Web Hosting is an important part of a successful website. Good web hosting will mean your website is available for Internet users all over the world to view with minimal problems. Poor web hosting, though, could cause no end of problems including much downtime.
When deciding which hosting company to go with you will have a choice of whether to go with free hosting or paid hosting. There are many negatives with free hosting. Your site will likely have adverts, your domain name may have the hosting company’s name in it, and there will be many restrictions to your site.
The service is generally much better with paid hosting. Compared to free hosting, paid hosting is much more preferable for business websites; in fact almost essential. You will not be forced into having adverts on your website, and you will be able to choose which, if any, adverts you do have. Unlike free hosting, with paid hosting you will have many different options. The type of hosting you will need will vary greatly depending on your websites requirements. You may have a basic website, or you may have large databases, and different types of media such as videos. The type of hosting will vary based on these requirements. Basic hosting with minimal bandwidth may be all that is required or you may need more advanced packages such as colocation or managed hosting. You might want to take full care of your website yourself or you might want someone else to do it for you. Not surprisingly there is a large difference in price depending on the company and package you go for. Hosting can cost anywhere between £30 a year and thousand of pounds per year. Prices are generally coming down, as an increase in Internet users has produced more competition.
Problems are more likely with free hosting and these problems are less likely to be resolved. Free hosting has a lack of support so issues often remain unresolved for a long period of time. These problems are less likely with paid hosting, and they will be more likely resolved quickly if they do appear. The host will be easily contactable, often offering 24-hour support. So if you notice any problems or just need some assistance you will be able to contact them. There are other extras such as statistics of your visitors that are available with paid hosting. As they are making more of a profit these companies can afford to provide a better service. They will also suffer more if your leave them to take your business elsewhere so they want to provide a service you are happy with.
There are thousands of web hosts to choose from. If you are targeting a particular geographical area (whether an area of a country, a specific country, or a wider area such as all of Europe) it is an advantage to have your website hosted by a company based around the area.
When going for paid hosting it is important to choose the right host. You will need someone who provides everything that you require, but at the same time will not want to pay for services that you do not require.
Andrew Marshall ©
Colocation
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
The Pitfalls of Free Web Hosting
For your website to appear on the Internet you need your site to be hosted and for that you need a Web Hosting company. Web Hosting is an expanding market and there are thousands of web hosts vying for your business. The services vary vastly between them as does the costs. Among the pricing options is free hosting. Getting something for free always sounds good, but there are many downsides to free hosting.
So you may be wondering how some hosting companies can make a profit if they are offering their services for free. The reason is that they generate advertising revenue. The problem is that this advertising is on your site. The vast majority of free web hosts will put adverts on your website, and you will be unable to decide which adverts appear. This means that the adverts on your site could have nothing to do with your niche, and this will not look good to your visitors. And it’s not always just a small advert discreetly put on your site. The adverts often include pop up advert that can irritate visitors.
It will come as no surprise that the service is nowhere near as good quality as what you will get for paid hosting. There will likely be many limitations to what you can have on your website and the size of it. There will be limited web space and bandwidth. Therefore you will be unable to have a large number of images or videos. It will also mean that the site will be unable to handle a large number of visitors. Free webhosts don’t want to host large sites as this will cost them more. The more bandwidth that is necessary the more it costs. Paid-for hosts will charge you more for larger sites, but as free hosts do not charge you anything they want to keep websites small.
With paid-for hosting you are able to choose your website address (URL). This is often not the case with free hosting though, where your domain name may include the title of the company you are hosted with. This is certainly not good if your website is for business purposes. FTP access is often restricted with free hosting, so you may be unable to make changes to your site when you want to.
If your website is an e-commerce site then free web hosting will not be an option, and they do not offer this type of hosting. For advanced hosting packages such as Dedicated Hosting, Managed Hosting or Colocation you will also have to go elsewhere.
There is one very obvious positive with free hosting – it is free. They are mostly used by beginners with simple requirements. The packaged are restricted, but they can be sufficient for simple, static sites. People often host blogs with free hosts, as they may not require any advanced features. Personal sites that only friends and family are going to visit are another type of website that could be hosted with a free host. If your website is a business site though, then a paid-for host is almost essential for the site to have a successful impact on the business.
Andrew Marshall ©
Colocation
So you may be wondering how some hosting companies can make a profit if they are offering their services for free. The reason is that they generate advertising revenue. The problem is that this advertising is on your site. The vast majority of free web hosts will put adverts on your website, and you will be unable to decide which adverts appear. This means that the adverts on your site could have nothing to do with your niche, and this will not look good to your visitors. And it’s not always just a small advert discreetly put on your site. The adverts often include pop up advert that can irritate visitors.
