* Posts by DontFeedTheTrolls

532 publicly visible posts • joined 4 Apr 2017

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US Homeland Security mistakenly seizes British ad agency's website in prostitution probe gone wrong

DontFeedTheTrolls
Coat

Re: How do you draw a map of the USA?

But the Earth America is flat and only 9,000 years old...

Review of IR35 is in: Quelle surprise, UK.gov will forge ahead with controversial tax reforms in the private sector

DontFeedTheTrolls
Flame

"1 - people see NICs as going towards the NHS and retirement so are more kindly disposed towards them than they are towards income tax."

Which is a major part of the problem, but lets not bother educating people, lets keep this stealth tax so we can justify all the other shit.

DontFeedTheTrolls
Boffin

Re: We need more tax...

we all should pay more tax

What you mean is the country needs to raise more revenue.

One way is to increase the overall tax take, and as you describe, every government fudges around the issue, trying to eek out gains without causing general uproar.

The issue is that the structure of the UK tax system is no longer fit for purpose. NI is an anachronism and needs to be removed. A simple set of (adjusted) tax brackets that apply to all would be a much fairer system with many fewer loopholes to stretch tax avoidance but still permitting those that want the ability to operate in flexible manner.

But no Government is willing to risk making the change lest it lead to their unemployment (and it's their ego that keeps them wanting to be a politician).

DontFeedTheTrolls
Headmaster

Re: We need more tax...

"This option is not usually available to permanent employees."

On the contrary, EVERY company I've worked for has permitted employees to make additional contributions to the pension scheme, or to a personal pension scheme BEFORE Tax. This is standard tax law.. What the company does not do is match those additional contributions.

DontFeedTheTrolls
Headmaster

Re: HMRC : Singlehanded incompetent.

"Show me one single shred of evidence that Amazon haven't paid every penny they owe or quitcherbitchin'"

Show me one single shred of evidence that Contractors in general haven't paid every penny they owe or quitcherbitchin'. I agree there are a very small number of cases HMRC have won (THREE), however they have LOST 75% of the cases they brought to Court.

The entire IR35 shitdhow is driven by the big consultancies to feather their nest, it is not in the interests of the people.

DontFeedTheTrolls
Terminator

"HMRC confirmed ... the rules will not be used to open new investigations ... unless there is reason to suspect fraud or criminal behaviour"

Pretty sure HMRC already class any mistakes in tax returns to be fraud or criminal, so they can and will go after anyone. It has already happened in the Public sector despite the same promises.

Aria Technology loses Court of Appeal bid over £750k VAT dispute

DontFeedTheTrolls
Boffin

The authorities can go after Directors in certain circumstances, such as criminal activity. And if criminal activity can be proven, proceeds of crime can go after Directors assets.

Limited Companies do provide some protections, but not carte blanche otherwise there would be a lot more criminal activity hidden behind them.

In-depth: Deloitte and accounts expert both cleared what HPE described as 'contrived' Autonomy sales

DontFeedTheTrolls
Boffin

"The auditor – one of the "Big Four" – reached an out-of-court settlement with HPE prior to the start of the Autonomy trial."

Ding, ding, ding, we have a winner. I can't say Autonomy and its people are entirely innocent, however the Auditor signed off the deal so it cannot have been that far from the norm.

DontFeedTheTrolls
Headmaster

The issue is not the content of the wash, it is that animals are treated poorly and are kept and processed in insanitary conditions because they are going to be cleaned with some kind of antibacterial just before release into the market.

In the EU by not having the wash stage the treatment of animals and the sanitary conditions during processing are higher to start with. They're far from perfect, but better than the US.

BAE Systems tosses its contractors a blanket... ban on off-payroll working under upcoming IR35 tax reforms

DontFeedTheTrolls
Headmaster

Re: It's worse even than this...

"MPs are apparently outside IR35, of course."

Source? MP might not be a "job" in the tradition sense but they draw a salary directly from Parliament under PAYE and are not engaged through a Limited Company.

DontFeedTheTrolls
Holmes

Re: Interesting timing ...

Just out of curiosity, were the lobbying groups you allude to owned or supported by the big consultancy groups?

And were the big consultancy groups the same big consultancy groups HMRC engaged to investigate the issue and report on the potential tax implications?

DontFeedTheTrolls
Pirate

Big Business: "we'll consider individually which roles are inside IR35 and which are outside IR35"

HMRC: "We consider all these people were inside IR35, give us this x millions in NI and Tax NOW, and if you win the case in court in 18 months time we'll give you the money back."

