But that's address by having correct procedures, not by avoiding text voting. Besides which, most people have text packages which are either unlimited or are 2000+ texts a month. If something went wrong with their text vote it would have cost them all of 1p at most. Somehow I think mostpeople couldn't care less about 1p.
The packages generally don't include shortcode text numbers, which is what they used to use, these would at best be charged at the std. network rate, sometimes more. The shortdial numbers they used tonight were around the same cost. As well as network congestion, in some cases the texts needed to include a name or word, which some people would misspell, leading to their vote not being counted.
Besides which, there are two situations on TV where common sense should tell anyone that flashing lights are likely-live concerts and news programmes.
Actually, in news, unless we're showing something happening live where it's not reasonably forseeable there'll be flashing images, we MUST put warnings out when we're going to show a news report containing flashing images that are outside pre-determined safe limits. Those warnings must also be at least 10 seconds before the offending images.
Read my post again. I'm well aware of photo-sensitive epilepsy. My point is that UK citizens with epilepsy are hardly in more need of a warning that any other country.
Besides which, there are two situations on TV where common sense should tell anyone that flashing lights are likely-live concerts and news programmes.
I would have thought a single warning at the start of the programme would suffice personally but maybe not.
Actually, in news, unless we're showing something happening live where it's not reasonably forseeable there'll be flashing images, we MUST put warnings out when we're going to show a news report containing flashing images that are outside pre-determined safe limits. Those warnings must also be at least 10 seconds before the offending images.
I recognise they are the rules. My point is that, given that just about every night there is something in the news that involves people walking past a line of journalists and photographers and so lots of flashing lights, the rules need to reflect a common sense level of when it can be reasonable anticipated anyway.
As with many other things it needs to come back to a principle of, if most other countries don't have an equivilent requirement then it is probably over the top.
Well, even though all the phone votes were presumably all counted, we still gave Austria all the points despite the phone votes picking Poland as the winner!
Comments
Ummm. No it isn't,
Yes it is.
Otherwise, best keep it on all through in case someone tunes in just after it goes off before a new song starts.
The packages generally don't include shortcode text numbers, which is what they used to use, these would at best be charged at the std. network rate, sometimes more. The shortdial numbers they used tonight were around the same cost. As well as network congestion, in some cases the texts needed to include a name or word, which some people would misspell, leading to their vote not being counted.
If you misspell something surely that's your own responsibility if your vote doesn't get counted. Its no one else's fault.
Actually, in news, unless we're showing something happening live where it's not reasonably forseeable there'll be flashing images, we MUST put warnings out when we're going to show a news report containing flashing images that are outside pre-determined safe limits. Those warnings must also be at least 10 seconds before the offending images.
It probably IS a problem in other countries but they and the EBU don't seem bothered that a lot of votes probably end up not getting counted.
I would have thought a single warning at the start of the programme would suffice personally but maybe not.
I recognise they are the rules. My point is that, given that just about every night there is something in the news that involves people walking past a line of journalists and photographers and so lots of flashing lights, the rules need to reflect a common sense level of when it can be reasonable anticipated anyway.
As with many other things it needs to come back to a principle of, if most other countries don't have an equivilent requirement then it is probably over the top.
And so even though the EBU are OK with the approach Ofcom think they know better.