FEMA site requires IE 6.0 to file for aid

Post by **Apoptosis** » Tue Sep 06, 2005 10:55 pm

FEMA site requires IE 6.0 to file for aid

Imagine living through Hurricane Katrina and finding out that you can file for aid online only to find out that you must use IE 6 on the US governments FEMA site. We heard rumors that Macintosh, Linux, and Mozilla users could not fill out the forums on the FEMA site and when we looked for ourselves we found it to be true. Below is an image of page we were directed to when we tried to register when we didn't use Internet Explorer 6:

At this time, LR suggests that non-Windows users register for assistance by calling call FEMA directly at 1-800-621-FEMA (1-800-621-3362) or for the hearing/speech impaired at TTY: 1-800-462-7585.

It turns out that to make a claim with the Federal Emergency Management Agency's Individual Assistance Center, your Web browser must be Microsoft’s Internet Explorer 6 or higher and you must have JavaScript enabled. It even says so right on the page itself. One problem: IE6 isn't available for Macintosh or Linux computers.

Source: MSNBC

sbohdan · Post by **sbohdan** » Wed Sep 07, 2005 5:19 am

heck I wouldn't be using IE no matter what 'cause its just to easy to get viruses and spyware through it. I even erased the icon from the desktop and from start menu so my friends or siblings coudn't use it even if they wanted to. how can they make such a stupid restriction?! FEMA is supposed to be there to be helping people. its like when your car breaks down on the highway and when the towing truck comes, the driver just shrugs his shoulder and tells you he won't tow your car 'cause it's not a GM...

Nobahar · Post by **Nobahar** » Mon Sep 26, 2005 6:19 pm

It's relatively easy to make websites not specifically formatted to any browser type, the government is Microsoft's bitch.

-mogwai · Post by **-mogwai** » Mon Sep 26, 2005 6:27 pm

or vice versa

Nobahar · Post by **Nobahar** » Mon Sep 26, 2005 11:51 pm

The one with less money is the other person's bitch- and I believe the gov has negative a trillion some in debt-

killswitch83 · Post by **killswitch83** » Tue Sep 27, 2005 8:08 pm

maybe they switch who gets to be on top

lol

OgreMustCrush · Post by **OgreMustCrush** » Sun Oct 02, 2005 12:03 am

According to what I've read, and some poking around with opera of my own, as long as your browser refers as IE6 it works just fine. Seems pretty stupid for them to be restricting then. I don't really understand why they would restrict this anyway. Even if they were Microsoft's eh, lewd woman, I don't understand how Microsoft could gain. I mean, you can't exactly buy Windows when you can't buy food, now can you.

killswitch83 · Post by **killswitch83** » Sun Oct 02, 2005 12:05 am

the site admin for FEMA must've been too cheap to code the commands necessary to support multiple browsers, at least that's my best bet.