It will come as no surprise that the service is nowhere near as good quality as what you will get for paid hosting. There will likely be many limitations to what you can have on your website and the size of it. There will be limited web space and bandwidth. Therefore you will be unable to have a large number of images or videos. It will also mean that the site will be unable to handle a large number of visitors. Free webhosts don’t want to host large sites as this will cost them more. The more bandwidth that is necessary the more it costs. Paid-for hosts will charge you more for larger sites, but as free hosts do not charge you anything they want to keep websites small.
With paid-for hosting you are able to choose your website address (URL). This is often not the case with free hosting though, where your domain name may include the title of the company you are hosted with. This is certainly not good if your website is for business purposes. FTP access is often restricted with free hosting, so you may be unable to make changes to your site when you want to.
If your website is an e-commerce site then free web hosting will not be an option, and they do not offer this type of hosting. For advanced hosting packages such as Dedicated Hosting, Managed Hosting or Colocation you will also have to go elsewhere.
There is one very obvious positive with free hosting – it is free. They are mostly used by beginners with simple requirements. The packaged are restricted, but they can be sufficient for simple, static sites. People often host blogs with free hosts, as they may not require any advanced features. Personal sites that only friends and family are going to visit are another type of website that could be hosted with a free host. If your website is a business site though, then a paid-for host is almost essential for the site to have a successful impact on the business.
Andrew Marshall ©
Colocation
Monday, August 24, 2009
China’s manufacturing increase – An Overview
Manufacturing in China has increased dramatically in the last couples of decades, and is increasing more rapidly all the time. As China continues to develop, its economic and manufacturing power and influence is certain to keep on rising. China’s population is huge, currently standing at over 1.3 billion, which is around 20% of the world’s total. It had previously been very much a small player within manufacturing but with its development and massive population its potential in this area is unquestionable.
China is now becoming an important force in the economic world, and this has had a particularly large affect on manufacturing. For a long time China was very much an outsider compared to western nations but it is now developing all aspects of its society. The country and its people are becoming more westernised and similar in some ways to Europe and countries such as the United States. For many years Chinese people were barred from travelling by their government. This is no longer the case and their people’s exposure to other societies may be having an affect on their rapid development. It has made some people want to start businesses, while others have been encouraged to follow the consumer society of the west.
The beginning of manufacturing in China on a large scale was clothing and footwear. As China was (and to a certain extent still is) relatively poor the cost of labour was (and still is) cheaper than western countries. This meant that many western companies outsourced their manufacturing to the country. In recent time they have moved more into electrical, computing and telecommunications products. Dealing with these more expensive products has bought more money into the Chinese economy. Clothing and footwear is still at the forefront of Chinese manufacturing though.
The ten years between 1995 and 2005 saw a large increase in manufacturing. In 1995 about 3% of the worlds manufacturing took place in China, but by 2005 this figure was around 11%. In percentage terms this is still only half of the country’s population, and the figure is almost certain to continue rising for some time yet. At the moment its increase in manufacturing is around 20% each year, which is a very significant increase. The figures are similar for the percentage of the world’s exports. Between 1995 and 2005 is has risen from approximately 2% to over 10%. China’s manufacturing is expected to overtake the United States and the world’s biggest within the next few years.
Imports have also risen dramatically. In the past Chinese consumerism was fairly small. They are now consuming more each year. The whole culture of China is changing and, like Japan before them, it is becoming much more like the west. It is now the second largest petroleum importer in the world, and the second largest auto market.
The impact China’s continued development will have on the world economy is hard to predict. All that can be said is that its impact will be significant. With it having the largest population on earth it is hard to say how much its manufacturing and development could increase by. Over the next twenty years China’s development is likely to change the face of the manufacturing and business world.
Andrew Marshall ©
Wholesale Manufacturers China
China is now becoming an important force in the economic world, and this has had a particularly large affect on manufacturing. For a long time China was very much an outsider compared to western nations but it is now developing all aspects of its society. The country and its people are becoming more westernised and similar in some ways to Europe and countries such as the United States. For many years Chinese people were barred from travelling by their government. This is no longer the case and their people’s exposure to other societies may be having an affect on their rapid development. It has made some people want to start businesses, while others have been encouraged to follow the consumer society of the west.
The beginning of manufacturing in China on a large scale was clothing and footwear. As China was (and to a certain extent still is) relatively poor the cost of labour was (and still is) cheaper than western countries. This meant that many western companies outsourced their manufacturing to the country. In recent time they have moved more into electrical, computing and telecommunications products. Dealing with these more expensive products has bought more money into the Chinese economy. Clothing and footwear is still at the forefront of Chinese manufacturing though.
