In message , at 16:26:09 on Thu, 18 Nov
2010, d remarked:

As my day-job is doing lobbying activity,

Thats a job?

Yes, trying to persuade people to make sensible decisions.

In fact half of what's posted in this newsgroup would be lobbying, if
actually delivered direct to the ToC, DfT, Network Rail, or whoever else
is being told how "we think" they should perform their role differently
or better.
--
Roland Perry

On Thu, 18 Nov 2010 19:02:14 +0000
Roland Perry wrote:
In message , at 16:26:09 on Thu, 18 Nov
2010, d remarked:

As my day-job is doing lobbying activity,

Thats a job?

Yes, trying to persuade people to make sensible decisions.

Otherwise known as vested interests trying to have things their own way.

Sorry , thats not a job, its a hobby. Please tell me you're not in some
government funded quango.

B2003

In message , at 10:12:57 on Fri, 19 Nov
2010, d remarked:
As my day-job is doing lobbying activity,

Thats a job?

Yes, trying to persuade people to make sensible decisions.

Otherwise known as vested interests trying to have things their own way.

Most of the work I do is in areas like Cybercrime where there are three
camps (four if you count the criminals).

Government and Police want more control.
ISPs and content providers say it's not their problem.
Civil society either wants to preserve privacy (even if that means
crimes go un-punished) or completely oppositely want more to be done
because individual people are suffering a lot.

Which of those are "vested interests" - not sure the term really
applies. There are opposing interests, and in a democracy the one that
blinks first is generally going to be on the losing side. Losing, as in
"the balance will swing towards the others".

You are perhaps blissfully unaware how many of the freedoms and services
you have are down to the work of lobbyists.

Sorry , thats not a job, its a hobby.

A bit of a strange remark, seeing as how this subthread started by me
being asked if I was a member of a lobbying association (for
freelancers). They seem to think it's a job.

Pleas e tell me you're not in some government funded quango.

No, but I work with a lot of Government Departments. Don't know which
you'd call quangos - but as the original topic was workers rights, what
do you think (eg) of Employment Tribunals, and of people who lobby
Parliament to get more employee-friendly legislation passed?
--
Roland Perry

On Fri, 19 Nov 2010 12:53:08 +0000
Which of those are "vested interests" - not sure the term really
applies. There are opposing interests, and in a democracy the one that
blinks first is generally going to be on the losing side. Losing, as in
"the balance will swing towards the others".

Vested interests because money is usually involved and the side with the
most money can afford the mosy lobbyists and other forms of persuation.

You are perhaps blissfully unaware how many of the freedoms and services
you have are down to the work of lobbyists.

I think you're confusing lobbyists with campaigners. Campaigners do it
because they believe in it. People such as yourself do it because you're
paid to.

A bit of a strange remark, seeing as how this subthread started by me
being asked if I was a member of a lobbying association (for
freelancers). They seem to think it's a job.

Its a job in the sense of a wage, not in the sense of something with a
useful purpose.

you'd call quangos - but as the original topic was workers rights, what
do you think (eg) of Employment Tribunals, and of people who lobby
Parliament to get more employee-friendly legislation passed?

We have enough employee friendly legislation already.

B2003

In message , at 13:35:37 on Fri, 19 Nov
2010, d remarked:
On Fri, 19 Nov 2010 12:53:08 +0000
Which of those are "vested interests" - not sure the term really
applies. There are opposing interests, and in a democracy the one that
blinks first is generally going to be on the losing side. Losing, as in
"the balance will swing towards the others".

Vested interests because money is usually involved and the side with the
most money can afford the mosy lobbyists and other forms of persuation.

The person with the best argument can win, even with very little
funding. All the money in the world won't make a broken argument stick
(assuming there's anyone at all calling their bluff).

You are perhaps blissfully unaware how many of the freedoms and services
you have are down to the work of lobbyists.

I think you're confusing lobbyists with campaigners. Campaigners do it
because they believe in it. People such as yourself do it because you're
paid to.

The two things are not mutually exclusive.

I don't find it difficult to lobby against Spam, I dislike it as much
any many campaigners; and people who don't think Spam is a problem are
probably people who haven't been exposed to it - therefore the lobbying
is more like education.

A bit of a strange remark, seeing as how this subthread started by me
being asked if I was a member of a lobbying association (for
freelancers). They seem to think it's a job.

Its a job in the sense of a wage, not in the sense of something with a
useful purpose.

It can be both. Rule-changes will typically be beneficial to some
people, and a hindrance to others. Government is about balancing the
different priorities. But it's not good for that to happen from a
position of ignorance.

you'd call quangos - but as the original topic was workers rights, what
do you think (eg) of Employment Tribunals, and of people who lobby
Parliament to get more employee-friendly legislation passed?

We have enough employee friendly legislation already.

And how do you think it got like that?
--
Roland Perry

On Fri, Nov 19, 2010 at 12:53:08PM +0000, Roland Perry wrote in response
to Boltar:

No, but I work with a lot of Government Departments. Don't know which
you'd call quangos - but as the original topic was workers rights, what
do you think (eg) of Employment Tribunals, and of people who lobby
Parliament to get more employee-friendly legislation passed?

They're obviously godless communists. Especially the employment
tribunals, as they sometimes find - for no good reason - in favour of
the bolshie union member.

--
David Cantrell | Hero of the Information Age

EINE KIRCHE! EIN KREDO! EIN PAPST!

On Nov 23, 12:27*pm, David Cantrell wrote:
On Fri, Nov 19, 2010 at 12:53:08PM +0000, Roland Perry wrote in response
to Boltar:

No, but I work with a lot of Government Departments. Don't know which
you'd call quangos - but as the original topic was workers rights, what
do you think (eg) of Employment Tribunals, and of people who lobby
Parliament to get more employee-friendly legislation passed?

They're obviously godless communists. *Especially the employment
tribunals, as they sometimes find - for no good reason - in favour of
the bolshie union member.

--
David Cantrell | Hero of the Information Age

EINE KIRCHE! EIN KREDO! EIN PAPST!

I wonder if there will be a threatened tube strike for the Friday
after Easter?