AWS profits

[DoctorStrangelove]

That's why I said that. If we spent less on getting outside shonky doing the business we could invest more on inside shonky and perhaps get more for our money and systems that fit the requirement.

A long time ago in the 1950's the government built its own data centres and trained its own developers. They had to go to civil servants and ask if they wanted to be this new thing called a programmer. Wonderful things ensued, technology was pushed forward and we produced people with newly required skills. Now we've abdicated that to buying everything, normally from abroad, at great cost to both our current and future prosperity

Managed decline, dear boy, managed decline.

After all did you see the boat "we" used in the Med last week? At least it didn't have oars. .

[WTFH]

That's why I said that. If we spent less on getting outside shonky doing the business we could invest more on inside shonky and perhaps get more for our money and systems that fit the requirement.

A long time ago in the 1950's the government built its own data centres and trained its own developers. They had to go to civil servants and ask if they wanted to be this new thing called a programmer. Wonderful things ensued, technology was pushed forward and we produced people with newly required skills. Now we've abdicated that to buying everything, normally from abroad, at great cost to both our current and future prosperity

Wait till you hear about who owned and maintained the water, the electricity, the gas, and the telephones in the UK in the 1950s. All "abdicated" as you put it, under Heath and Thatcher, on the promise of competition, improvement in quality and reduction in cost. Now it's owned by refinanced debt so that managers and shareholders get payouts and UK citizens suffer.

[jamesbrown]

I hear AtW profits are up since he opened a soft furnishings outlet next to his kebab shop.

[malvolio]

Wait till you hear about who owned and maintained the water, the electricity, the gas, and the telephones in the UK in the 1950s. All "abdicated" as you put it, under Heath and Thatcher, on the promise of competition, improvement in quality and reduction in cost. Now it's owned by refinanced debt so that managers and shareholders get payouts and UK citizens suffer.

Is that the fault of de-nationalisation or the fault of Ofcom/Ofgem/Ofwat/Ofpiste quangos who failed to regulate the businesses? O that of the civil servants who drafted the contracts who failed to include proper parameters for service delivery?

BTW, in the 70s we had a three week wait for a telephone and a four week wait for the bedside extension for my other half who was an on call emergency worker. Buy a cooker, wait two weeks for an electrician to connect it. Most of the pubic services worked to the same timescales.

[WTFH]

BTW, in the 70s we had a three week wait for a telephone and a four week wait for the bedside extension for my other half who was an on call emergency worker. Buy a cooker, wait two weeks for an electrician to connect it. Most of the pubic services worked to the same timescales.

Yes, you're right, in the 70s, Heath caused the 3 day week, and you had to wait 30 years to get broadband installed.

Definitely no responsibility for the state of the UK infrastructure should ever be blamed on private businesses or conservative governments, it's always the fault of evil civil servants, communist labour governments, and regulators who don't do enough. Is that better? Do you know which governments want less regulation, have less concern for the country and only concern to shareholders?

[malvolio]

Yes, you're right, in the 70s, Heath caused the 3 day week, and you had to wait 30 years to get broadband installed.

Definitely no responsibility for the state of the UK infrastructure should ever be blamed on private businesses or conservative governments, it's always the fault of evil civil servants, communist labour governments, and regulators who don't do enough. Is that better? Do you know which governments want less regulation, have less concern for the country and only concern to shareholders?

Not what I said. Yet again. Your bias over political issues is getting tedious. Or do you really believe ministers spend their time discussing the minutiae of 100-page contracts and ITTs with service providers before they are awarded? Ministers set policy, which are broad-brush intentions, the detail is passed down to their Departments for implementation.

When you actually understand both realpolitik and how government contracts are drafted and awarded, then perhaps we could have a conversation about what is really the nature of the problem.

Incidentally, Heath called the three day week as a reaction to the strikes the unions were calling across a range of public services. Thatcher gave government to tools to stop that kind of power over national interests. Rayner is now determined to reverse all those changes, despite union membership halving since the 70s (near 14m out of 24m workers then to about 6m out of 30m now and declining). HTH. BIDI.

[sadkingbilly]

Not what I said. Yet again. Your bias over political issues is getting tedious..

oh, the ironing!