[luau] Announcing BrowserAdvocacy project

[Warren Togami]

http://videl.ics.hawaii.edu/mailman/listinfo/browseradvocacy
BrowserAdvocacy project discusses issues facing the adoption of
alternative web browsers - mainly dealing with sites that choose to
reject visitors based upon user agent for no valid technical reason.

Web browser rejection is among the main factors preventing adoption of
alternate web browsers.  Most of the time this rejection is completely
artificial, caused by ignorance in the web designer that other web
browsers do exist and are of high quality.  In any of these cases, when
people try to visit and they are told "Upgrade to Internet Explorer",
they immediately have a negative impression of alternate web browsers
(and Linux as a desktop.)

This project is an attempt to improve this situation at various sites on
the Internet through education and advocacy campaigns.  We will organize
polite letter writing and phone call campaigns educating sites and
designers as to why they should support alternate web browsers.
Additionally we will organize educational articles to post at various
news sites introducing new users to the benefits of alternate browsers,
like the speed and pop-up protection of Mozilla, Galeon or Opera.  We
will prioritize our efforts toward larger sites that offer critical or
popular services, and eventually work our way toward smaller sites.

I have already had success with convincing First Hawaiian Bank Online
http://www.fhb.com to allow Mozilla into their new online site launching
September 22nd.  This is one example of a "critical" site, making Linux
and alternate web browsers inconvenient if you use online banking at
this bank.

Like usual I am taking on too many projects myself, so I would really
appreciate if it some people would volunteer to help organize this
project.  We mainly need content writers and a webmaster.  The following
content will need to be written:

* Project Home Page
* Mailing List Policy
* Status Board - showing current status of all sites identified for
targeted advocacy
* Documentation
** Why is this a problem? (discrimination, etc.)?
** How to identify problem sites?
** Sample letters to web designers
** Article introducing the benefits of Mozilla to new people

Please let me know if you can help this project.

Thanks,
Warren Togami
warren at togami.com
Mid-Pacific Linux Users Group
http://www.mplug.org
Browser Advocacy Project
http://videl.ics.hawaii.edu/mailman/listinfo/browseradvocacy