[plug] Re: ATO: Linux ECI version request

[Peter Wright]

On 06/03 00:09:14, Peter J. Nicol wrote:
> >  BTW does anyone know of a work around for this?
> >
> >  Does it work with WINE?
> 
> This is a bloody good question, imnsho ...
> 
> I can understand developers writing progs in VB ... its quick and
[ snip ]

You know what the saddest, most pathetic, most embarrasingly stupid
detail about this is?

The ATO's ECI client is written in _Java_.

Yes, that's right. Java. As in, a platform in itself. Write once, run
anywhere. Not quite an open standard, but there's plenty of good-enough
Java Virtual Machine (JVM) implementations, even at least one
open-source one. And the "official" Sun JVM is even available for
Linux/x86.

However, the ATO didn't write it[0] in Sun's Java, oh no no no. They used
Microsoft's _perversion_ of Java. You know, the one that was made with
"extra functionality" in a deliberate attempt to "embrace and extend"
the Java platform? The one that they lost a court battle (with Sun)
over? The one that Microsoft are no longer developing at all and will
soon be prevented from distributing?

Yep. That one. To the point that the ATO had to do a "port" to produce
a version that ran on Macintosh systems[1].

If the last US court decision on this case that I heard about is
upheld (I think MS is appealing it), I understand Microsoft will be
forced to distribute Sun's JVM instead of their own (even though MS
had _already_ removed their own JVM from their OS in an attempt to
further discourage Java) with their operating system(s) in future.
I even heard a theory that MS might be forced to add Sun's JVM to
future "service packs" for their _existing_ operating systems.

There's just so many ways this could go really badly for the ATO.
I really hope they get their act together sometime this decade and
release a cleaned-up version that runs on the official Sun JVM.
Perhaps the next company to which they outsource production of
critical software won't be such a complete bunch of incompetent
tossers.

...I would _so_ like to find the manager at the ATO responsible for
this cock-up and "explain" a few things to him with a few heavy Java
manuals (preferably hardcover so it'll do more damage to his/her
excuse for a head).


Argh.

Pete.

[0] Or have it written, as it's probably likely that they hired some
external idiopeople to develop it.

[1] I don't know if Microsoft's perversion of Java extends to the Mac
- ah no, apparently not - on the "required" list for the Mac version:
"Apple's Macintosh Runtime for Java (MRJ) 2.2. (MRJ 2.2.4 is
recommended.)". And in case any of you Mac OSX fans were wondering -
nope, you're out of luck: "Mac OS X is not yet supported. We are
currently evaluating the feasibility of releasing a Max OS X native
version." Yeah right. Bollocks you are.

So as far as Mac "support" goes, they only support a Macintosh
operating system THAT APPLE DOESN'T EVEN SELL ANYMORE.

See http://eci.ato.gov.au/Download/downloadMac.htm for the above
quotes.

-- 
http://akira.apana.org.au/~pete/
If at first you don't succeed, try management.