Hands-On Report--Mac Users Applying Online for FEMA Aid Use User Agent Switcher Extension

[9/9] [Updated] Hands-On Report--Mac Users Applying Online for FEMA Aid Use User Agent Switcher Extension if you are using a web browser with the Gecko engine--Mozilla and Firefox. User Agent Switcher Extension is available from Chris Pederick's Web page. Mac users trying to apply for assistance from the effects of Hurricane Katrina on FEMA's Web site are met with this message:

In order to use this site, you must have JavaScript Enabled and Internet Explorer version 6.
Download it from Microsoft or call 1-800-621-FEMA (3362) to register.

So we downloaded and installed User Agent Switcher Extension. We had to close Mozilla 1.7.11 and reopen it for it to show up under Tools in the Menu Bar. We then tried FEMA's aid application Web page and it worked! Without it we couldn't even access the registration site. With the User Agent switched to Internet Explorer 6 (Windows XP), we got through to the data entry page and were able to enter our name, etc.

As of publication time, the FEMA "Apply for Aid Online" Web page has been changed and now claims that FEMA is "modifying the application so that it will be available to addition browsers." We wonder if that still means those that run on Windows only? We now know better. [UPDATE: Reader Grant Gallagher wrote us, "I can confirm that the FEMA page can be accessed in full using CAMINO with the agent spoofing tuned to IE6(Windows) as found in the "ExtraPrefs" plug in, found at http://www.nada.de/mac ....] [Dana Baggett]