Preparedness for when

Frugalsod

GreyQueen wrote: »

I appreciate your argument, VJsMum, and can see the validity of your point of view. But not all households have equal resources and the TV license fee is a much larger proportion of a poor household's resources than it is of an affluent household's resources.

And, unlike very many other things, there isn't a concessionary rate for those scraping along on something like income support. When I worked as a CAB advisor, people with very limited resources were having to allocate some of those to the TVL.

Yes, we can make the valid argument that a telly is a luxury item, not a necessity. I certainly don't miss having one, and my broadband's cost is 50% below the cost of a TV license and I know which of the two I'd rather have. But many people can't or don't get much out of reading, live alone and lack funds or health to socialise and the TV is an important part of their lives. And the license is hurting them. It has been described by some as a 'tax on the poor' with impoverished people, typically women on benefits, being jailed for license evasion.

We live in a society where killers and rapists escape with non-custodial sentences and we're prepared to jail people for this? Madness.

And, I note when I do look at TV schedules, that the BBC keep regurgitating repeats, sometime decades-old repeats. Surely if 20% or 30% of content was previously produced and and broadcast, we could argue that it was also previously paid for by the license in earlier years, and that the repeats ought to be averaged out and the license reduced by the percentage?

I get annoyed by Auntie Beeb hiding behind the grubbyments skirts when it suits them and wasting the license-payers money on bloated and unnecessary expenditures, whilst also wanting to function as a global commercial player in terms of broadcast and publishing media.

The UK is an international laughing-stock because we have a TV license and an unelected upper chamber.

I think we are a laughing stock for different reasons. But I digress.

I actually agree with you the TVL is a tax on the poor. Some time ago, I cannot remember when, it accounted for 1 in 8 women being behind bars, and for as little as a couple of pounds. So I am in favour of abolishing it, and paying for it out of general tax funds. It is also very expensive to collect, I think a quarter of all the revenue goes on collection and distribution of the license. The rest goes to the BBC for programmes.

Frugalsod

Bedsit_Bob wrote: »

It would save you a fortune in dog food if, once a week, TVL sent a doorstepper, to climb over your gates.

I think that the RSPCA might be upset that they were only fed once a week, even if were free range TV License inspectors.

Karmacat

Interesting on the tv licence - but horrified to think that if it was abolished it might be paid for out of general taxation, no way! I've let it go a couple of months previously, and told them, and then renewed when I fancied it (when I've been ill, for instance, as GQ says). When this one runs out tho, I'm not renewing - I'm *so* disgusted by the payout to that bloke that was in charge for less than a couple of months - his golden handshake was half a mill, and Chris Woozit doubled it to a million, just to "ensure that it all happened quickly". Quoting from memory only, but I'm pretty sure the figures are right, though not the actual words. Thats our money!

I love some of the programmes the Beeb puts out, but that doesn't give them carte blanche. I'll catch some on iplayer, and buy/resell DVDs. My income, and my pension provision, are more important.

nuatha

GreyQueen wrote: »

Morning all.

Thanks, nuatha. I have a copy of pmagic on CD which is what my Wiz was using and boy was he cross that they've started charging for it; went back to the Aug 2013 version to get it for free. I need to ask some more questions and slow the Wiz down to my speed (or lack of ) of thinking to understand it. I'm clever, but not in an IT way.

Paragon still do a free version that is straightforward to use and reliable.

I've had SP3 for donkey's years, or is this a new version? And not sure about Essentials, I use it anyway and it updates itself, will it stop updating because it's running on an XP pooter?

Its the version that's been around for ages, its just many of the later updates won't work without SP3 being present. If you reinstal from scratch, it would be XP, SP3 then the other updates. (Or your Wiz may have slipsteamed an XP disc to have a number of the fixes.

I'm glad you have elderly pooters running. I think you'd like my Wiz, he's a very alternative sort of bloke, does lots of techy stuff for gigs plus outside broadcasts, works on small biz computers in the middle of the night so they don't lose valuable trading time.

We'd probably get on.

He also uses old computers at home, although he's running Linux apart from one he keep on Windows for those times he does coding. Because he isn't selling stuff, and he mends pooters for favoured peeps for 'a drink' plus cost for the part (and if he has a usable old part from his salvage, he'll want to use that for free) he isn't motivated to tell you that you need to junk good hardware. We've previously had a long discussion about whether this pooter could be uprated to Win 7 or 8 but with a 1.8 chip it would be very awkward. It's happily running twice as much RAM as the manufacturers intended, tho.

It might run 7 (though probably not wonderfully) but I really wouldn't recommend 8, even if it was capable. Most of the geeks I know have parts collections which we'd rather see used to keep old gear running than bin (I am not a hoarder ). My beyond use stuff ends up being turned into jewelry and art (not by me).
My standard consultancy fee is a cup of tea, though I do invoice my commercial clients in sterling.

VJsmum wrote: »

I agree, between the BBC TV stations (which I don't watch that often, but enjoy being ad free when I do); everything on I player and the
Radio I think it's pretty good value too. I appreciate that you don't need the licence for the latter - but how would some of these excellent programmes get made otherwise? I appreciate the moral argument, and some of the collection methods need questioning, but i also think it's a small amount to pay to get the quality of most of what they put out.

I agree, though I do think the license fee might be better as part of general taxation.