The ten years between 1995 and 2005 saw a large increase in manufacturing. In 1995 about 3% of the worlds manufacturing took place in China, but by 2005 this figure was around 11%. In percentage terms this is still only half of the country’s population, and the figure is almost certain to continue rising for some time yet. At the moment its increase in manufacturing is around 20% each year, which is a very significant increase. The figures are similar for the percentage of the world’s exports. Between 1995 and 2005 is has risen from approximately 2% to over 10%. China’s manufacturing is expected to overtake the United States and the world’s biggest within the next few years.
Imports have also risen dramatically. In the past Chinese consumerism was fairly small. They are now consuming more each year. The whole culture of China is changing and, like Japan before them, it is becoming much more like the west. It is now the second largest petroleum importer in the world, and the second largest auto market.
The impact China’s continued development will have on the world economy is hard to predict. All that can be said is that its impact will be significant. With it having the largest population on earth it is hard to say how much its manufacturing and development could increase by. Over the next twenty years China’s development is likely to change the face of the manufacturing and business world.
Andrew Marshall ©
Wholesale Manufacturers China
Thursday, August 20, 2009
German VoIP ban to be lifted
It looks as though German telecommunications company T-Mobile/Deutsche Telekom is likely to lift their ban of VoIP (Voice Over IP address). They had banned use of the technology and received a court order preventing customers from using it over their network.
T-Mobile claims that there are two main reasons for this VoIP ban. The first is that the high traffic that can be generated by VoIP would hinder their network and prevent their other users from the high quality service they would expect. The second is that if the Skype service, for example, didn’t work then it would look as though T-Mobile is responsible for these issues. Some have claimed, though, that they are just worried that they will loose revenue if cheaper VoIP services can be used on their networks by their customers.
This ban imposed by T-Mobile looks set to be lifted. However, they are considering a surcharge for the use VoIP. Reports suggest that there will be a EUR9.95 charge for any customers wishing to use VoIP over their network. The company say that this surcharge will fund the investment that would be required for the network to work efficiently with the extra VoIP usage. They say it is not fair for their customers who do not use VoIP to have to pay more on their bills to pay for the improvements. They have been accused, though, of just trying to make up for their losses. If their customers are using a cheaper VoIP service then they will inevitably loose revenue, and this EUR9.95 a month may be a way of making up the difference.
Germany isn’t the only place where a potential VoIP ban has been talked about. In the United Arab Emirates, where many of the biggest telecoms companies are linked to the government, the have been worried about how VoIP might effect profits. In Russia a lobby is attempting to get either a full or partial VoIP ban within the country, on the grounds of security and that Russian companies will be unable to compete with foreign VoIP operators. This all shows that many companies are running scared of VoIP; they are concerned that the cost savings that can be made with VoIP will entice customers to switch to these services. The costs savings with VoIP can be significant, as running the technology is not as costly. The quality is also getting better, meaning that more people are considering it as a viable option.
Questions could be raised as to the fairness of VoIP being banned in such ways. Is it fair competition that potentially better services for customers should be banned to protect certain businesses? At the same time, some businesses may argue that they are not competing on a level playing field, as the VoIP providers are able to offer a cheaper service than they are. Questions should be asked as to whether this should be a matter for the courts, or whether all businesses should be fighting it out to produce the best service, in terms of price and quality.
A lifting of the ban in Germany would suggest that eventually VoIP will prevail and this could have a huge impact on the telecommunications industry.
Andrew Marshall ©
Business VoIP
T-Mobile claims that there are two main reasons for this VoIP ban. The first is that the high traffic that can be generated by VoIP would hinder their network and prevent their other users from the high quality service they would expect. The second is that if the Skype service, for example, didn’t work then it would look as though T-Mobile is responsible for these issues. Some have claimed, though, that they are just worried that they will loose revenue if cheaper VoIP services can be used on their networks by their customers.
This ban imposed by T-Mobile looks set to be lifted. However, they are considering a surcharge for the use VoIP. Reports suggest that there will be a EUR9.95 charge for any customers wishing to use VoIP over their network. The company say that this surcharge will fund the investment that would be required for the network to work efficiently with the extra VoIP usage. They say it is not fair for their customers who do not use VoIP to have to pay more on their bills to pay for the improvements. They have been accused, though, of just trying to make up for their losses. If their customers are using a cheaper VoIP service then they will inevitably loose revenue, and this EUR9.95 a month may be a way of making up the difference.
