Because of proprietary codecs (compression and decompression formats) it can be hard for Linux users — especially those who don’t want to steal the codecs, or even those who do but lack the technical acumen and patience — to enjoy the multimedia goodies the Internet provides. There is a very good open source codec, but few content providers (apart from Linux and free-and-open-source-software podcasts) use it. My hope lies in Wikipedia, because they do use it and provide instructions for non-Linux users to add this capacity. The format seems to be more popular among South Korean portable audio players, along with the more familiar MP3 format, so as these compete with Apple, we may see more content.
But most people, myself included, just want services to work. And, to my amazement, the Canadian Broadcasting Company’s radio3 — transmitted by satellite and online — just started up when I browsed to it. Great new Canadian music. Enjoy!
