* Posts by Sir Runcible Spoon

5770 publicly visible posts • joined 29 May 2007

Auf wiedersehen, pet: UK Deutsche Bank contractors plan to leave rather than take 25% pay cut for IR35 – report

Sir Runcible Spoon

"your contracting rate should include cover for when you're unable to work, holidays etc."

Within reason, yes. At the end of the day whilst we are employed by our own company, the company funds are based on us extracting day rates from clients - if we aren't (if we are sick) then the coffers are ---> £0

So yes, we should be covering our own holiday and sick pay, but it has limits.

Sir Runcible Spoon

Re: I do wonder..m

Well, there are two contractors in my team (along with a bunch of people from one of the large consultancy agencies who are exempt from this shit-show for some reason - oh yeah - *they're* running a business) and we've both been deemed 'inside' based on a bunch of incorrect answers to their cookie-cutter questions that we had no input to.

Guess what, we're both leaving in March. Also guess what? - The team is going to really struggle as whilst the others are ok at their jobs, we are always going the extra mile and making a difference to project deliveries.

That's 100% of the contractors in my team, and I'm aware of others elsewhere in the business going too.

Sir Runcible Spoon

Re: "the bank will only work with contractors [..] of its outsourcer, Resource Solutions"

I'm pretty sure HMRC have already stated they will view new inside-ir35 roles in that light.

Sir Runcible Spoon

@AC - you can look at this entire situation and say 'what risk?' - wow.

C'mon SPARCky, it's just an admin utility update. What could possibly go wrong?

Sir Runcible Spoon
Joke

Re: As usual ...

There, you see, you broke the rule and now it's 2!

Sir Runcible Spoon
Mushroom

I made a terrible mistake in that last sentence this morning. I have since been told we have a letter from the OPG regarding a complaint from one of my wife's siblings that we are mismanaging my mother-in-laws money.

Let that be a lesson to all who would tempt fate!

Sir Runcible Spoon
Thumb Up

"You have been warned. I have learned that sometimes people don't want their problems sorted. Their problems are their crutch and their excuse."

This is a true pearl of wisdom and deserves many upvotes.

I'm embarrassed to say it took me many years to learn this about my useless, idiotic, in-laws. All those wasted years and effort on trying to help them sort out their problems, only to wonder why they would undermine my efforts the moment my back was turned, or simply develop new problems with which to fuck up their life.

Trouble is, one of them's now dead, the other is in a home with dementia, and I'm *still* sorting out their shit. Still, their ability to create new problems is now limited.

Sir Runcible Spoon
Pint

Re: As usual ...

"Oh, that last paragraph is just 'class'"

Thanks, although coming from a Vogon I'd be wise to not let your praise go to my head ;)

Sir Runcible Spoon

I copied a directory the other day and forgot the /. at the end of the destination path - fortunately I realised straight away that I'd just created a single file from the rather large directory that I was about to prune due to high disk usage on that partition :)

Sir Runcible Spoon

Re: As usual ...

I'm pretty certain he doesn't read El Reg, so that was my thinking exactly. If he can work out what I've done and undo it without breaking anything else, then he no longer needs to be watched like a hawk.

However, his current thought processes are still more focused on preventing anyone finding out about his botch-ups so I'm expecting the heat death of the Universe to occur first. It would never occur to him to put himself in my position and then work out what *he* would do in such circumstances, because it would require him to acknowledge his own role in the play in order to view it objectively.

Sir Runcible Spoon
Coat

Do that sudo that you do so well

Sir Runcible Spoon
Black Helicopters

Re: As usual ...

I've been trying to train a new guy on a (fairly) complex security system, when the powers that be decided to give him full admin access.

So he pings me for some advice on how to do a particular thing, to which I duly advise him on the most sensible approach - one he didn't happen to agree with.

Since he was now on his own, I simply told him that if he breaks it, he fixes it - it's the only way to learn. He has tried to lie to me several times about having broken the damned thing, claiming something else happened that caused the error - little knowing that I edited the logging script to create a duplicate on a remote server he doesn't have access to. I don't even need to trawl the log file, I just need to perform a diff to see what he's been up to and then tried to cover his tracks on. Silly twat might as well just send me a report :)

He still hasn't worked out how I know. Even if he does discover my edit, he would still have to discover the slight modification to a standard cron job that replaces my code every night :D

Sir Runcible Spoon
Alert

It wasn't me!

