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All,<br>
<br>
It appears not to work for me either.<br>
<br>
I get results, but the ViewDoc function does not open documents<br>
for me.<br>
<br>
I am using Mozilla 1.7.3 on Mac OS X 10.3.6 .<br>
<br>
--<br>
<br>
As before, it appears that static file names are<br>
still available for many of the documents.<br>
So, for example, one can take the document number from ODS and <br>
use a third party search service (e.g. Google)<br>
as an alternate way of retrieving the document.<br>
<br>
The problem with the old system was that the search<br>
mechanism was very poor and I often resorted to third party search<br>
anyway.<br>
<br>
This does not excuse ODS though. <br>
<br>
--<br>
<br>
We could perform a more thorough -- but quick -- study<br>
and then, if warranted, launch a formal protest.<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
WJM<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
Hervé Le Crosnier wrote:<br>
<blockquote cite="mid41DD0F74.10405@info.unicaen.fr" type="cite">
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<title>[WSIS CS-Plenary] About the UN document system, and lessons
for information diffusion</title>
<p><font size="2">Georg C. F. Greve a écrit :</font>
<br>
<font size="2">> rp> The ODS can be accessed at <a
href="http://documents.un.org" target="_blank">http://documents.un.org</a>.</font>
</p>
<p><font size="2">> I just tried this and had problems actually
getting to the documents,</font>
<br>
<font size="2">> others have reported similar problems with non-IE
browsers on Windows</font>
<br>
<font size="2">> and Macintosh. It appears the site is running on
Microsoft and is</font>
<br>
<font size="2">> using Microsoft-only functions for Javascript.</font>
<br>
<font size="2">> </font>
<br>
<font size="2">> Could someone else please confirm whether this
effect also exists for</font>
<br>
<font size="2">> them or whether this is some odd freak-incident
that I have been</font>
<br>
<font size="2">> seeing?</font>
</p>
<br>
<p> <font size="2">Hello,</font>
</p>
<p> <font size="2">I've also try the UN doc system.</font>
</p>
<p> <font size="2">To me it don't work either...</font>
</p>
<p> <font size="2">This answer is not a technical one</font>
<br>
<font size="2">(though i give technical advice), but rather</font>
<br>
<font size="2">a short insight on the way we have to deal</font>
<br>
<font size="2">with information in the information society.</font>
</p>
<br>
<p> <font size="2">The UN site seems intersting... but what a
poor realisation.</font>
<br>
<font size="2">Ugly style... and more : it don't work.</font>
</p>
<p> <font size="2">Why ?</font>
</p>
<p> <font size="2">Why do they use such a complicated system
only to</font>
<br>
<font size="2">return back the id of the document we need ?</font>
<br>
<font size="2">At the end of this mail is the javascript code
they use...</font>
<br>
<font size="2">it's not useful, but i think it will work with
my Mozilla</font>
<br>
<font size="2">on Linux... So the problem is not that one.</font>
</p>
<p> <font size="2">Where's the problem... that's a good
question. Not only</font>
<br>
<font size="2">a geek one. What are the criterions such a rich
and</font>
<br>
<font size="2">powerful body as UN use to assess an
information system ?</font>
</p>
<p> <font size="2">It works on the developer computer, so it
have to work</font>
<br>
<font size="2">for everyone ?</font>
</p>
<p> <font size="2">So many times international recognized
standards are not in</font>
<br>
<font size="2">use... and more, standard of practice and
programming skills</font>
<br>
<font size="2">are not used by developpers of international
and wide-world</font>
<br>
<font size="2">information systems.</font>
</p>
<p> <font size="2">It's a long way to have head of
administrative</font>
<br>
<font size="2">structures to survey their own systems, and to
be sure</font>
<br>
<font size="2">they work for anyone (from the
visually-impaired to the users</font>
<br>
<font size="2">of others systems). They don't have the
skills... OK,</font>
<br>
<font size="2">that's not their job. But they have to hire
good analysts,</font>
<br>
<font size="2">to provide system-control check lists, have
independant</font>
<br>
<font size="2">watchers (never ask the developper to test his
own system...).</font>
</p>
<p> <font size="2">That's really "information society". As we
go to give more and</font>
<br>
<font size="2">more power to system wide coders, we have to
define new</font>
<br>
<font size="2">skills and practices for assessing those
systems. And that's a</font>
<br>
<font size="2">new kind of "governance", and may be of
"government".</font>
</p>
<p> <font size="2">Free software, as it give the ability to
learn and share</font>
<br>
