[WSIS CS-Plenary] About the UN document system, and lessons for information diffusion

[Andy Carvin]

Not sure if anyone has mentioned this aspect already, but the site fails 
even the most basic Web accessibility standards for the disabled (the 
W3C WAI standard). They don't even provide ALT tags for the graphics on 
the homepage.

http://bobby.watchfire.com/bobby/bobbyServlet?URL=http%3A%2F%2Fdocuments.un.org&gl=wcag1-aaa&test=

If this had been a US govt site, it would have also failed to pass the 
Section 508 guidelines required by law to make all government sites have 
rudimentary accessibility.

http://bobby.watchfire.com/bobby/bobbyServlet?URL=http%3A%2F%2Fdocuments.un.org&gl=sec508&test=

ac

Rik Panganiban wrote:
> Thanks everyone for your detailed feedback on the ODS system. I am in 
> touch with some United Nations folks about this, who are also concerned 
> about the non-compatibility of the code. Indeed it would be strange if 
> the UN did not comply with internationally-accepted standards.
> 
> Rik Panganiban
> 
> On Jan 6, 2005, at 5:14 AM, 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>
> 
> 
> 
> ===============================================
> RIK PANGANIBAN Communications Coordinator
> Conference of NGOs in Consultative Relationship with the United Nations 
> (CONGO)
> web: http://www.ngocongo.org
> email: rik.panganiban at ngocongo.org
> mobile: (+1) 917-710-5524
> 
> ** Please note CONGO's new mailing address: *CP 50, 1211 Genéve 20, 
> Switzerland.*  Our physical office address is 11, Avenue De La Paix, 1st 
> Floor, 1202 Genéve, Switzerland. **
> 

-- 
-----------------------------------
Andy Carvin
Program Director
EDC Center for Media & Community
acarvin @ edc . org
http://www.digitaldivide.net
http://www.tsunami-info.org
Blog: http://www.andycarvin.com
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