More Ofcom fun

[Major Catastrophe]

My first ever licence expired last month. Nothing has come through the post so I tried to registeronline, but it said that I they would have to send me a user ID before I could go any further, so I abandoned the session and didn't record anything, such as the password.

The letter arrived and the user ID was my name, so why did they have to send it to me by post when as far as I can tell, everybody's user ID is their name?

I recall that I used my usual password, and capitalised the first letter and added four familair numbers, but it doesn't work.

For a new user, the site is not easy and unless you know where to go it can take ages to find the correct page.

 

[BrendanS]

Experienced web users won't have a problem with the site, though it is challenging to non experienced users from all the accounts on the ybw forums in general

They handled the whole situation badly, as they reissued what they were going to do so many times, in bad English, that even experts here were arguing about what the final result would be.

 

[Powersalt]

well I have applied on line for and got a new licence but the site wont let me print it. So its no use to me at all.

 

[BrendanS]

If you are using IE7, there is a known problem with the browser, and the FAQ's on the site have the answer.

If you can't find it holler, and one of use will get the link for you

 

[Solitaire]

[ QUOTE ]


Could that have been a random one,

[/ QUOTE ]

Can't see why I should have been singled out! Ofcom chased me at least 3 times by phone if I recall.

 

[lovezoo]

[ QUOTE ]
Experienced web users won't have a problem with the site, though it is challenging to non experienced users from all the accounts on the ybw forums in general


[/ QUOTE ]
Well I'm an experienced web user and I think the site is terrible. Its difficult to use and the registration process is overly complex - if you've got to wait for something in the post to log-on, it defeats the object of doing it online. They may as well send you the form to fill in and forget about the website.

In short, not well designed and seemingly untested before going live.

 

[timbartlett]

Essentially, All Ofcom are doing is allowing us to print out a standard document. There is no need for all this password and username nonsense at all, other than to perpetuate the myth that the old licence was something more than a mere money-grubbing scam. But even if they want to keep a record of who has downloaded the document, It's still an unnecessary hassle. And even if they've now fixed it (have they?) there can be no excuse for producing a website that forced Internet Explorer users to install a different browser before they could collect their licences.

 

[Hurricane]

[ QUOTE ]
If you are using IE7, there is a known problem with the browser, and the FAQ's on the site have the answer.

If you can't find it holler, and one of use will get the link for you

[/ QUOTE ]

Here's the link to the post on how to print using IE7
Print Licence using IE7

Mike

 

[timbartlett]

I did mine months ago. The information on the Ofcom site was useless ... it just wasted a lot more of my time, before I solved the problem for myself by downloading and installing a new browser.
But that isn't the point. Internet Explorer is the world's most popular browser. To produce a website for public use that has known compatibility problems with IE smacks either of a very high level of incompetence or of a hidden agenda.
And I'm afraid it is typical of the arrogance of government bodies that Ofcom creates a problem and then expects everyone else to work around it.

 

[VicS]

[ QUOTE ]
To produce a website for public use that has known compatibility problems with IE smacks either of a very high level of incompetence or of a hidden agenda.
And I'm afraid it is typical of the arrogance of government bodies that Ofcom creates a problem and then expects everyone else to work around it.


[/ QUOTE ]
You are being totally unfair in making those comments. The software used for this was written before IE7 came upon the scene and the licences can be down loaded using IE6 withot any problems. You cannot expect any software company to have foreseen that when Microsoft produced IE7 they would change the default security settings from the previous version. This change by Microsoft is the cause of the problem. In no way are Ofcom to blame for this, neither is the software provider. It was not a "known incompatibility" until IE7 came into use and users discovered it. No way can you accurately say that Ofcom created the problem.

Ofcom are not arrogantly expecing users to work round this. Credit should in fact go them for speedily publishing detailed instructions explaining to people how they should change their security setting in IE7. Although if they knew how to use their operating system properly they should have been able to do it for themselves without any help.

You really should establish the true facts before you start making wild accusations of this nature.

I am not going to claim that the software Ofcom is using is good, far from it, but it does work. It does do what is says on the tin, and I succesfully applied for and downloaded a licence within the first few weeks of the introduction of the "new system"

 

[Hurricane]

[ QUOTE ]
You are being totally unfair in making those comments. The software used for this was written before IE7 came upon the scene and the licences can be down loaded using IE6 withot any problems. You cannot expect any software company to have foreseen that when Microsoft produced IE7 they would change the default security settings from the previous version. This change by Microsoft is the cause of the problem. In no way are Ofcom to blame for this, neither is the software provider. It was not a "known incompatibility" until IE7 came into use and users discovered it. No way can you accurately say that Ofcom created the problem.

Ofcom are not arrogantly expecing users to work round this. Credit should in fact go them for speedily publishing detailed instructions explaining to people how they should change their security setting in IE7. Although if they knew how to use their operating system properly they should have been able to do it for themselves without any help.

You really should establish the true facts before you start making wild accusations of this nature.

I am not going to claim that the software Ofcom is using is good, far from it, but it does work. It does do what is says on the tin, and I succesfully applied for and downloaded a licence within the first few weeks of the introduction of the "new system"


[/ QUOTE ]

I dont agree with you.
Have you tried to use the site.
It's probably the most unintiative site I know - before you start considering IE7. When I registered, I seem to remember that the site opened several windows and it was impossible to know if my registration had been succesfull - I just had to wait and see if they sent me anything - they did but I wasnt sure even then and the password system is so obscure. I know some people here have found it ok but others havent and I think the site needs a complete rewrite and made user friendly.

