User Profile

[Dorkeaux]

Agree with the Dyson cordless.
They do an "Animal" version with optimal accessories for pet hair.

I like the modular nature of the Dyson.
You have to learn how to clean the filters, and keep the vacuum itself clean.
Lots of third-party spares, useful to have...

[Dorkeaux]

I doubt the ClientCo HR blacklist lists the one-man limited company name.
It will be the contractor name that is blacklisted.

Also, ClientCo isn't wringing their hands over being on your one man band tulip list. No one cares.
On the other hand, ClientCos that have a greater...

[Dorkeaux]

Not. The agents are neuro-linguistically programmed to say this....

[Dorkeaux]

I did a little research, and come to find that a lot of big companies maintain blacklists.
It seems that this is legal, as long as you don't compile or use compiled lists across companies.
In the UK. In spite of GDPR.
This astonishes me. No transparency nor due process, some b*llen*...

[Dorkeaux]

Sorry to hear it.

That brings up an interesting point. At the risk of setting off the tinfoil hat enthusiasts.

What do you mean by "no-hire list"? Is this kept by the client, the agency or is it shared more broadly?
It sounds from your description like the...

[Dorkeaux]

I don't understand..

The FCSA page says they are UK based. True, but I can see on the Companies House website that they are owned by Quitron Holdings (a Uk company) that in turn is owned by Quitron Ltd, a Cypriot company.

So, is it risky for contractors to use them if the...

[Dorkeaux]

Bonne chance, geezer....

[Dorkeaux]

You should definitely speak to a specialist mortgage broker.
I used John Charcol around 20 years ago, a young lady there called Sara Maxwell was very helpful with our weird joint contractor/foreigner situation.

But this info might be very dated.
A LLM search brings up Freelancer...

[Dorkeaux]

My cousin contracts in this market, but in Ottawa.
Fascinating work, but very insular as far as I understand.
He's never out of work, but there are only a few dozen that do it in that market. Mainly the defense industry.
They get their work through word of mouth.

Avonleigh...

[Dorkeaux]

Certainly they will get their just desserts....

[Dorkeaux]

The often improvised and non-sensical vetting and demands for information that contractors are often subjected to really grinds my corn.

The photo might be for efficiency as mentioned. Were it requested in advance of an interview, i might be suspicious of racial, age or gender profiling....

[Dorkeaux]

Your use case is becoming more clear.
I think Unraid is a solid choice for home use, good on you for not cheaping out.
It makes good use of different-sized disks (as you know). Most traditional RAID schemes truncate the disk sizes to match the smallest drive in the pool.

Regarding...

[Dorkeaux]

I understand that for many people (particularly introverted dorks like us) work might be the prime (or only) opportunity to get out of the house and socialise.

But does no one else have clubs, choirs, temple/church/mosque, gigs, band practice, industry events, football matches, five a side...

[Dorkeaux]

AH haha... I did not recognise the quote, obviously. Trying to find an "embarrassed" emoji, this will have to do: ...

[Dorkeaux]

I'm rather old. I believe in taking care of myself and a balanced diet and occasional walks. In the morning if my face is a little puffy I shrug and brush my teeth. If I get the urge to do 1000 stomach crunches and report it on a contractor forum I lie down until the feeling passes. In the shower...

[Dorkeaux]

The use case affects what drive you buy, obviously.

For example, if you are using the drive in a RAID scheme there are features like error recovery on many hard drives that can cause problems.
Also, in general drives should be of the same size, but different brands/models (in case...

[Dorkeaux]

I get this, I also have enough mates.

However, I have other catagories of acquaintances that I value greatly.

Family, neighbours, colleagues, bandmates, romantic partners (OK, only one of these. But there was a time..)
Each of these groups are very important to me....

[Dorkeaux]

With respect Schumster, the CilentCos don't really care if you disagree, or if you have a pleasant place to run.
It's them driving the change in working practices for the most part.

I think it's all to the good.
I have some very longstanding and productive relationships with...

[Dorkeaux]

I find the contract work I've taken since well before COVID follows the pattern Herman describes.

My clients say two days a week during the contract negotiations, but the actually don't want me in the office once the contract starts.

The nature of the work has adapted. Even...

[Dorkeaux]

Excellent. Don't get greedy now! ...