accepted standards.<br>
> <br>
> Rik Panganiban<br>
> <br>
> On Jan 6, 2005, at 5:14 AM, Hervé Le Crosnier wrote:<br>
> <br>
> Georg C. F. Greve a écrit :<br>
> <br>
> rp> The ODS can be accessed at http://documents.un.org.<br>
> <br>
> <br>
> I just tried this and had problems actually getting to the<br>
> documents,<br>
> others have reported similar problems with non-IE browsers on<br>
> Windows<br>
> and Macintosh. It appears the site is running on Microsoft and is<br>
> using Microsoft-only functions for Javascript.<br>
> Could someone else please confirm whether this effect also<br>
> exists for<br>
> them or whether this is some odd freak-incident that I have been<br>
> seeing?<br>
> <br>
> <br>
> <br>
> Hello,<br>
> <br>
> I've also try the UN doc system.<br>
> <br>
> To me it don't work either...<br>
> <br>
> This answer is not a technical one<br>
> (though i give technical advice), but rather<br>
> a short insight on the way we have to deal<br>
> with information in the information society.<br>
> <br>
> <br>
> The UN site seems intersting... but what a poor realisation.<br>
> Ugly style... and more : it don't work.<br>
> <br>
> Why ?<br>
> <br>
> Why do they use such a complicated system only to<br>
> return back the id of the document we need ?<br>
> At the end of this mail is the javascript code they use...<br>
> it's not useful, but i think it will work with my Mozilla<br>
> on Linux... So the problem is not that one.<br>
> <br>
> Where's the problem... that's a good question. Not only<br>
> a geek one. What are the criterions such a rich and<br>
> powerful body as UN use to assess an information system ?<br>
> <br>
> It works on the developer computer, so it have to work<br>
> for everyone ?<br>
> <br>
> So many times international recognized standards are not in<br>
> use... and more, standard of practice and programming skills<br>
> are not used by developpers of international and wide-world<br>
> information systems.<br>
> <br>
> It's a long way to have head of administrative<br>
> structures to survey their own systems, and to be sure<br>
> they work for anyone (from the visually-impaired to the users<br>
> of others systems). They don't have the skills... OK,<br>
> that's not their job. But they have to hire good analysts,<br>
> to provide system-control check lists, have independant<br>
> watchers (never ask the developper to test his own system...).<br>
> <br>
> That's really "information society". As we go to give more and<br>
> more power to system wide coders, we have to define new<br>
> skills and practices for assessing those systems. And that's a<br>
> new kind of "governance", and may be of "government".<br>
> <br>
> Free software, as it give the ability to learn and share<br>
> skills, and the capacity for any nation to develop it's<br>
> own computer science economy, are a good tool for this<br>
> new conception of responsability of public providers of<br>
> information to ensure that any users can get access and<br>
> have satisfaction with the systems they propose to the public.<br>
> <br>
> Hervé Le Crosnier<br>
> <br>
> PS : here is the javascript code... the problem is not there, but<br>
> merely in the retunr asp programm...<br>
> <br>
> My two cents technical advice :<br>
> Give away Front page, use any front-end<br>
> to the UN database, publish the API to<br>
> access the database (or any other data<br>
> collected system to use)... and in a minute<br>
> tens of programmers will add access to the<br>
> UN documents in their own systems !!!<br>
> <br>
> Freeing the public national or international<br>
> documents is not a question of publishing them,<br>
> but of organising the acccess for any "publisher"<br>
> (private or cooperative, or even other national<br>
> or international bodies) to integrate those documents<br>
> in their services.<br>
> <br>
> Look at the way commercial systems as Amazon<br>
> offer that kind of API, and the massive use<br>
> all over very different kind of web prducers.<br>
> <br>
> Look at the success of RSS,...<br>
> <br>
> Yes building information societies is also a<br>
> problem of opening access to digital documents.<br>
> And we need to teach those who are in charge of<br>
> deciding that it's not a "technical" problem they<br>
> have to give to a technical staff, but it's also<br>
> a political problem they have to deal with.<br>
> <br>
> "Code is Law" as say Larry Lessig.<br>
> <br>
> --------------------------------------<br>
> <script language="javascript"><br>
> function Perform(action_name) {<br>
> var form = document.forms[0];<br>
> form.lastevent.value=action_name;<br>
> form.submit();<br>
> return true;<br>
> }<br>
> <br>
> function ViewDoc(index) {<br>
> var form = document.forms[0];<br>
> form.doc2view.value=index;<br>
> form.submit();<br>
> return Perform("results.view");<br>
> }<br>
> <br>
> function Perform1(language){<br>
> var form = document.forms[0];<br>
> form.langchoice.value=language;<br>
> form.submit();<br>
> return Perform('results.lang');<br>
> }<br>
> </script><br>
> <br>
> <br>
> <br>
> ===============================================<br>
> RIK PANGANIBAN Communications Coordinator<br>
> Conference of NGOs in Consultative Relationship with the United Nations <br>
> (CONGO)<br>
> web: http://www.ngocongo.org<br>
> email: rik.panganiban@ngocongo.org<br>
> mobile: (+1) 917-710-5524<br>
> <br>
> ** Please note CONGO's new mailing address: *CP 50, 1211 Genéve 20, <br>
> Switzerland.* Our physical office address is 11, Avenue De La Paix, 1st <br>
> Floor, 1202 Genéve, Switzerland. **<br>
> <br>
<br>
-- <br>
-----------------------------------<br>
Andy Carvin<br>
Program Director<br>
EDC Center for Media & Community<br>
acarvin @ edc . org<br>
http://www.digitaldivide.net<br>
http://www.tsunami-info.org<br>
Blog: http://www.andycarvin.com<br>
-----------------------------------<br>
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</tt></font>
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<br>