[ale] Rant[ish]: government and states requiring proprietary software

[Neal Rhodes]

Well, if we're going to get into a snit about it, let's consider that if
you are a corporation, you must file an IRS 941 report each quarter
regarding your wages.   You have two choices:

A. Sign up for one of several proprietary services and and pay a fee in
order to enter your two page 941 data.
B. Fill in a paper 941 and stick a stamp on it.   This requires somebody
to then manually data-enter the paper form.

You'd think that it should take the IRS 2 man-days to assign the job of
a web data entry form to an intern, and the payback period of
eliminating data entry for that effort would be..... maybe a week.
Probably less if you consider the elimination of handling all that mail
and paper. 

However, doing that would eliminate the business of the proprietary
companies that now charge a fee for entry.   I suspect they have a
lobbyist. 

Out of sheer spite and laziness, I still do paper and mail it. 




On Mon, 2012-09-17 at 13:31 -0400, Jay Lozier wrote:
> On 09/17/2012 01:15 PM, mike at trausch.us wrote:
> 
> > 
> > On 09/14/2012 01:23 PM, Jim Kinney wrote:
> > 
> > > puzzled.
> > > 
> > > All of my tax forms are done using downloaded fill-in PDF docs and 
> > > Linux native pdf reader. For a few years I had to use Adobe reader 
> > > until the Linux native one has better support for fill-in forms.
> > > 
> > > None of the forms I've used have required javascript from the pdf. 
> > > Please provide example form number for the curious.
> > 
> > The 2011 GA 500 __REQUIRES__ JavaScript.  If you do not have it enabled,
> > or are using a secure PDF reader program that doesn't include JavaScript
> > support at all, then the following message appears:
> > 
> > 
> > > WARNING: THIS APPLICATION IS NOT VALID FOR THIS FORM...
> > > 
> > > If you are seeing this message it is because the application you
> > > have selected to open this form is not the appropriate one.
> > > 
> > > Today, besides Adobe® Reader, there are a number of applications 
> > > (Chrome®, MAC® PDF viewer plugin, Foxit® Reader, etc) that allow you 
> > > to view PDF documents and also, to fill PDF fillable forms.
> > > 
> > > Unfortunately these applications are not prepared to run the
> > > advanced features contained in this form.
> > > 
> > > To solve this problem, use Adobe® Reader.  Please follow the 
> > > instructions below this line:
> > 
> > I'd give you more examples, but I figure this one, right here at home,
> > is the best.
> > 
> > Also, the GA corporate return suffers the same fate.
> > 
> > (They did this, by the way, because they now use JavaScript to perform
> > "validation" of the form, and then modify the form before printing --
> > even on Adobe Reader, you're not allowed to Ctrl+P to print the form,
> > because you have to hit a button in the form to print it so that it will
> > create a scannable barcode.)
> > 
> > How can this be fixed?
> > 
> > States should include a cryptoprocessor on your driver's license, and
> > you should be able to use it to securely login to the state's web site
> > to perform things like filing your taxes and, hell, even voting.  Yes,
> > voting.  That's exactly what strong crypto is for!
> > 
> > For that matter, the states could then have a relationship with the
> > federal government, vouching for your identity when you use your
> > cryptochip to do things on the State web site, so that they can let you
> > have a channel to the federal government to securely file your taxes for
> > free, electronically.
> > 
> > Why don't we do that?
> 
> Probably because they have not learned to use the latest in office
> technology - the typewriter or is that too advanced over the quill
> pen.
> 
> > 
> > Probably 'cuz it'd make a%)(*&@#%($7 sense.
> > 
> > 	--- Mike
> > 
> > 
> > 
> > 
> > 
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> 
> 
> 
> -- 
> Jay Lozier
> jslozier at gmail.com
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