Germany isn’t the only place where a potential VoIP ban has been talked about. In the United Arab Emirates, where many of the biggest telecoms companies are linked to the government, the have been worried about how VoIP might effect profits. In Russia a lobby is attempting to get either a full or partial VoIP ban within the country, on the grounds of security and that Russian companies will be unable to compete with foreign VoIP operators. This all shows that many companies are running scared of VoIP; they are concerned that the cost savings that can be made with VoIP will entice customers to switch to these services. The costs savings with VoIP can be significant, as running the technology is not as costly. The quality is also getting better, meaning that more people are considering it as a viable option.
Questions could be raised as to the fairness of VoIP being banned in such ways. Is it fair competition that potentially better services for customers should be banned to protect certain businesses? At the same time, some businesses may argue that they are not competing on a level playing field, as the VoIP providers are able to offer a cheaper service than they are. Questions should be asked as to whether this should be a matter for the courts, or whether all businesses should be fighting it out to produce the best service, in terms of price and quality.
A lifting of the ban in Germany would suggest that eventually VoIP will prevail and this could have a huge impact on the telecommunications industry.
Andrew Marshall ©
Business VoIP
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
Reason for High Divorce Rates
There has been much talk of the increase in divorce rates. The last half century has seen the number of divorcing couples multiply dramatically. But why are divorce rates so much higher now? There are many reasons for this generally trend, some of which this article will explore.
One of the reasons is that it is much easier to get divorced these days. Changes in family law has made it much simpler. The most significant change in the law is that a couple can now get divorced in a ‘no fault divorce’. This means that neither party is said to be specifically to blame for the breakdown of the relationship. This means that there doesn’t need to be a specific reason, such as unreasonable behaviour by one person.
It is not just a change in family law that make divorce easier these days, it is a change is society's attitude towards divorce. There used to be a stigma attached to divorce, whereby it was looked down upon by many people. These days (partly due to the number of divorces) it is not a big deal, and you are not made to feel like a failure if you have been in an unsuccessful marriage. People will not hold it against you the way they may have done in the past.
The role of men and women within a marriage has evolved over the years. In the past the man was generally considered the breadwinner who went out to work while his wife stayed at home and looked after the children. This has changed a lot over time and there are no longer specific roles in this way. When someone entered a marriage they used to almost fall into these roles. Now different people have different expectation of a marriage. These expectations may vary for the man and woman and this may cause conflict.
People (and especially women) are generally more independent now days. A married couple may have separate lives in some ways, such as work and their social lives. Therefore their lifestyles may vary, and the less they have in common the more they are likely to drift apart. They are also more likely to meet someone else.
Education and employment can have a big effect on a marriage. Statistics show that women with a high quality education are more likely to get divorced. This is likely to be due to the employment opportunities that this leads to. Work brings stress, and if both halves of a marriage are working then there may be more stress within the home. It also means that each person is financially independent, so finance may not be as much of an issue if the couple were to divorce. This means they are less likely to stay together just because they can’t afford not to. More working women are thought to be why the divorce rates have increased so dramatically in China and India recently.
Religion may also be a reason for divorce rates increasing, or at least lack of religion. Within many religions divorce is deemed wrong. And these days less people have the strong religious beliefs that may prevent them from getting divorced.
So there are many reasons that may have contributed towards the large increase in divorce rates in recent times. This by no means covers all reason for divorce, but they are some of the changes in society that have taken place over the last half century that may have contributed.
Andrew Marshall ©
Family Law London
Divorce Lawyer London
One of the reasons is that it is much easier to get divorced these days. Changes in family law has made it much simpler. The most significant change in the law is that a couple can now get divorced in a ‘no fault divorce’. This means that neither party is said to be specifically to blame for the breakdown of the relationship. This means that there doesn’t need to be a specific reason, such as unreasonable behaviour by one person.
It is not just a change in family law that make divorce easier these days, it is a change is society's attitude towards divorce. There used to be a stigma attached to divorce, whereby it was looked down upon by many people. These days (partly due to the number of divorces) it is not a big deal, and you are not made to feel like a failure if you have been in an unsuccessful marriage. People will not hold it against you the way they may have done in the past.
The role of men and women within a marriage has evolved over the years. In the past the man was generally considered the breadwinner who went out to work while his wife stayed at home and looked after the children. This has changed a lot over time and there are no longer specific roles in this way. When someone entered a marriage they used to almost fall into these roles. Now different people have different expectation of a marriage. These expectations may vary for the man and woman and this may cause conflict.
People (and especially women) are generally more independent now days. A married couple may have separate lives in some ways, such as work and their social lives. Therefore their lifestyles may vary, and the less they have in common the more they are likely to drift apart. They are also more likely to meet someone else.