GreyQueen wrote: »

The UK is an international laughing-stock because we have a TV license and an unelected upper chamber.

I know wikipedia isn't necessary the most reliable source: "half of the countries in Asia and Africa, and two-thirds of the countries in Europe use television licences to fund public television" Source

20 odd years ago I would have put myself up against a wall and shot myself for the following statement.
I'm pleased we have an unelected second chamber, it has curbed several excesses of government - and tried to prevent several more.
Whether that statement is a sign of maturity, stupidity or despair I'm not sure.

GreyQueen

Frugalsod wrote: »

I think that the RSPCA might be upset that they were only fed once a week, even if were free range TV License inspectors.

Never mind feeding the TVL peeps to the dogs, what you want to do is have some of my neighbours. Please - have some of my neighbours!

I was carded about 4 years ago by them and they threatened to come back and never did. I reckon they knocked on some nearby doors and met some of The Neighbours. Some of them are hardcore bada$$es and you wouldn't want to meet them down a dark alley. Or on a sunny boulevard, come to think of it.:rotfl:

nuatha, re the House of Lords, I regard it as anathema to a democracy to have hereditories, clerics of certain faiths and political placemen and placewomen having any say in our legislation. Make a big donation and get a peerage? How is that anything less than corruption? And collecting hundreds of ££ per day for attending, even if the 'attendance' is just effectively clocking in and out to get their money? And there are far too many of the beggars.

Granted, they may occasionally do some good, but a stopped clock tells the right time twice a day as well. Cut their numbers by 75% and make fight via the polls for short, fixed-term positions.

paidinchickens

The good old TV licence debate

Is anyone around that can help me please? or help me to help someone else.

Thurday a friend of ours moved into his new house and this morning Anglian Water have been round to say the leak that has been reported twice is on the property side of the meter so he will be liable for the repairs :eek:

Now I know it should be a case of "tell him to get on to his solicitor" but the AW man said that once he has reported it the issuing letter will state that he only has 30 days to repair the leak.

The poor fellow is a pensioner, half blind and diabetic so he moved to a small bungalow for a quiet life.

So far the boiler leaked, the plug sockets have been wired wrong, there was a live electrical cable dangling and some roof tiles are missing. Luckily DH is an electrician so he has been there sorting stuff so it's safe but the poor bloke has had enough.

Any advice please

ETA the leak is under the long drive somewhere so it would involve either survey equipment or the whole lot getting dug up.

jk0

paidinchickens wrote: »

The good old TV licence debate

Is anyone around that can help me please? or help me to help someone else.

Thurday a friend of ours moved into his new house and this morning Anglian Water have been round to say the leak that has been reported twice is on the property side of the meter so he will be liable for the repairs :eek:

Now I know it should be a case of "tell him to get on to his solicitor" but the AW man said that once he has reported it the issuing letter will state that he only has 30 days to repair the leak.

The poor fellow is a pensioner, half blind and diabetic so he moved to a small bungalow for a quiet life.

So far the boiler leaked, the plug sockets have been wired wrong, there was a live electrical cable dangling and some roof tiles are missing. Luckily DH is an electrician so he has been there sorting stuff so it's safe but the poor bloke has had enough.

Any advice please

ETA the leak is under the long drive somewhere so it would involve either survey equipment or the whole lot getting dug up.

Has he got buildings insurance? I would have thought they ought to pay for finding leaks.

greenbee

They should do one free repair during your time in the property. And actually, they are frequently wrong. I was told several times there was a leak on my property, but it was a shared supply and they usually ended up locating it a long way away. Do you know a plumber who could advise him?

maryb

Thank Goodness for knowledgeable people - many thanks for all the help on the computer. Lord knows, Sony were no help. I emailed customer support and all they came up with was to try a different brand of disc. Err it's not a disc problem, the program won't even let me get as far as inserting a disc.

I do have multiple backups of all my files, I've always been fanatical about that. Including keeping a portable hard drive at my sister's - she brings it over once a month and I update the files. My whole life is on my computer. I know that if we had an EMP it would exacerbate the shtfness of it all, but I do rely on it

nuatha

GreyQueen wrote: »

nuatha, re the House of Lords, I regard it as anathema to a democracy to have hereditories, clerics of certain faiths and political placemen and placewomen having any say in our legislation. Make a big donation and get a peerage? How is that anything less than corruption? And collecting hundreds of ££ per day for attending, even if the 'attendance' is just effectively clocking in and out to get their money? And there are far too many of the beggars.

I agree its anathema in a democracy - but we don't have a democracy.

Granted, they may occasionally do some good, but a stopped clock tells the right time twice a day as well. Cut their numbers by 75% and make fight via the polls for short, fixed-term positions.

I'm tempted to argue for longer fixed single terms, on the basis that with no possibility of re-election then there should be less chance of playing media popularity games. Longer term because I want them to take a longer view than politicos tend to. I have no problem about cutting numbers, monies and automatic appointments whether from birth or office.

Returning to backups.
I don't have any faith in Cloud Storage - and in particular free cloud storage. I advise multiple backups on different media - Optical disc, External hard drive and USB memory stick and where ever possible, multiple locations. Essential data is worth having hard copy as well

If its not important then don't worry about backing it up - conversely if its important then several backups is not overkill. I've spent long days recovering data from dead hard drives - it isn't always possible and it is always expensive.