Here is the news....

[Chrisch]

Fortunately for most of the subscription only models such as those you mention, there are (mostly) equally good alternatives out there which are still one off payments or even free. MS do actually have Office available outwith the 365 subscription (MS Office 2021) although it is kept hidden quite well in their website.

True, but there is no accounting software that is either open source or on a perpetual licence. Kingsoft is a decent replacement for the MS office product and at least MS honour the old software - our office 2016 DVD will still install and works OK even if it is not the latest version.

The Sage is the one pissing me off right now as it has given me a lot of grief. Our server needs replacement (2008 R2) and the idiot that came to hook up a Win10 PC couldn't connect it so our LAN really needs an update or go Win10 peer to peer. MS (spit) promised 10 was the last ever OS but now they have 11 and 10 will run out in a couple of years. Basically I need to spend a few grand to replace a LAN that works just fine. A new server - hardware - is less than 500 notes it is the OS and all the other stuff that makes it expensive.

While I am moaning (sorry) all the hardware thrown away tends to end in landfill. (I recycle - most don't) or you have to pay for WEE collections (£20 per PC at our commercial tip) [PS Currys will take old PCs free - but no WEE certificate for the business]

My old catalogue is in Adobe and you cannot convert it to another format so stuck with that. As a result we junked the catalogue....

[Energy58]

True, but there is no accounting software that is either open source or on a perpetual licence. Kingsoft is a decent replacement for the MS office product and at least MS honour the old software - our office 2016 DVD will still install and works OK even if it is not the latest version.

Why would they - they are in league with HMRC: once they got the "make tax digital" thing through the dollar signs lit up in their little eyes because the tax code etc changes every year (or more) so they have a completely captive market who need to buy up to date software or face potentially eye-watering fines. Same with online self assessment - the HMRC's piss-poor online effort simply doesn't work if you have even mildly exotic tax affairs (like overseas income) so you need to buy new commercial software every single ****ing year just so you can pay HMRC. Its not big bucks but multiplied by millions its a lot of money for something the Government should and could provide - its their bloody decisions that write such a complex tax code after all!

[Chrisch]

Why would they - they are in league with HMRC: once they got the "make tax digital" thing through the dollar signs lit up in their little eyes because the tax code etc changes every year (or more) so they have a completely captive market who need to buy up to date software or face potentially eye-watering fines. Same with online self assessment - the HMRC's piss-poor online effort simply doesn't work if you have even mildly exotic tax affairs (like overseas income) so you need to buy new commercial software every single ****ing year just so you can pay HMRC. Its not big bucks but multiplied by millions its a lot of money for something the Government should and could provide - its their bloody decisions that write such a complex tax code after all!

That's what happens when you elect governments that outsource everything to their friends. Tax was digital - we could file our VAT on the portal in under a minute then the revenue direct debitted the money at the due date. Now you have to have an extension on the software so it has an API with the revenue software. My accountant filed our VAT for less than the cost of the add on software (subscription only). The new Sage has it built in so my accountant is out of pocket.

The whole thrust is to take the piss out of small business - we are just a 'mark' for the big companies that pay for Boris' wallpaper. The UK is not a democracy it is a gangster racket.

[barnaby_s]

True, but there is no accounting software that is either open source or on a perpetual licence. Kingsoft is a decent replacement for the MS office product and at least MS honour the old software - our office 2016 DVD will still install and works OK even if it is not the latest version.

The Sage is the one pissing me off right now as it has given me a lot of grief. Our server needs replacement (2008 R2) and the idiot that came to hook up a Win10 PC couldn't connect it so our LAN really needs an update or go Win10 peer to peer. MS (spit) promised 10 was the last ever OS but now they have 11 and 10 will run out in a couple of years. Basically I need to spend a few grand to replace a LAN that works just fine. A new server - hardware - is less than 500 notes it is the OS and all the other stuff that makes it expensive.

While I am moaning (sorry) all the hardware thrown away tends to end in landfill. (I recycle - most don't) or you have to pay for WEE collections (£20 per PC at our commercial tip) [PS Currys will take old PCs free - but no WEE certificate for the business]

My old catalogue is in Adobe and you cannot convert it to another format so stuck with that. As a result we junked the catalogue....

You can often find places that will pick up WEEE for free (and provide a certificate), might have to pay for CRT monitors though

[steelemonkey]

You can often find places that will pick up WEEE for free (and provide a certificate), might have to pay for CRT monitors though

Were they not called night soil men in the old days.

[jamesp]

https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/uknew...3c3d613964f20c

[Jay_Benson]

https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/uknew...3c3d613964f20c

That is an interesting article. Thank you. The last paragraph was an amazing thing - I didn’t realise she could do anything remotely useful.

[Ian@1904]

That is an interesting article. Thank you. The last paragraph was an amazing thing - I didn’t realise she could do anything remotely useful.

Probably has time on her hands due to a cancelled Netflix subscription.

[barnaby_s]

Trevor Small who found the wreck is the skipper of The Rocket, aka Uber Scuba.
I have dived from it a couple of times and thought it was a good set up

[cazyoung]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-englan...shire-62231899

Fcuking morons I hope the firefighters turned their hoses on those who were BBQing nearby as per article