Education and employment can have a big effect on a marriage. Statistics show that women with a high quality education are more likely to get divorced. This is likely to be due to the employment opportunities that this leads to. Work brings stress, and if both halves of a marriage are working then there may be more stress within the home. It also means that each person is financially independent, so finance may not be as much of an issue if the couple were to divorce. This means they are less likely to stay together just because they can’t afford not to. More working women are thought to be why the divorce rates have increased so dramatically in China and India recently.
Religion may also be a reason for divorce rates increasing, or at least lack of religion. Within many religions divorce is deemed wrong. And these days less people have the strong religious beliefs that may prevent them from getting divorced.
So there are many reasons that may have contributed towards the large increase in divorce rates in recent times. This by no means covers all reason for divorce, but they are some of the changes in society that have taken place over the last half century that may have contributed.
Andrew Marshall ©
Family Law London
Divorce Lawyer London
Monday, August 17, 2009
Skype embroiled in Law Suite
In recent weeks a legal dispute between Skype’s former owner and current owners has hit the headlines. Former owners Joltid Ltd have accused the current owners, eBay, of infringing copyright rules with regards to the technology used to run the VoIP service. Joltid have revoked the licence for the software and eBay, who deny they have done anything wrong, are taking the company to court, with the case due to begin in June 2010.
eBay bought Skype in 2005 for around $2.6 billion, which has since gone up to $3.1 billion due to Skype’s impressive performance, as set out in the original contract. Since this deal Skype’s success has continued on an upward curve. In 2008 Skype’s pay-for service, Skype Out, was responsible for almost eight and a half billion calls worldwide. eBay have been looking to sell the company since the beginning of 2009 for an estimated $4 billion. In the deal with Joltid, eBay didn’t buy the technology used to run the software but leased it. eBay have revealed how the technology works in some other legal cases and according to Joltid this breaks the rules of their agreement.
So what impact is this dispute likely to have? eBay have admitted that they may have to shut down Skype should they loose the case. This will have a huge impact in the VoIP market, as Skype is the most popular brand within this part of the telecommunications industry. Joltid have expressed an interest in buying Skype back and eBay could be forced to sell it to them if they don’t have a licence to use the technology themselves. The company without the use of the technology will certainly not be worth $4 billion. For now they are trying to develop their own alternative technology, but doing this without breaking copyright laws will not be easy. If they manage to do this though, they will be able to use it as they own the Skype brand and there is nothing in their contract with Joltid to say that they can’t use it with another piece of software.
This will be an interesting story to watch, and something that could have a huge impact on the VoIP industry, although many experts are expecting that the two parties will come to some sort of agreement.
Andrew Marshall ©
Business VoIP
eBay bought Skype in 2005 for around $2.6 billion, which has since gone up to $3.1 billion due to Skype’s impressive performance, as set out in the original contract. Since this deal Skype’s success has continued on an upward curve. In 2008 Skype’s pay-for service, Skype Out, was responsible for almost eight and a half billion calls worldwide. eBay have been looking to sell the company since the beginning of 2009 for an estimated $4 billion. In the deal with Joltid, eBay didn’t buy the technology used to run the software but leased it. eBay have revealed how the technology works in some other legal cases and according to Joltid this breaks the rules of their agreement.
So what impact is this dispute likely to have? eBay have admitted that they may have to shut down Skype should they loose the case. This will have a huge impact in the VoIP market, as Skype is the most popular brand within this part of the telecommunications industry. Joltid have expressed an interest in buying Skype back and eBay could be forced to sell it to them if they don’t have a licence to use the technology themselves. The company without the use of the technology will certainly not be worth $4 billion. For now they are trying to develop their own alternative technology, but doing this without breaking copyright laws will not be easy. If they manage to do this though, they will be able to use it as they own the Skype brand and there is nothing in their contract with Joltid to say that they can’t use it with another piece of software.
This will be an interesting story to watch, and something that could have a huge impact on the VoIP industry, although many experts are expecting that the two parties will come to some sort of agreement.
Andrew Marshall ©
Business VoIP
Friday, August 14, 2009
Portable Appliance Testing Procedure
Portable Appliance Testing (or PAT Testing) is a legally required method of testing portable appliances. There are many stages that go towards the testing process. It will end with either a pass or fail result.
Portable Appliance Testing needs to look at certain safety elements. Amongst the things that can cause the failure is damage to cables, plugs and wires, overheating and signs of water damage. There should be no bare wires and no sign of internal damage.
The testing needs to be done according to the IEE (Institute of Electrical Engineers) guidelines. Before testing takes place anyone who is not part of the testing team should leave the premises.
The most basic part of the testing process is the visual inspection. Over 90% of problems are said to be found during this part of the process. It consists of the tester looking at the appliance and seeing if there are any obvious issues. Here the tester will be able to see any poor wiring, cracked casing, bent pins and other damage. These are the most basic areas where appliances fail the PAT test.