Big business: "fuck that, every role is inside IR35"

DontFeedTheTrolls
Headmaster

Re: "[HMRC] has predicted the reforms will recoup £1.2bn a year by 2023"

"or only want to work 8 months a year (which would normally not fall under IR35..."

Wrong. The length of the contract is irrelevant. You can be contracted for one day and be inside IR35. It comes down to control, where, when, and how the job is done, and any financial liablility. Now it is likely you could argue one day is outside, but there are no objective measures in IR35, only subjective assessments of the working conditions. And this is the major problem, it is subjective, not objective.

Flat Earther and wannabe astronaut killed in homemade rocket

DontFeedTheTrolls
Headmaster

"...he had to take into account the gravitational pull of the big spherical thing he was standing on..."

Wasn't the point that he wasn't standing on anything spherical at all.

As you say, I wouldn't wish death on anyone, but unlike a Flat Earth, the Darwin Awards do exist.

Stuffing nonsense: Persistent cyberpunks are pummelling banks' public APIs, warns Akamai

DontFeedTheTrolls
Pirate

You did all read the T&Cs on the banking apps that said you take sole responsibility if you want to use the Open Banking APIs to give you "access to all your bank accounts from one App", didn't you?

Hey, Brits. Your Google data is leaving the EU before you are: Hoard to be shipped from Ireland to US next month

DontFeedTheTrolls
Mushroom

"THIS IS NOT THE BREXIT I VOTED FOR"

Anyone who utters this phrase against any changes as a result of Brexit needs to understand that this is EXACTLY what you voted for.

Everyone was warned of the potential impact and consequences that would occur. You voted for it. You only have yourself to blame.

DontFeedTheTrolls
Mushroom

Re: So that is what they meant by taking back control!

Or so you think...

What do we want? A proper review of IR35! When do we want it? Last year! Bunch of IT contractors protest outside UK Parliament

DontFeedTheTrolls
Pirate

Re: Offshoring IR35

Now the UK is no longer influencing the appropriate EU bodies don't be surprised if Belize is next on the EU's list of uncooperative countries and subject to sanctions.

DontFeedTheTrolls
Headmaster

"pay PAYE, Pensions, sick pay, holiday pay, and paternity pay"

Companies cannot avoid the law, even small companies with single employees. Yes, certain rules are amended for Director/Employee, but the appropriate laws still apply. All "benefits" and "rights" must still be met by the Contractor's company, that's why the day rate is higher, to cover the cost of those provisions.

DontFeedTheTrolls
Mushroom

Re: I know of some that have already accepted contracts outside of the country

You mean my Blue Passport isn't going to carry any weight anywhere?

Judge Vulcan-nerve pinches JEDI deal after Amazon forks out $42m to pause Microsoft's military machinations

DontFeedTheTrolls
Coat

Re: Size 40's

Wow, those are MASSIVE shoes!

D'oh!, took me a second to realise that must be American size, but isn't 40 quite small? Size of feet and correlations and all...

Oi! You got a loicence for that Java, mate? More devs turn to OpenJDK to swerve Oracle fee

DontFeedTheTrolls
Headmaster

"Oracle's a legal firm"

Oracle's a legal firm troll

Much like Patent Trolls, profiting from penalties not the royalties, and no incentive to produce good products that people really want.

Former Autonomy boss Mike Lynch 'submits himself' for arrest in central London

DontFeedTheTrolls

HP should be suing KPMG if they believe anyone has acted wrongly. Either the due diligence shows the problem (HP's fault for not reading it) or the problem was missed (KPMG at fault) - (or it didn't exist).

DontFeedTheTrolls
Headmaster

Re: Trade deal - test for the UK government

"Sounds like a fair and equitable trade to me."

While the flippant side of me nods, this really isn't fair or equitable. How many actual deaths can be directly attributed to the actions of Mike Lynch. I suspect none.

Let's not forget the USA also has an ongoing request for Julian Assange. Once Anne Sacoolas is in the UK we can discuss who we'll give back.

DontFeedTheTrolls
Headmaster

Re: Again, and again, and again...

The average killer hasn't received £500million from an alleged fraudulent transaction.

Bail is set appropriate to the potenial of the accused to skipping it, much to the out of pocketness of Saint Julian's friends. Lynch has enough money to get himself to a country of non-extradition, something few killers have (unless you're backed by the American government and extracted from a country under false immunity).

