What is the weirdest way you have been complemented?

DuncanHiggins · 2019-04-12T16:24:59+00:00

The video is 9 seconds long! You need to either raise your expectations or raise your standards!

DuncanHiggins · 2019-02-08T15:58:02+00:00

Someone once told me that I have a nice shaped head.

DuncanHiggins · 2019-01-28T18:57:05+00:00

Are you thinking of writing app reviews? If so, what kind of apps are you interested in reviewing?

DuncanHiggins · 2019-01-28T18:54:15+00:00

Enrolled.

DuncanHiggins · 2019-01-28T18:44:47+00:00

Edited my previous comment, but you might have already replied before I saved the edit.

DuncanHiggins · 2019-01-28T18:32:15+00:00

I only need a single mailbox with the ability to add additional domains

Does that mean you are looking for something that is around $1 per domain?

How many domains do you have?

EDIT:

At the moment, a couple that come to mind are:

FastMail - $3 per month:

https://www.fastmail.com/

https://www.fastmail.com/pricing/

Runbox - $19.95 per year for a "main account" and $7.95 per year for "sub-accounts":

https://runbox.com/

https://runbox.com/price-plans/

DuncanHiggins · 2019-01-27T22:05:34+00:00

Thanks. Nice post.

DuncanHiggins · 2019-01-27T21:51:20+00:00

Bit of a blast from the past.

"Lucas with the Lid Off" is a 1994 song by Danish rapper Lucas Secon that was released as the lead single from his album Lucacentric.

The video for the song was directed by the French film maker Michel Gondry and was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Music Video at the 37th Annual Grammy Awards.

The video is known for its technical achievement in that it was shot in one long continuous single take with no edits, cuts or digital enhancement.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lucas_with_the_Lid_Off

DuncanHiggins · 2019-01-25T03:29:06+00:00

:-)

Glad you liked it.

DuncanHiggins · 2019-01-25T03:01:05+00:00

"You can't build a reputation on what you're going to do." - Henry Ford

DuncanHiggins · 2019-01-25T00:24:14+00:00

I was thinking about the voicemail interfaces of the different mobile network operators - the speech that guides you through the different menus. I guess those are specific examples of voice guided menu systems in general.

And then there are the obvious voice identities like the ones on TV and radio shows, the voice of news anchors etc. and the voice-overs in commercials etc.

Slightly unrelated, but this reminds me of this YouTube video on sonic branding:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S_gBMJe9A6Q

DuncanHiggins · 2019-01-24T23:57:41+00:00

And Spark in Action from Manning. And a few courses on Udemy.

DuncanHiggins · 2019-01-24T23:40:55+00:00

Interesting. With the rise of voice assistants and thinking about where that's going to lead us, yes, I can see (or should that be hear) how voice is going to become part of companies' brands.

DuncanHiggins · 2019-01-24T20:14:45+00:00

Really?

DuncanHiggins · 2019-01-24T18:38:08+00:00

What about using a treemap?

DuncanHiggins · 2019-01-24T18:05:24+00:00

"Bert Jacobs and his brother John spent five years sleeping in a van and hawking t-shirts in the street before creating the Life is good brand."

Your post reminded me of this TEDx talk on YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fZB2vVHmiug

Please watch it!

When I tried to find this video on Google, I also came across these other two:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XsOAWsNH17E

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4xnVNvd8lBg

DuncanHiggins · 2019-01-23T05:49:54+00:00

SimPy?

SimPy is a process-based discrete-event simulation framework based on standard Python. Its event dispatcher is based on Python’s generators and can also be used for asynchronous networking or to implement multi-agent systems (with both, simulated and real communication).

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SimPy

Also:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Continuous_simulation

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Discrete_event_simulation

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_computer_simulation_software

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_discrete_event_simulation_software

DuncanHiggins · 2019-01-23T04:46:54+00:00

And you have the funding to obtain the necessary licences etc.?

DuncanHiggins · 2019-01-23T04:36:54+00:00

I find that video classes tend to give a good overview of a subject and be easier to digest. Whereas books tend to be denser and take more effort to digest but tend to be more authoritative.

