[WSIS CS-Plenary] About the UN document system, and lessons for
i nformation diffusion
Bill McIver
Bill.McIver at nrc-cnrc.gc.ca
Thu Jan 6 11:54:31 GMT 2005
All,
It appears not to work for me either.
I get results, but the ViewDoc function does not open documents
for me.
I am using Mozilla 1.7.3 on Mac OS X 10.3.6 .
--
As before, it appears that static file names are
still available for many of the documents.
So, for example, one can take the document number from ODS and
use a third party search service (e.g. Google)
as an alternate way of retrieving the document.
The problem with the old system was that the search
mechanism was very poor and I often resorted to third party search
anyway.
This does not excuse ODS though.
--
We could perform a more thorough -- but quick -- study
and then, if warranted, launch a formal protest.
WJM
Hervé Le Crosnier wrote:
> Georg C. F. Greve a écrit :
> > rp> The ODS can be accessed at http://documents.un.org.
>
> > I just tried this and had problems actually getting to the documents,
> > others have reported similar problems with non-IE browsers on Windows
> > and Macintosh. It appears the site is running on Microsoft and is
> > using Microsoft-only functions for Javascript.
> >
> > Could someone else please confirm whether this effect also exists for
> > them or whether this is some odd freak-incident that I have been
> > seeing?
>
>
> Hello,
>
> I've also try the UN doc system.
>
> To me it don't work either...
>
> This answer is not a technical one
> (though i give technical advice), but rather
> a short insight on the way we have to deal
> with information in the information society.
>
>
> The UN site seems intersting... but what a poor realisation.
> Ugly style... and more : it don't work.
>
> Why ?
>
> Why do they use such a complicated system only to
> return back the id of the document we need ?
> At the end of this mail is the javascript code they use...
> it's not useful, but i think it will work with my Mozilla
> on Linux... So the problem is not that one.
>
> Where's the problem... that's a good question. Not only
> a geek one. What are the criterions such a rich and
> powerful body as UN use to assess an information system ?
>
> It works on the developer computer, so it have to work
> for everyone ?
>
> So many times international recognized standards are not in
> use... and more, standard of practice and programming skills
> are not used by developpers of international and wide-world
> information systems.
>
> It's a long way to have head of administrative
> structures to survey their own systems, and to be sure
> they work for anyone (from the visually-impaired to the users
> of others systems). They don't have the skills... OK,
> that's not their job. But they have to hire good analysts,
> to provide system-control check lists, have independant
> watchers (never ask the developper to test his own system...).
>
> That's really "information society". As we go to give more and
> more power to system wide coders, we have to define new
> skills and practices for assessing those systems. And that's a
> new kind of "governance", and may be of "government".
>
> Free software, as it give the ability to learn and share
> skills, and the capacity for any nation to develop it's
> own computer science economy, are a good tool for this
> new conception of responsability of public providers of
> information to ensure that any users can get access and
> have satisfaction with the systems they propose to the public.
>
> Hervé Le Crosnier
>
> PS : here is the javascript code... the problem is not there, but
> merely in the retunr asp programm...
>
> My two cents technical advice :
> Give away Front page, use any front-end
> to the UN database, publish the API to
> access the database (or any other data
> collected system to use)... and in a minute
> tens of programmers will add access to the
> UN documents in their own systems !!!
>
> Freeing the public national or international
> documents is not a question of publishing them,
> but of organising the acccess for any "publisher"
> (private or cooperative, or even other national
> or international bodies) to integrate those documents
> in their services.
>
> Look at the way commercial systems as Amazon
> offer that kind of API, and the massive use
> all over very different kind of web prducers.
>
> Look at the success of RSS,...
>
> Yes building information societies is also a
> problem of opening access to digital documents.
> And we need to teach those who are in charge of
> deciding that it's not a "technical" problem they
> have to give to a technical staff, but it's also
> a political problem they have to deal with.
>
> "Code is Law" as say Larry Lessig.
>
> --------------------------------------
> <script language="javascript">
> function Perform(action_name) {
> var form = document.forms[0];
> form.lastevent.value=action_name;
> form.submit();
> return true;
> }
>
> function ViewDoc(index) {
> var form = document.forms[0];
> form.doc2view.value=index;
> form.submit();
> return Perform("results.view");
> }
>
> function Perform1(language){
> var form = document.forms[0];
> form.langchoice.value=language;
> form.submit();
> return Perform('results.lang');
> }
> </script>
>
>
>
>
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>
--
Bill McIver, Ph.D
==
Research Officer | Agent de recherche
e-Government/e-Citizen Group | Groupe de gouvernement ?lectronique/citoyen ?lectronique
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: Bill.McIver at nrc-cnrc.gc.ca | Courriel: Bill.McIver at nrc-cnrc.gc.ca
==
URL: http://iit-iti.nrc-cnrc.gc.ca/iit-personnel-iti/e-government-gouvernement-e_e.html
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