DontFeedTheTrolls
Facepalm

Re: Again, and again, and again...

"If Labour had not chosen to make themselves the anti-Brexit party"

In what universe were labour the "anti-Brexit party". They were entirely the "sit on the fence party". They still are. They have no clear policy on anything.

"If we were in power we'd be doing it different"

"What would you be doing different?"

"Er, it would be, er something else, maybe this or maybe that"

Time to patch your lightbulb? Researchers demonstrate Philips Hue exploit

DontFeedTheTrolls
Boffin

Re: I still..

When a relative went into care I installed some Hue, some Arlo and NetAtmo Weather to remotely monitor the property. The technology is now cheap enough.

Motion detection video, doorbell picked up on audio could turn a light on, scheduled light changes, and monitored the temperature without having the heating on all the time (old thermostat, no frost protection).

It's a use case. not saying its brilliant, but it is a use case.

Fed-up air safety bods ban A350 pilots from enjoying cockpit coffees

DontFeedTheTrolls
Coat

Re: Put coffee in non-spill containers

And break the tradition of the Stewardess knocking on the door with a tray of open steaming coffee cups?

Brits may still be struck by Lightning, but EU lawmakers vote for bloc-wide common charging rules

DontFeedTheTrolls
Facepalm

Re: Hopefully the UK will follow this

As the article says, whatever the EU mandate is likely to become the de facto standard in many other countries as it simply doesn't make sense to make multiple variations.

Brexiteers still don't understand that. The UK is going to need to comply with so many EU regulations not only for trade with the EU but for trade with other countries that have adopted the EU regulations.

But at least they'll have blue passports when they go on trade delegations.

Not call, dude: UK govt says guaranteed surcharge-free EU roaming will end after Brexit transition period. Brits left at the mercy of networks

DontFeedTheTrolls
Pirate

Re: Wellcome to Britain

Merchant Bankers like Farage: "Those pesky EU rules prevent us from gouging money out of everybody for everything, we need to leave the EU"

I'm still waiting for anyone to show me a single good reason for leaving the EU. As far as benefit to the people of the UK, everything proposed is turning out to be a worse position

Reap what you sow Brexiteers!

UK: From 5G in Tiree to the Isles of Ebony, carry me on the waves… Sail Huawei, sail Huawei, sail Huawei

DontFeedTheTrolls
Mushroom

Don't see why we're buying foreign kit in the first place, we're British, King of the World, Masters of our own destiny, best in the World, nobody better than us, they should be buying everything from us.

Bloody foreigners, what have they ever done for us.

Accounting expert told judge Autonomy was wrong not to disclose hardware sales

DontFeedTheTrolls
Mushroom

"Far easier to just send him to the US and be done with it."

Why should we send him to the US? It's not like he killed somebody driving negligently.

Boris celebrates taking back control of Brexit Britain's immigration – with unlimited immigration program

DontFeedTheTrolls
Flame

Good to see the Brexiteers still swallowing the blue pill on a regular basis.

The duke of URL: Zoom meetups' info leaked out through eavesdrop hole

DontFeedTheTrolls

In fairness to Zoom, every other Conference service I've ever used had the same problem where only a conference ID was widely used and no additional authentication of who had dialled in. Like Zoom, you could add a password, most meeting organisers chose not to.

Security by obscurity as it were...

DontFeedTheTrolls
Headmaster

Re: How unfortunate

WPP being the least of your worries over security.

I wonder how many banks, Councils, medical research organisations etc are using Zoom unsecured. You know, organisations that have real information to protect, not just somebodies advertising expectations.

Stiff upper lip time, Brits: After bullying France to drop its digital tax on Silicon Valley, Trump's coming for you next

DontFeedTheTrolls
Headmaster

Re: He's threatening Italy as well

USA? Social Systems?

DontFeedTheTrolls
Facepalm

Re: Shurely shome mishtake here?

"The UK will still follow the EU, just not as a member any more."

Is that like those local gym memberships? You can pay £90 a month to be a member, use it as much as you like, have a say in how it's run, who else can join, and what equipment is available, or you can pay £30 for a day visit with no say whatsoever?

I'll have 10 days a month at £30 each says the UK...

DontFeedTheTrolls
Coat

Re: He's threatening Italy as well

Interesting fact:

The USA is the third largest country by population. If the USA was to increase its population by 1 Billion, it would still be third.

