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RE: FN-FORUM: new UK website regulations
date posted 12th January 2007 22:54
Kinda - it certainly has less of a technical aspect, as there was no
concentrating on one particular aspect (e.g. programming in PHP as opposed
to ASP.NET, for example). However, there was enough for us students to
pretty much choose the direction we wanted to take - in my case, I am keen
on some web development, but also being able to define and work on client
requirements to make them a reality. This was why I wanted to go freelance;
being a keen fan of open-source technology, I wanted to aim towards the
smaller businesses / sole trader / charitable organisations, where money may
be a concern, and to try to prove that the latest all-signing, all dancing
technology is not always necessary, or desirable....check out
www.clivebutler.org.uk, as my first professional site, and you will see what
I mean.
Alex.
-----Original Message-----
From: [EMAIL REMOVED] [EMAIL REMOVED] On Behalf Of Andy
Macnaughton-Jones
Sent: 12 January 2007 22:36
To: FN-FORUM / [EMAIL REMOVED]
Subject: RE: FN-FORUM: new UK website regulations
So essentially a software (web) development and marketing degree with focus
/ direction coming an e-business direction ?
Guess you're in catch 22 situation!
-----Original Message-----
From: [EMAIL REMOVED] [EMAIL REMOVED] On Behalf Of Alex Libby
Sent: 12 January 2007 21:58
To: Andy Macnaughton-Jones
Subject: RE: FN-FORUM: new UK website regulations
Hehe - a whole host of things!
Some of the things I covered included basics in multimedia (Flash, GIMP,
Photoshop and Dreamweaver), databases (SQL from Oracle, or MySQL), change
management, e-commerce programming languages (a basic grounding - BPDL (=
Business Process Definition Language - an XML variant), PHP, ASP, ASP.NET
etc, e-commerce marketing, architecture, project management, presenting
(including that of an academic poster), report writing (really for the
purposes of my MSc Project), selling, legal requirements of e-commerce, use
of the internet and e-commerce in a general setting (not just selling, but
doing business electronically) and some usability amongst others. It was
done as an MSc, which included a project (or dissertation, depending on what
you wanted to call it), which I based on Air Canada and how it has used
e-commerce to successfully arrest the threat of bankruptcy, and change its
whole way of operating.
Sadly though, despite getting a really good degree, I have not been able to
get a job within the field of e-commerce, either in project management /
planning / analysis, web design or development, which is where I want to be
- may be I will get there, once I have gotten over a lack of experience, and
have a good portfolio ready...
Alex.
-----Original Message-----
From: [EMAIL REMOVED] [EMAIL REMOVED] On Behalf Of Andy
Macnaughton-Jones
Sent: 12 January 2007 21:34
To: FN-FORUM / [EMAIL REMOVED]
Subject: RE: FN-FORUM: new UK website regulations
I'm intrigued - what does a degree in e-commerce give you ? What does it
cover or was it a component of a larger degree.
Just interested.
Cheers
Andy
-----Original Message-----
From: [EMAIL REMOVED] [EMAIL REMOVED] On Behalf Of Alex Libby
Sent: 12 January 2007 21:28
To: Andy Macnaughton-Jones
Subject: RE: FN-FORUM: new UK website regulations
Hi,
This article raises a number of interesting questions:
Having done a degree in e-commerce, I can understand the need for some
degree of transparency, as it shows to a potential client that a website
offering a service or product for sale is a legitimate one, and not trying
to "pull a fast one". However, if the UK Government seems so intent on
adding as much red tape as possible (I have to admit that I think what they
are requiring seems to take things to extreme a little), then what happens
with companies who are technically registered overseas, but whom have UK
subsidiaries?
Take this as an example - Amazon.co.uk. OK - this is only a quick test, and
certainly not scientific. I tried to easily find an address and telephone
number for them here in the UK - but this seems impossible.
Technically, the copyright is owned by Amazon USA - it seems that nowhere is
there an address or VAT number which is easily found (within about 2-3
clicks). Does this still count for Amazon? What about maintaining that
transparency, and reputation, as one of the biggest e-tailers in the
20th/21st century? Just trying to find an email address was really
impossible - you have to first sign in, then wade through a whole mass of
screens which build up a contact us form with details, before it is sent off
to Amazon UK. Is this still legitimate?
To go back to the original question about designers - what happens if, as
Cat says, they do not want to publish their home postal address online, if
that is the one which is used for their business? It seems strange though
that the UK Government do not require a telephone number to be published;
with the huge surge in use of 0870 non-geographical numbers, I would have
thought it a requirement that customers have a means to contact a company,
should they have a need. Not all of us have email, although yes, I would
guess it is less of a problem than say 5 years ago. I can imagine what would
happen if the UK Government were to turn around and say that yes, a
geographical number is required and must be published....me thinks a lot of
unhappy service providers, who suddenly find demand for 0845 and 0870
numbers suddenly drop...!
But - on a more serious note: I have always maintained that the use of
e-commerce and the internet is there to break down barriers to sales
worldwide; VAT numbers for a company in a different country become
irrelevant if I were to buy from that company (broadly speaking!). Do they
want to encourage global business, or stifle it??
I myself am tempted with going into freelancing within Canada in a few years
time (for various reasons), as I hate the UK - do I register myself here in
the UK, with a UK VAT number, or go to Canada?
Mmm...
Alex.
P.S. Yes - you could look up whois to get an idea of the registrant. But is
this always accurate? What if a design company registered a .co.uk domain in
the US, for a UK company? Check out Hostgator - they register your domain
for you, but then do not give you any opportunity or means to easily change
the registrant's name from them to you, despite advertising otherwise (at
least when I was briefly with them for all of a week, before leaving in
serious disgust!)
-----Original Message-----
From: [EMAIL REMOVED] [EMAIL REMOVED] On Behalf Of Cat
Sent: 12 January 2007 17:18
To: FN-FORUM / [EMAIL REMOVED]
Subject: FN-FORUM: new UK website regulations
hi,
with regard to the new website regulations (basically requiring clear
publication of a companies reg no., VAT details etc. on their website),
there is also a requirement as follows:
> The name of the service provider must be given somewhere easily
> accessible on the site. This might differ from the trading name and
> any such difference should be explained - e.g. "XYZ.com is the trading
> name of XYZ Enterprises Limited.
>
> The email address of the service provider must be given. It is not
> sufficient to include a 'contact us' form without also providing an
> email
address.
>
> The geographic address of the service provider must be given. A PO Box
> is unlikely to suffice as a geographic address; but a registered
> office address would. If the business is a company, the registered
> office address must be included in any event.
( from http://www.theregister.co.uk/2006/12/21/new_web_email_regulation
)
my question is: how does this affect a web designer/developer? do they mean
the name of just the hosting company? or does the designer/developers
details also need to be included?
thanks,
cat
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