The location that a particular appliance is used needs to be inspected. There must be sufficient ventilation (depending one the needs of the equipment), the area cannot be unreasonably damp, and controls to the equipment must be easily accessible.
An Earth Bond Test needs to be carried out during the testing process. Electrical Test Equipment is necessary for this part of the procedure. This is a test between the earth bond and continuity between the plug pin and external components. The voltage and test current is assessed during this process.
Other parts of the test are the insulation test and operational test. The insulation test is necessary to ensure the insulation resistance is safe. The operational test simply consists of the tester switching the equipment on and testing out certain regular functions that it should perform, and making sure its performance is as expected.
Once testing has been completed the result of the PAT test should be clearly stated. The most common method of this is simply placing a label on the equipment. The label will say whether the appliance has passed or failed, and should also include more specific details of its condition. It will give the date of the test and the date at which another test will be necessary.
Equipment that is faulty or damaged should be removed from service immediately. It can then be determined whether or not the seriousness of the damage is sufficient for the equipment to be out of use.
PAT testing records are required to be kept for the duration of the life of the appliance. This is a legal necessity as it shows that tests have been carried out and the results of them.
Andrew Marshall ©
Portable Appliance Testing
Portable Appliance Testing needs to look at certain safety elements. Amongst the things that can cause the failure is damage to cables, plugs and wires, overheating and signs of water damage. There should be no bare wires and no sign of internal damage.
The testing needs to be done according to the IEE (Institute of Electrical Engineers) guidelines. Before testing takes place anyone who is not part of the testing team should leave the premises.
The most basic part of the testing process is the visual inspection. Over 90% of problems are said to be found during this part of the process. It consists of the tester looking at the appliance and seeing if there are any obvious issues. Here the tester will be able to see any poor wiring, cracked casing, bent pins and other damage. These are the most basic areas where appliances fail the PAT test.
The location that a particular appliance is used needs to be inspected. There must be sufficient ventilation (depending one the needs of the equipment), the area cannot be unreasonably damp, and controls to the equipment must be easily accessible.
An Earth Bond Test needs to be carried out during the testing process. Electrical Test Equipment is necessary for this part of the procedure. This is a test between the earth bond and continuity between the plug pin and external components. The voltage and test current is assessed during this process.
Other parts of the test are the insulation test and operational test. The insulation test is necessary to ensure the insulation resistance is safe. The operational test simply consists of the tester switching the equipment on and testing out certain regular functions that it should perform, and making sure its performance is as expected.
Once testing has been completed the result of the PAT test should be clearly stated. The most common method of this is simply placing a label on the equipment. The label will say whether the appliance has passed or failed, and should also include more specific details of its condition. It will give the date of the test and the date at which another test will be necessary.
Equipment that is faulty or damaged should be removed from service immediately. It can then be determined whether or not the seriousness of the damage is sufficient for the equipment to be out of use.
PAT testing records are required to be kept for the duration of the life of the appliance. This is a legal necessity as it shows that tests have been carried out and the results of them.
Andrew Marshall ©
Portable Appliance Testing
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
Reasons for Divorce
There are many reasons why people get divorced. This article explores some of the most common reasons that result in the end of a marriage.
ADULTERY
It will come as no surprise that adultery is an extremely common reason for divorce. However, research shows that many people are wiling to forgive someone for cheating once. If the behaviour is common though, that often spells the end of a marriage. Adultery results in a lack of trust within a relationship.
DESERTION
There are times when one half of a married couple will up stick and walk away, possible with the other person unaware that the marriage was on the rocks in the first place.
ADDICTION
If someone is addicted to alcohol or drugs then it will inevitably have a major affect on his/her marriage. Addiction takes control of someone and means they are unlikely to function normally, resulting in them being difficult to live with and a whole host of other issues.
ABUSE
Abusive relationships are a lot more common that most people think. Most of the time they involve a man abusing his wife, but there are also many cases where it is the other way around. Abuse isn’t just physical, it can also be emotional.
PERSONAL DIFFERENCES
Different personalities and lifestyle ambitions is high on the list of reasons for divorce. There can be many reasons for this. Although opposites can attract, if a married couple are very different to each other, this can eventually become problematic. Different ideas of the lifestyle they want to live, and how they see marriage can be a major issue.
WORK
If one person is always at work and a couple never see each other, this can be a cause of friction. If one is being made to feel like they are less important than the others work they may feel unwanted. Differences in career goals can also be an area of strain.
FRIENDS & FAMILY
Although friends and family shouldn’t really have an affect on a marriage, they do have an affect on your life and this can have a direct impact on the marriage. For example, if a man is too busy spending time in the pub with his friends to spend time at home with his wife, she may become disenchanted. If someone doesn’t get on with their husband or wife’s family there will inevitably be problems.