And on the IE7 point - I bank and use dozens of secure internet sites - not one of them had a problem when I moved to IE7.

 

[rich]

I got mine,,,,,,,,,,,, /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

 

[VicS]

[ QUOTE ]
I dont agree with you.
Have you tried to use the site.


[/ QUOTE ]

You don't agree with me! You havent even read my post properly. If you had, instead of just quoting it back at me, you would seen that the final sentence concludes, "I succesfully applied for and downloaded a licence within the first few weeks of the introduction of the new system". So yes I have tried and successfully used the site. In fact I have since revisited the site to add aditional equipment and to apply for a portable (T number) licence.

Registration was, as far as I remeber, quite straight forward, and I was sensible enough not to forget my password while waiting for the User ID to arrive. The combination of uppercase lowercase and numerals was a bit odd I must admit.

There were a couple of things about the application form that had me guessing. One was what to put in a mandatory field requesting "gross tonnage" for an unregistered vessel. I entered the displacement but I have since been advised by Ofcom that an estimate of the gross tonnage is acceptable. The other was how to proceed from the last page. Having clicked on "next" all the way through it was not immediately apparent that "save licence details" was the way forward from there.

I do not understand much about the technicalities of software, indeed my computing skills are around the "survival" level but I undersatnd there are different ways in which the programme could have functioned at the downloading stage. In the event the sytem choosen worked perfecty well with the OS commonly in use at the time, namely IE6, and it was entirely because Microsoft set different default security levels for IE7 that any problems arose.

In fact other forumites have found that other operating systems do not have a problem with the Ofcom form. The problems are entirely due to the changes MS made between IE6 and IE7 . The security setting in question is that allowing down loading of files. In IE6 it was set to "enable" in IE 7 the default is "disable" but is so easy to change, even for a computerphobe like me. It's got nothing to do with secure banking sites and boasting about the number you use cuts no ice with me. I use two. One because it is an online only account and the other only when I have to. Both are a pain in the butt as far as I am concerned.

Earlier in the thread there was criticism of a registration system that required a user ID to be sent by post.

I think the reason for that is that licences are only issued to UK residents and the closest that Ofcom could get to ensuring that that requirement was met without making the sytem horrendously complex was to ask for a UK address that the ID could be sent to. No UK address, no ID so no licence.

I dont diasgree though that the software Ofcom have bought is poor and far from the most user friendly around but I expect most people have bought some commodity during their lifetime that has not come up to expectations. Maybe one day there will be a version 2 but by then everyone will have got used to the present one and there will be complaints about changing it, just as there are every time the forum software is updated!

 

[Hurricane]

ooooo - I seem to have touched a nerve!

Looks as though we will have to agree to dissagree on this one.

As a succesful previous owner of an IT software company I have strong beliefs in the use of this technology - in private industry if you create a system with such defeciencies you wouldnt stay in business. The OFCOM system was planned several years in advance - they SHOULD have done a better job with it than they have. And Yes - I have written web software myself and I DO understand the issues but with the resourses that OFCOM had there should be no excuses - the system should work for everyone.

There are many cases on this forum where it has been far from perfect - in fact from what I've heard, there are some that have simply given up.

Yes - as I said - I CAN use it but its a very poor first attempt IMHO of course.

 

[Andrew_Fanner]

Just got off my backside to set up the new licence for Jedi. Can I log in, can I as heck. And yes, I do have the username and yes, I made a note of the password at the time.

An excellent idea with flawed application perchance?

 

[lovezoo]

I think the thing that I found most annoying is the fact that you can't use your 'normal' password on the site - you have to make up some daft combination of upper case/lower case/numbers/letters or whatever it is. If this was some sort of top-secret online banking site then maybe, but given that they choose the user name I think this is over the top, and as I said before not properly tested before release.

 

[Major Catastrophe]

[ QUOTE ]
and I was sensible enough not to forget my password while waiting for the User ID to arrive.

[/ QUOTE ] Thanks for your arrogant dig at my shortcomings, but as I was kicked out during the registration process, there being no indication that it had been accepted, except the note that I would receive my log in details by post, I didn't record the password I had made up to conform with the requirement to include a capital letter and numbers.

I can assure you that any web site I am involved in produces a patch or fix for any new software/browser issues, within hours. As to the site itself, if you start with Ofcom's home page, it is very difficult to find the relevant page.

[ QUOTE ]
I think the thing that I found most annoying is the fact that you can't use your 'normal' password on the site

[/ QUOTE ] I used my 'normal' password, starting with a capital letter and ending in some familiar numbers. As I said above, it didn't 'take' so I assumed it wasn't registered. I have tried the combination and variations I remembered doing, but none of them work.

 

[Andrew_Fanner]

>>>
I used my 'normal' password, starting with a capital letter and ending in some familiar numbers. As I said above, it didn't 'take' so I assumed it wasn't registered. I have tried the combination and variations I remembered doing, but none of them work.
>>>
My problem precisely. I think re-registering may be the only way forward.

 

[lovezoo]

I actually took the precuation of putting the password I had created in as the secret password reminder question, so I do have the password - problem is it doesn't work.

 

[Neddie_Seagoon]

When I used it the password I'd used in registering didn't work, but the forgotten password bit emailed me a new password that did work. From then on it was appallingly clunky but I did get my license printed out.

As a moderately respected IT person, my professional opinion of the site is "CRAP" - but what do I know? Professional civil service type bureaucrats probably think it's wonderful.