-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE-----
Hash: SHA1

Russell Brown wrote:

> I suppose I could use the IE plugin for FF. C&B I think uses IE by
> default. 

It isn't even that well designed.

Rule 1 for programmers: do not make assumptions.

(A good programmer looks both ways when crossing a one way street)



C&B uses the default web browser according to the operating system.

The assumption that we - the well known banker-citizens of the UK - paid
for to be built into this distributed system is that the default web
browser is IE6.

Microsoft, that well-known supplier of industry unstandard software then
changed it by introducing a new version of IE.  Who could have predicted
that?  (To be fair, it is the fault of Mozilla, and of Opera, as MS
would probably have ignored web browsers forever had they not realised
that there was a better one being used than theirs.)


The system calls that launch C&B, and the "internet shortcuts" that
launch the browser version direct can trivially easily be made to
specify the application "internet explorer" that is called to run the
file in question, but that may have been a more abstracted level of
thought than was available.

Rule 2 for programmers: always abstract to the maximum feasible degree.

If that had been done, then although keeping up with the security and
functionality improvements that require "part of the operating system
your honor" to be replaced  - IE6 by IE7 - would still result in a new
job for the suppliers, not a part of the original contract, and
negotiated from not a position of strength and choice... - nobody would
care what the default browser was.

The revenue consequences of thse decisions are so significant that for
someone involved in buying these things to go into employment with
someone involved in selling them must be a matter that causes them
considerable thought and worry over whether their desire to better
themselves and drive forward the future of informatics by developing
their marketing careers could be misinterpreted by cynical and jaded
observers with contrary agendas.

Fortunately everyone involved is more even more honest than they are
competent, and above any such petty suspicions.


On another matter, the benefits of a public service pension over a
private sector one are looking less certain this decade, and it may well
be every man for himself for all of us soon.
-----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE-----
Version: GnuPG v1.4.9 (GNU/Linux)
Comment: Using GnuPG with Mozilla - http://enigmail.mozdev.org

iEYEARECAAYFAkkwS4wACgkQb80am9d/StepdACbBCLgGa4oVH29F2I/SrYXS1NT
GSMAoIwMLgI+X4A/0BGPbTdp9H7AelDl
=Z81Y
-----END PGP SIGNATURE-----