Waxing Operatic
Feb. 26th, 2003 11:13 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
ravencallscrowsThis has nothing to do with formal vocal music, and much to do with how i choose to browse the Internet.
I use Opera, and for a handful of reasons. Most importantly, it's because it's a compact, efficient browser which adheres more closely to W3C guidelines than any other available for Windows-based PCs. As such it's a great tool for checking standards compliance in web pages.
Opera's a small, Scandanavian company, which further sets it apart from Microsoft's Internet Explorer and AOL owned Netscape- both US based computing monsters. As the little guy in the market, Opera's developers tend to listen to the users more than their counterparts seem to, and they certainly show none of the blatant arrogance of the Big Two. Opera users get to contribute to the product, too- not necessarily in the open-source sense of the word, but user contributions are decidedly welcomed, and Opera is one of the most translated internet tools available- there are user interface language packs available for the major languages and a handful of the minor ones as well. So, using Opera, i can browse the web not only in Russian or German, but Gàidhlig too, and language packs are also available for such comparably rare languages as Icelandic, Catalan, Welsh and Northern Sami.
And they have a sense of humour as well. Apparently someone at MSN recently decided to deliberately target the Opera users by rendering the MSN page unusable to users of Opera browsers. Here's the text of Opera's response press release:
Opera releases "Bork" edition
The Swedish Chef Goes After Microsoft
Oslo, Norway - Feb 14, 2003
Two weeks ago it was revealed that Microsoft's MSN portal targeted Opera users, by purposely providing them with a broken page. As a reply to MSN's treatment of its users, Opera Software today released a very special Bork edition of its Opera 7 for Windows browser. The Bork edition behaves differently on one Web site: MSN. Users accessing the MSN site will see the page transformed into the language of the famous Swedish Chef from the Muppet Show: Bork, Bork, Bork!
In October 2001, Opera users were blocked from the MSN site. The event caused an uproar among Web users and MSN was forced to change their policy. However, MSN continues a policy of singling out its Opera competitor by specifically instructing Opera to hide content from users.
"Hergee berger snooger bork," says Mary Lambert, product line manager desktop, Opera Software. "This is a joke. However, we are trying to make an important point. The MSN site is sending Opera users what appear to be intentionally distorted pages. The Bork edition illustrates how browsers could also distort content, as the Bork edition does. The real point here is that the success of the Web depends on software and Web site developers behaving well and rising above corporate rivalry."
MSN now allows access to users of Opera 7, but is still targeting and sending users of earlier versions a broken page. This treatment is completely unnecessary, as the page would look the same in Opera as in Microsoft's own Internet Explorer if it had been fed the same information.
"We are working hard to make sure the Opera browser works well on all Web pages, even those that do not follow the Web's standards to the letter," says Hakon Wium Lie, CTO, Opera Software. "But it becomes impossible when we are targeted and fed distorted pages that don't work in any browser. It's like putting a moose in the blender -- a recipe for disaster! Microsoft should clean up their act on MSN and their other Web sites."
For more technical documentation, see the article Why doesn't MSN work with Opera?
Opera 7.01 for Windows in Bork can be downloaded from ftp.opera.com.
About Opera Software
Opera Software ASA is an industry leader in the development of Web browser technology, partnering with companies such as IBM, AMD, Nokia, Macromedia, Symbian, Canal+ Technologies, Ericsson, Sharp Lineo (now Embedix), and MontaVista Software. The Opera browser has received international recognition from users, industry experts and media for being faster, smaller and more standards-compliant than other browsers. Opera's browser technology is cross-platform and modular, targeting the desktop, smartphone, PDA, iTV and vertical markets.
Opera Software ASA is a privately held company headquartered in Oslo, Norway, with development centers in Linköping and Gothenburg, Sweden, and a representative in Austin, TX. Learn more about Opera at www.opera.com
See why i love these guys?
I use Opera, and for a handful of reasons. Most importantly, it's because it's a compact, efficient browser which adheres more closely to W3C guidelines than any other available for Windows-based PCs. As such it's a great tool for checking standards compliance in web pages.
Opera's a small, Scandanavian company, which further sets it apart from Microsoft's Internet Explorer and AOL owned Netscape- both US based computing monsters. As the little guy in the market, Opera's developers tend to listen to the users more than their counterparts seem to, and they certainly show none of the blatant arrogance of the Big Two. Opera users get to contribute to the product, too- not necessarily in the open-source sense of the word, but user contributions are decidedly welcomed, and Opera is one of the most translated internet tools available- there are user interface language packs available for the major languages and a handful of the minor ones as well. So, using Opera, i can browse the web not only in Russian or German, but Gàidhlig too, and language packs are also available for such comparably rare languages as Icelandic, Catalan, Welsh and Northern Sami.
And they have a sense of humour as well. Apparently someone at MSN recently decided to deliberately target the Opera users by rendering the MSN page unusable to users of Opera browsers. Here's the text of Opera's response press release:
Opera releases "Bork" edition
The Swedish Chef Goes After Microsoft
Oslo, Norway - Feb 14, 2003
Two weeks ago it was revealed that Microsoft's MSN portal targeted Opera users, by purposely providing them with a broken page. As a reply to MSN's treatment of its users, Opera Software today released a very special Bork edition of its Opera 7 for Windows browser. The Bork edition behaves differently on one Web site: MSN. Users accessing the MSN site will see the page transformed into the language of the famous Swedish Chef from the Muppet Show: Bork, Bork, Bork!
In October 2001, Opera users were blocked from the MSN site. The event caused an uproar among Web users and MSN was forced to change their policy. However, MSN continues a policy of singling out its Opera competitor by specifically instructing Opera to hide content from users.
"Hergee berger snooger bork," says Mary Lambert, product line manager desktop, Opera Software. "This is a joke. However, we are trying to make an important point. The MSN site is sending Opera users what appear to be intentionally distorted pages. The Bork edition illustrates how browsers could also distort content, as the Bork edition does. The real point here is that the success of the Web depends on software and Web site developers behaving well and rising above corporate rivalry."
MSN now allows access to users of Opera 7, but is still targeting and sending users of earlier versions a broken page. This treatment is completely unnecessary, as the page would look the same in Opera as in Microsoft's own Internet Explorer if it had been fed the same information.
"We are working hard to make sure the Opera browser works well on all Web pages, even those that do not follow the Web's standards to the letter," says Hakon Wium Lie, CTO, Opera Software. "But it becomes impossible when we are targeted and fed distorted pages that don't work in any browser. It's like putting a moose in the blender -- a recipe for disaster! Microsoft should clean up their act on MSN and their other Web sites."
For more technical documentation, see the article Why doesn't MSN work with Opera?
Opera 7.01 for Windows in Bork can be downloaded from ftp.opera.com.
About Opera Software
Opera Software ASA is an industry leader in the development of Web browser technology, partnering with companies such as IBM, AMD, Nokia, Macromedia, Symbian, Canal+ Technologies, Ericsson, Sharp Lineo (now Embedix), and MontaVista Software. The Opera browser has received international recognition from users, industry experts and media for being faster, smaller and more standards-compliant than other browsers. Opera's browser technology is cross-platform and modular, targeting the desktop, smartphone, PDA, iTV and vertical markets.
Opera Software ASA is a privately held company headquartered in Oslo, Norway, with development centers in Linköping and Gothenburg, Sweden, and a representative in Austin, TX. Learn more about Opera at www.opera.com
See why i love these guys?