<font size="2">skills, and the capacity for any nation to
develop it's</font>
<br>
<font size="2">own computer science economy, are a good tool
for this</font>
<br>
<font size="2">new conception of responsability of public
providers of</font>
<br>
<font size="2">information to ensure that any users can get
access and</font>
<br>
<font size="2">have satisfaction with the systems they propose
to the public.</font>
</p>
<p><font size="2">Hervé Le Crosnier</font>
</p>
<p><font size="2">PS : here is the javascript code... the problem is
not there, but</font>
<br>
<font size="2">merely in the retunr asp programm...</font>
</p>
<p> <font size="2">My two cents technical advice :</font>
<br>
<font size="2">Give away Front page, use any front-end</font>
<br>
<font size="2">to the UN database, publish the API to</font>
<br>
<font size="2">access the database (or any other data</font>
<br>
<font size="2">collected system to use)... and in a minute</font>
<br>
<font size="2">tens of programmers will add access to the</font>
<br>
<font size="2">UN documents in their own systems !!!</font>
</p>
<p> <font size="2">Freeing the public national or
international</font>
<br>
<font size="2">documents is not a question of publishing them,</font>
<br>
<font size="2">but of organising the acccess for any
"publisher"</font>
<br>
<font size="2">(private or cooperative, or even other national</font>
<br>
<font size="2">or international bodies) to integrate those
documents</font>
<br>
<font size="2">in their services.</font>
</p>
<p> <font size="2">Look at the way commercial systems as
Amazon</font>
<br>
<font size="2">offer that kind of API, and the massive use</font>
<br>
<font size="2">all over very different kind of web prducers.</font>
</p>
<p> <font size="2">Look at the success of RSS,...</font>
</p>
<p> <font size="2">Yes building information societies is also
a</font>
<br>
<font size="2">problem of opening access to digital documents.</font>
<br>
<font size="2">And we need to teach those who are in charge of</font>
<br>
<font size="2">deciding that it's not a "technical" problem
they</font>
<br>
<font size="2">have to give to a technical staff, but it's also</font>
<br>
<font size="2">a political problem they have to deal with.</font>
</p>
<p> <font size="2">"Code is Law" as say Larry Lessig.</font>
</p>
<p><font size="2">--------------------------------------</font>
<br>
<font size="2"><script language="javascript"></font>
<br>
<font size="2">function Perform(action_name) {</font>
<br>
<font size="2">var form = document.forms[0];</font>
<br>
<font size="2">form.lastevent.value=action_name;</font>
<br>
<font size="2">form.submit();</font>
<br>
<font size="2">return true;</font>
<br>
<font size="2">}</font>
</p>
<p><font size="2">function ViewDoc(index) {</font>
<br>
<font size="2">var form = document.forms[0];</font>
<br>
<font size="2">form.doc2view.value=index;</font>
<br>
<font size="2">form.submit();</font>
<br>
<font size="2">return Perform("results.view");</font>
<br>
<font size="2">}</font>
</p>
<p><font size="2">function Perform1(language){</font>
<br>
<font size="2">var form = document.forms[0];</font>
<br>
<font size="2">form.langchoice.value=language;</font>
<br>
<font size="2">form.submit();</font>
<br>
<font size="2">return Perform('results.lang');</font>
<br>
<font size="2">}</font>
<br>
<font size="2"></script></font>
</p>
<br>
<br>
<p> <br>
<font size="2">_______________________________________________</font>
<br>
<font size="2">Plenary mailing list</font>
<br>
<font size="2"><a class="moz-txt-link-abbreviated" href="mailto:Plenary@wsis-cs.org">Plenary@wsis-cs.org</a></font>
<br>
<font size="2"><a
href="http://mailman.greennet.org.uk/mailman/listinfo/plenary"
target="_blank">http://mailman.greennet.org.uk/mailman/listinfo/plenary</a></font>
</p>
</blockquote>
<br>
<br>
<pre class="moz-signature" cols="100">--
Bill McIver, Ph.D
==
Research Officer | Agent de recherche
e-Government/e-Citizen Group | Groupe de gouvernement Žlectronique/citoyen Žlectronique
National Research Council | Conseil national de recherches Canada
Institute for Information Technology | Institut de technologie de l'information
46 Dineen Drive | 46, promenade Dineen
Fredericton, NB E3B 9W4 Canada | Fredericton, NB E3B 9W4 Canada
E-mail: <a class="moz-txt-link-abbreviated" href="mailto:Bill.McIver@nrc-cnrc.gc.ca">Bill.McIver@nrc-cnrc.gc.ca</a> | Courriel: <a class="moz-txt-link-abbreviated" href="mailto:Bill.McIver@nrc-cnrc.gc.ca">Bill.McIver@nrc-cnrc.gc.ca</a>
==
URL: <a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="http://iit-iti.nrc-cnrc.gc.ca/iit-personnel-iti/e-government-gouvernement-e_e.html">http://iit-iti.nrc-cnrc.gc.ca/iit-personnel-iti/e-government-gouvernement-e_e.html</a>
</pre>
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