nitram

On Fri, 13 Aug 2004 13:22:10 +0200, Tim Challenger
<[email protected]> wrote:

    >The UK still lives under the feudal system.

It's much worse than in feudal times.

Mxsmanic

Tim Challenger writes:

    > I only had to wear a badge in one place (and then I had to sign the german
    > official secrets act too). Likewise a smart card only once (in another
    > company), except ones that get me into a works car-park. Most places I've
    > worked would look at you dumbly if you suggested such a thing.

Everywhere I've worked has required ID badges, although some were more
adamant about them being clearly visible than others. Virtually all of
them also used electronic door locks keyed by the badges as well. I've
even worked in companies where you had to pass through man-traps to get
from one place to another.

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barney

In article <[email protected]> ,
[email protected] (mistissini) wrote:

    >
    > "Martin" <[email protected]> wrote in message
    > news:[email protected]...
    >
    > > We don't know you. What kind of thing interests you?
    >
    > Math and Science interest me (the current applications, not the
    > history).

There are science museums all over the place (I don't know about
Copenhagen specifically). Often you can tour factories, power stations and
similar places which might appeal to you if you are interested in
engineering. As Miguel (I think) mentioned Europe is also home to a lot of
cutting-edge building design, particularly although not exclusively in
London and Berlin.

Whether these things are sufficiently different from the equivalents
you'll find at home to justify a trip to Europe is a question only you can
answer.

Mxsmanic

[email protected] writes:

    > My son who was paid to work 9-5 in UK was formally threatened with the
    > sack for working 9-5.30 when everybody else worked 9-6, without
    > overtime payments.

What did his employment contract say? If it conflicted with the formal
threat, it was foolish of the company to put the threat in
writing--that's one of the actions that _can_ get a company into
trouble.

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Mxsmanic

Tim Challenger writes:

    > It's the test where, facing a losing argument you start to babble in a
    > foreign language like Magda.

I've only seen you use English here.

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Mxsmanic

[email protected] writes:

    > I think we lost some credibility by misspelling Alan Turing's name.

The Turing test? Ah, that's different. But Tim hasn't failed it that I
can see.

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Mxsmanic

[email protected] writes:

    > a) typo for Turing
    > b) You failed it

Where did I fail the test?

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Mxsmanic

[email protected] writes:

    > and anywhere else where people do there own word processing, business
    > travel arrangements etc. - most places nowadays.

A lot of places, not all. Many people do their own word processing,
travel arrangements are often still centralized, for financial reasons
and because they are often unfamiliar to people who don't travel
constantly (and those who do travel constantly are often upper managers
who get secretaries--constant travel helps conceal the fact that a
manager serves no real purpose).

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nitram

On Fri, 13 Aug 2004 14:16:52 +0200, Mxsmanic <[email protected]>
wrote:

<snip>

    > I've
    >even worked in companies where you had to pass through man-traps to get
    >from one place to another.

The typing pool?

nitram

On Fri, 13 Aug 2004 14:18:17 +0200, Mxsmanic <[email protected]>
wrote:

    >[email protected] writes:
    >> My son who was paid to work 9-5 in UK was formally threatened with the
    >> sack for working 9-5.30 when everybody else worked 9-6, without
    >> overtime payments.
    >What did his employment contract say?

9-5

    > If it conflicted with the formal
    >threat, it was foolish of the company to put the threat in
    >writing--that's one of the actions that _can_ get a company into
    >trouble.

The threat also conflicted with their own formal procedures as defined
in their contract.

nitram

On Fri, 13 Aug 2004 14:19:45 +0200, Mxsmanic <[email protected]>
wrote:

    >[email protected] writes:
    >> a) typo for Turing
    >> b) You failed it
    >Where did I fail the test?

by snipping the text in which you failed the Turing test?

nitram

On Fri, 13 Aug 2004 14:21:18 +0200, Mxsmanic <[email protected]>
wrote:

    >[email protected] writes:
    >> and anywhere else where people do there own word processing, business
    >> travel arrangements etc. - most places nowadays.
    >A lot of places, not all. Many people do their own word processing,
    >travel arrangements are often still centralized, for financial reasons
    >and because they are often unfamiliar to people who don't travel
    >constantly (and those who do travel constantly are often upper managers
    >who get secretaries--constant travel helps conceal the fact that a
    >manager serves no real purpose).

It depends on the job, but there is a lot of truth in what you say.

Mxsmanic

[email protected] writes:

    > The typing pool?

Mostly financial companies. Of course, if they are defense contractors,
things can get a lot worse.

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Mxsmanic

[email protected] writes:

    > 9-5

Then he can sue the company on the basis of the threat.

    > The threat also conflicted with their own formal procedures as defined
    > in their contract.

Then he can sue for other stuff as well.

It only takes a few stupid people to get a company into deep trouble.
On more than one occasion, I've had to clean up the mess made by someone
else who had absolutely no clue just how much risk he was incurring for
the company when he decided to do something foolish on his own
initiative. Sometimes they have to be dismissed.

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Devil

On Fri, 13 Aug 2004 13:25:48 +0200, nitram wrote:


    > and spreading malicious gossip?

We can do that by yourself, thanks. No need for a secretary.