CUTURE
If two members of a marriage are from different cultures it can be difficult to adapt. They may have to change their lifestyle to suit the other person and this can be difficult. Religion also comes into it. Someone’s religion can have a big impact on their life, and if a couple have different religious beliefs there can be issues around this.
FINANCE
Finance, and especially financial difficulties can have a massive impact on a marriage. This can particularly be the case if one feels that the other has made financial mistakes which they then have to deal with together. Guilt can also be a factor here; with one feeling guilty that they have caused these problems, and maybe not wanting to tell the other therefore making things worse when they eventually find out.
LACK OF COMMUNICATION
In many ways lack of communication isn’t the cause of problems in the first place, but it means problems can’t be resolved. If a couple don’t talk about their issues they are likely to escalate.
Andrew Marshall ©
Divorce Solicitors London
Family Law Solicitors
ADULTERY
It will come as no surprise that adultery is an extremely common reason for divorce. However, research shows that many people are wiling to forgive someone for cheating once. If the behaviour is common though, that often spells the end of a marriage. Adultery results in a lack of trust within a relationship.
DESERTION
There are times when one half of a married couple will up stick and walk away, possible with the other person unaware that the marriage was on the rocks in the first place.
ADDICTION
If someone is addicted to alcohol or drugs then it will inevitably have a major affect on his/her marriage. Addiction takes control of someone and means they are unlikely to function normally, resulting in them being difficult to live with and a whole host of other issues.
ABUSE
Abusive relationships are a lot more common that most people think. Most of the time they involve a man abusing his wife, but there are also many cases where it is the other way around. Abuse isn’t just physical, it can also be emotional.
PERSONAL DIFFERENCES
Different personalities and lifestyle ambitions is high on the list of reasons for divorce. There can be many reasons for this. Although opposites can attract, if a married couple are very different to each other, this can eventually become problematic. Different ideas of the lifestyle they want to live, and how they see marriage can be a major issue.
WORK
If one person is always at work and a couple never see each other, this can be a cause of friction. If one is being made to feel like they are less important than the others work they may feel unwanted. Differences in career goals can also be an area of strain.
FRIENDS & FAMILY
Although friends and family shouldn’t really have an affect on a marriage, they do have an affect on your life and this can have a direct impact on the marriage. For example, if a man is too busy spending time in the pub with his friends to spend time at home with his wife, she may become disenchanted. If someone doesn’t get on with their husband or wife’s family there will inevitably be problems.
CUTURE
If two members of a marriage are from different cultures it can be difficult to adapt. They may have to change their lifestyle to suit the other person and this can be difficult. Religion also comes into it. Someone’s religion can have a big impact on their life, and if a couple have different religious beliefs there can be issues around this.
FINANCE
Finance, and especially financial difficulties can have a massive impact on a marriage. This can particularly be the case if one feels that the other has made financial mistakes which they then have to deal with together. Guilt can also be a factor here; with one feeling guilty that they have caused these problems, and maybe not wanting to tell the other therefore making things worse when they eventually find out.
LACK OF COMMUNICATION
In many ways lack of communication isn’t the cause of problems in the first place, but it means problems can’t be resolved. If a couple don’t talk about their issues they are likely to escalate.
Andrew Marshall ©
Divorce Solicitors London
Family Law Solicitors
Monday, August 10, 2009
Family Law: The differences between married and cohabiting couples
Cohabiting couples are unmarried couples who live together. There are now more cohabiting couples than ever, with over two million in the UK. The family environment in many of these cases is very similar to married couples, but the legal rules applying to them are very different. There are many differences in Family Law between married and unmarried couples who live together.
Contradictory to common belief there is no such thing as a common law husband or wife. Many believe that after a couple have lived together for a certain period they are for all intents and purposes a married couple, but this is not the case. They do not benefit from any matrimonial legislation; in fact the same rules apply as anyone else who live together, such as two friends living as flat mates. Whereas a married couple are treated by the law as a family, cohabiting couples are not. This means that if there is a break up of the relationship one can’t claim maintenance from the other. If one half of married couple leaves work to look after children the couple may have, and there is a divorce, the working parent will usually have to compensate the other party. This is not the case with cohabiting couples.
If the couple share a home and only one of their names is on the mortgage, then (s)he is the legal owner of the home. This means that if that person dies, the other party does not inherit the home unless stated in a will. If the couple separate the person whose name is on the mortgage will own one hundred per cent of the property and can sell it as they please. This will be automatically the case even if the other person has been contributing towards the mortgage or other parts of the up keep of the household, such as bills.