This isn't a new story as such, but on topic. It also wasn't me what did it, but a colleague, honest.

Back in the day, working for a large ISP in the UK that still ran the *.co.uk name servers. Said colleague was adding a new customer domain to the file using vi. Since the customer domain began with an 'n' he was about half-way down in the zone file. All seemed well after saving and exiting the file, but reports started to (at first) trickle in that some domains were unavailable in the DNS.

The trickle turned to a deluge, and it seems that my colleague managed to 'delete to end of file, save' the zone file.

Obviously we restored from a backup, but it still took over 4 hours for all the domains to trickle down through the secondary servers to update.

Sir Runcible Spoon

This is why I always prepare my rm statements in a text file and always, always, use an absolute for the directory.

Call us immediately if your child uses Kali Linux, squawks West Mids Police

Sir Runcible Spoon

Re: I told my Dad I use Kali

Overall I think I prefer #3, although 4 was definitely interesting.

Sir Runcible Spoon

Re: I told my Dad I use Kali

You might want to investigate the 'escape room' games, such as 'The Room' (1,2,3 and 4).

Apparently they are working on a PSVR version of the game - can't wait as Statik was really cool and I definitely want more.

Sir Runcible Spoon
Joke

Re: I told my Dad I use Kali

In my youth I was all for Soolin. As I got older I really fancied Jenna.

However, as I matured and went into IT I was a sucker for ServerLAN.

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

Sir Runcible Spoon
Pirate

Re: That’s an expensive picket line

So, it's turtles picket lines all the way down, yeah?

Windows 7 will not go gentle into that good night: Ageing OS refuses to shut down

Sir Runcible Spoon

Re: Adobe testing

Which was the point of the joke :P

Sir Runcible Spoon
Facepalm

Re: Adobe testing

woooosh!

Sir Runcible Spoon
Joke

Re: Adobe testing

fyi El Reg commentards take more exception to avoiding swear words than when they are actually used.

wtf does 'ar...' mean, ffs?

Super-leaker Snowden punts free PDF* of tell-all NSA book with censored parts about China restored, underlined

Sir Runcible Spoon

Re: A good read

Citing the chief gimp in charge (whoever that might be at any particular point in time) appears to be entirely irrelevant is these types of conversation.

Uncle Sam tells F-35B allies they'll have to fly the things a lot more if they want to help out around South China Sea

Sir Runcible Spoon

Yes, it's hiding behind the pink Rhinocerous

Sir Runcible Spoon

From what I understood at the time the reason given was that the US didn't want the S-400 crews to have unlimited training time on spotting f-35's.

However, considering how little they are actually in the air the s-400 is probably redundant and they need ground-ground missiles.

Hear, hear: The first to invent idiot-cancelling headphones gets my cash

Sir Runcible Spoon

Re: Why 99 smartphones and not, say, a round 100?

Thanks :)

Sir Runcible Spoon
Paris Hilton

Re: Why 99 smartphones and not, say, a round 100?

Nope, didn't get that. Anyone else?

Sir Runcible Spoon
Joke

Too many words..

"something which is fairly rare in the Welsh Marches Wales."

Sir Runcible Spoon

Re: Had a recent train trip myself

Unfortunately these days in the UK that would likely result in the offender bursting into tears and claiming some kind of PTSD from the rail company.

Shame, because it sounds quite effective.

Sir Runcible Spoon
Trollface

You need to create a counterpoint to the caterwailing in an attempt to highlight the underlying metaphor of whatever it is she was trying to sing, or something.

(Thanks DA)

Contractors welcome Lords inquiry into IR35 before tax reforms hit private sector but fear it's 'too little, too late'

Sir Runcible Spoon
Facepalm

Re: Complete Disregard for employment tax rules for citizens

I think the second post was to correct all the spelling and grammatical errors...oh wait...

Trivial backdoor found in firmware for Chinese-built net-connected video recorders

Sir Runcible Spoon

Re: A friend of mine......