DontFeedTheTrolls
Facepalm

Re: He's threatening Italy as well

"An EU-wide measure would be far more effective"

Remind me again why we're no longer in the EU? Oh yes, it's because standing alone we can make better deals with the USA...

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare fragged our business VOIP: US ISP blames outage on smash-hit video game rush

DontFeedTheTrolls
Boffin

Re: Yeah... but no.

BitTorrent?

It's not just for Pirate Bay

One-time Brexit Secretary David Davis demands Mike Lynch's extradition to US be halted

DontFeedTheTrolls
Mushroom

Diplomatic Immunity

Diplomatic Immunity is very important for genuine diplomats, it is in place to prevent vexatious accusations being made against a countries representatives.

The "tragic accident" caused by negligence is clearly not a vexatious accusation. The facts are well established, the evidence is likely to stand up in a court of law in both countries, and there is the principle that diplomatic immunity can be removed in cases where there is a genuine case.

If the US believe causing death isn't grounds for extradition then they can fuck right off for extradition for any crime less than death.

Rugby legend Will Carling tells El Reg: Techie stats bods will love this year's Six Nations

DontFeedTheTrolls
Coat

https://lmgtfy.com/?q=rugby+player+tracking+system

DontFeedTheTrolls
Paris Hilton

Worth watching just for Dr Hannah Fry, never mind anything else

In the red corner, Big Red, and in the blue corner... the rest of the tech industry

DontFeedTheTrolls
Headmaster

Re: Protocols. not APIs

Ogres. Onions. Sorry, layers. The Internet is defined by layers. Ogres have layers, onions have layers, the Internet has layers.

Protocols are the way to talk to APIs so the whole shebang is integrated.

Let’s check in on the .org sale fiasco: Senators say No, internet grandees say Yes – and ICANN pretends there's absolutely nothing to see here

DontFeedTheTrolls

Re: How about ...

Why a small country?

Any philanthropic person or "organisation" can reserve TLDs these days, so spend $180k on a new TLD and operate as a not for profit, with a written constitution and a board of governors.

"Sold" properly to the current .org users with an easy mass migration path you could kill the sale of .org instantly as all the profit is gone

DontFeedTheTrolls
Boffin

"all the major ISPs created some independent internaional non-political organisation to run root"

Principle is sound, but why the "major ISPs", aren't they part of the "management" problem of the Internet anyway?

Why wouldn't it come under the remit of the United Nations? Could easily be run under their banner, run as a "not for profit", but able to cover it's running costs.

Unlocking news: We decrypt those cryptic headlines about Scottish cops bypassing smartphone encryption

DontFeedTheTrolls
Headmaster

Re: Fail to see what the fuss is

Much as I agree with you that the innocent have nothing to fear, the problem is the scope creep of searches.

Will officers routinely "triage" all devices they seize just in case they find something incriminating. If it only takes a short amount of time and every officer has access to the scanner, what is to stop them fishing? Policy on Probable Cause? I know that often minor crimes lead to bigger catches, criminals being idiots don't insure their car, get pulled, and hey presto, stolen goods or drugs in the boot. Wouldn't be caught if the Police couldn't open the boot just because there was no insurance.

At what point do the Daily Mail want every device scanned "cause paedophiles". Do we have random searches taking place "cause paedophiles".

Just what is the feedback loop on searches to ensure the scope does not creep.

DontFeedTheTrolls
Terminator

Re: Let me get this right

"uses software to flash phone, furtle bits not usually furtled, forcibly unlock it, rummage around."

From what I've read, nothing as specific as this happens. Details are thin but I've seen nothing that indicates any change to the device

If it does alter the contents then you are right, that evidence is likely to be inadmissible. That, however is not the point. Plod want to know who you've been communicating with so they can go search them too, acting on "information received".

Remember when Netscout got so upset at 'challenger' label in Gartner Magic Quadrant, it sued? Well, top court just ended all those shenanigans

DontFeedTheTrolls
Terminator

How often in the sales pitch of a vendor do they offer "Free Access" to the relevant Gartner MQ for their product, usually only available after you complete their "enquiry" form so a salesperson can call you.

Presumably they are paying Garter for this access?

Azure consultant's Google image search results hotlinking sueball booted off the pitch by High Court

DontFeedTheTrolls
Pirate

Re: Hotlinked ...

Yup, if you're going to publish something then make sure the Copyright ownership is explicitly clear for everyone to see. Yes, you own it irrespective, but as has been demonstrated proving that in Court is a lot harder than in the browser.

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