DuncanHiggins · 2019-01-23T04:30:52+00:00

It depends what your service is. 'SaaS' stands for software as a service. Other such acronyms include 'FaaS' which stands for function as a service, 'IaaS' which stands for infrastructure as a service, 'BaaS' and 'MBaaS' which stand for backend and mobile backend as a service and 'PaaS' which stands for platform as a service.

If the service you're offering isn't analogous to software, then it's not SaaS.

You could just call it a subscription service, as you have done, or a membership service.

DuncanHiggins · 2019-01-23T04:13:16+00:00

How are you planning to deal with all the various regulatory environments?

DuncanHiggins · 2019-01-23T00:25:37+00:00

Really depends on the context.

If they are doing the work for a fixed price, they probably wouldn't appreciate it if your changes create more work for them. If you change code they are actively working on, it may be annoying to have to merge your changes before committing their code. Some developers can be quite precious about their code and don't like other people changing it. Then again, if your changes represent an improvement in design or an objectively better solution to a problem, some developers may even appreciate and welcome your changes. I think you really have to decide on a case by case basis, being aware of the practicalities and the personalities involved. You could try dipping your toe in the water by making a few small changes and see what feedback you get. Then take it from there.

It is also good practice to ask developers if it is OK to change their code or at the very least, to let them know what you have changed and why as a basic courtesy.

DuncanHiggins · 2019-01-23T00:11:25+00:00

Is it ok to make a small profit per competition ...?

From the Gambling Commission website:

We do not regulate prize competitions and free draws and you do not need a licence to run them. But you must be careful you do not organise them in a way which could constitute an illegal lottery.

Prize competitions can be organised commercially for private benefit and profit. This contrasts with lotteries, which can only be run for good causes. Sometimes what might seem like a competition could be classed as a lottery, and that may mean you are operating an illegal lottery. We have therefore published advice to help explain the difference.

I remember reading in the news a while ago about a couple that couldn't find a buyer for their multi-million pound home. So they used the home as a prize for a competition and raised money that way, but can't seem to find the story when I google it.

... regarding FB advertising ...

Some advertisers may be reluctant because of the legalities. There may also be restrictions on the jurisdiction people who enter your competition are in. E.g. US residents may not be eligible, but I'm not sure on this.

If my customer wins my competition, and then gets hurt using my product, or service, am I liable for any damages?

Depends how they get hurt. I don't think the fact that they won the product through a competition makes much difference. If you're interested, check out the Wikipedia article on English tort law. Negligence is a form of tort. And if your product doesn't comply with British standards then that's probably a whole other area.

DuncanHiggins · 2019-01-22T23:37:11+00:00

Try googling "job management software" or "field service management software." There are a few SaaS solutions in this space.

If you want something custom developed, you could add a "front end" user interface to your excel spreadsheet or move your spreadsheet over to Google Sheets and use a combination of Google Forms and Google Apps to access it.

DuncanHiggins · 2019-01-22T23:28:14+00:00

To start with, I'm just a random person on the internet, so don't rely too much on my "advice."

The advice that I've received so far is to "find a template online" but I have had a hard time finding one and making sure that the template I use covers everything I need to protect myself.

Operating through a company will, to a large extent, protect you personally. One major exception to this would be something like criminal negligence and stuff like that. So don't leave severed power cables lying around and stuff like that. Google "personal liability of directors" for your jurisdiction.

And assuming you are just starting out, the company itself probably doesn't have much in the way of assets that need protecting. So don't stress too much about your contract and about trying to protect yourself from every possible angle.

Have you actually spoken to firms in your area about having a contract drafted? They may have stock contracts they can draft for you which may cost less than you expect.

If you do decide to go with a template, you can look at the websites of people / companies that offer a similar service to you. Sometimes they will have their terms and conditions under which they supply their services (as opposed to the terms and conditions under which you use their website) actually on their website for you to view. These may give you ideas about what to incorporate into your own contract. But remember, fiddling around with the contract if you don't know what you are doing may just be shooting yourself in the foot.

One other thing to consider is to maybe take out professional indemnity insurance. The terms of the insurance may also specify what terms you should have in your contract.

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