It's being refitted with a hot tub and mini bar

That's what makes you hackable: Please, baby. Stop using 'onedirection' as a password

Sir Runcible Spoon

Re: one direction

Apart from capital letters and special characters.

This AI is full of holes: Brit council fixes thousands of road cracks spotted by algorithm using sat snaps

Sir Runcible Spoon

Re: AI 101

I stick to binary, avoids all sorts of problems.

Sir Runcible Spoon
Paris Hilton

Re: AI 101

Wow. About all I can say about the info on that AI site is...citation required :)

Google's OpenSK lets you BYOSK – burn your own security key

Sir Runcible Spoon
Joke

Re: pedantry to Bernard Woolley's standards

Gardner: Beggin' yer pardon yer honor, but there's some greenie types pokin' around inside the boundary hedge.

HisNibs: Loose the hounds on them Henry, they haven't been fed for two days.

Vulture discovers talons are rubbish for building Lego's International Space Station

Sir Runcible Spoon
Childcatcher

Re: "a pain when using the pieces to create something new"

"I remember purchasing my youngest son"

!!!

Cover for 'cyber' attacks is risky, complex and people don't trust us, moan insurers

Sir Runcible Spoon
Joke

Re: Ankh Morpork insurance

"So you want to make me a bet that my house won't burn down?"

Yeah, it'd be a shame if it did though, innit?

What a terrible result from this year's Super Bowl. Can you believe it? Awful. Yes, we're talking about the tech ads

Sir Runcible Spoon
Alert

Re: Feeling stuffed

"when it decided to commit suicide and jumped into the rubbish bin"

Is that the 'official' police report on the matter?

Sir Runcible Spoon

Re: did not watch

Nothing wrong with Sumo, I loved watching the January tournament.

You might not think it at first, but those guys are proper athletes and as nimble as fuck. Wouldn't want to mess with them, no siree.

There are already Chinese components in your pocket – so why fret about 5G gear?

Sir Runcible Spoon
Coffee/keyboard

Re: prudent operators

Keyboard ->

Sir Runcible Spoon
Black Helicopters

Re: Drugs

"You'll feel better about it once you're drinking what they're drinking."

Tap Water?

Sir Runcible Spoon

Haven't seen that for ages, good reminder :D

Sir Runcible Spoon
Unhappy

You say that in an age where everyone is being divided on an almost individual level. Indeed, some people are learning that they should hate themselves ffs.

Until people learn to spot the programming and de-program themselves we'll never get there - and they're currently programmed to treat all such comments as conspiracy nut-job territory - even though the tin-foil-hatters of yesteryear were right all along it seems.

In case you wanna launch your boss into the Sun, good news: Earth's largest solar telescope just checked and, yeah, it's still pretty fiery

Sir Runcible Spoon
Coat

Coz it melts the wires?

UK energy watchdog to probe National Grid and Scottish Power over fault-plagued subsea cable

Sir Runcible Spoon
Mushroom

Why do customers always foot the bill?

Why can't the shareholders pay for once?

How do you like them Apples? Cook drops 'record' 30 times* on conf call as iPhone sales up, services up, wearables up

Sir Runcible Spoon
Coat

Did you...

..just call Tim Cook a horrible anus?

Beware the Friday afternoon 'Could you just..?' from the muppet who wants to come between you and your beer

Sir Runcible Spoon
Pint

I have no idea what I was actually reading, but I thought your post started with 'hourly glass rate'..

We need to make it even easier for UK terror cops to rummage about in folks' phones, says govt lawyer

Sir Runcible Spoon

Re: Wipe Password

That approach doesn't always work, especially if a logical copy of the data can be taken.

What you actually need is a code that performs this function on the *first* attempt.

Beer necessities: US chap registers bevvy as emotional support animal so he can booze on public transport

Sir Runcible Spoon

Re: Trains and Boats and Planes

Considering the context I was led to think it would be because someone laid out a chocolate sausage somewhere and the smell was keeping people out. Maybe that's just my mind.

Sir Runcible Spoon
Coat

Re: You don't eat your support animal!

I wonder if he could specify the glass as the 'animal' and the 'beer' as it's 'milk' as it were?