If a couple have separate bank accounts then neither person has any rights to the others account. This remains the case if the couple separate. Whereas in a divorce the finances will be split according to a magistrates decision, with the separation of an unmarried couple each person will keep his/her assets. If they have a joint account and can’t agree on who is entitled to what, then a court will decide. With a divorce there is no real difference in whether the couple have separate accounts or a joint one. This is not the case with a cohabiting couple.
Something that is surprising to many is that Family Law differs with married and unmarried couples when it comes to Father’s after a relationship break up. It is a lot easy for a Father who was married to his children’s Mother to get rights to see his children. Up until December 2001 a Father who was not married to his children’s Mother had no rights to see his children at all. This meant that the Mother could stop him seeing his children without any reason. This has changed for children born after December 2001, but it is still easier for Father’s who are, or have been, married to the child’s Mother.
Unmarried couples who live together can enter into a cohabiting agreement. This records assets that belong to each person, and which they share, and therefore how things will be split in the unfortunate circumstance of a split. It also sets out who will contribute towards certain things such as mortgage or rent payments, or children. Anything can be recorded in this agreement, with the most common being homes, finances and children.
The common belief that Family Law is the same, or very similar, with married couples and cohabiting couples is incorrect. There are many differences between the two, something that becomes particularly important in the eventuality of a separation.
Andrew Marshall ©
Family Law London
Family Law
Contradictory to common belief there is no such thing as a common law husband or wife. Many believe that after a couple have lived together for a certain period they are for all intents and purposes a married couple, but this is not the case. They do not benefit from any matrimonial legislation; in fact the same rules apply as anyone else who live together, such as two friends living as flat mates. Whereas a married couple are treated by the law as a family, cohabiting couples are not. This means that if there is a break up of the relationship one can’t claim maintenance from the other. If one half of married couple leaves work to look after children the couple may have, and there is a divorce, the working parent will usually have to compensate the other party. This is not the case with cohabiting couples.
If the couple share a home and only one of their names is on the mortgage, then (s)he is the legal owner of the home. This means that if that person dies, the other party does not inherit the home unless stated in a will. If the couple separate the person whose name is on the mortgage will own one hundred per cent of the property and can sell it as they please. This will be automatically the case even if the other person has been contributing towards the mortgage or other parts of the up keep of the household, such as bills.
If a couple have separate bank accounts then neither person has any rights to the others account. This remains the case if the couple separate. Whereas in a divorce the finances will be split according to a magistrates decision, with the separation of an unmarried couple each person will keep his/her assets. If they have a joint account and can’t agree on who is entitled to what, then a court will decide. With a divorce there is no real difference in whether the couple have separate accounts or a joint one. This is not the case with a cohabiting couple.
Something that is surprising to many is that Family Law differs with married and unmarried couples when it comes to Father’s after a relationship break up. It is a lot easy for a Father who was married to his children’s Mother to get rights to see his children. Up until December 2001 a Father who was not married to his children’s Mother had no rights to see his children at all. This meant that the Mother could stop him seeing his children without any reason. This has changed for children born after December 2001, but it is still easier for Father’s who are, or have been, married to the child’s Mother.
Unmarried couples who live together can enter into a cohabiting agreement. This records assets that belong to each person, and which they share, and therefore how things will be split in the unfortunate circumstance of a split. It also sets out who will contribute towards certain things such as mortgage or rent payments, or children. Anything can be recorded in this agreement, with the most common being homes, finances and children.
The common belief that Family Law is the same, or very similar, with married couples and cohabiting couples is incorrect. There are many differences between the two, something that becomes particularly important in the eventuality of a separation.
Andrew Marshall ©
Family Law London
Family Law
Thursday, August 6, 2009
Shutter Myths – King Louis XIV and Lady Godiva
There have been some interesting myths surrounding window shutters over the years. Some of these involve the French monarch King Louis XIV, who was the French King in the late 1600’s and early 1700’s. The first suggests the invention of shutters. Back in his time, the King’s headquarters was the Louvre in Paris. King Louis XIV decided that a change was needed and moved to nearby Versailles. It is rumoured, although not widely accepted as likely, that upon this move, shutters were designed for him by Philipe Louvrier.
This brings up another two myths about Shutters, both with regard to where the name Louvered Shutter came from. Where shutters came from is obvious, as they open and ‘shut’. There is more debate, though, around the term louvered. One possibility is that the term was already used in other areas. The are two suggesting it came about in connection with Shutters though, both of which involved Philipe Louvrier and King Louis XIV. One suggestion is that they are named after the (alleged) inventor Louvrier. The other is that they were name after the King’s previous residence, the Louvre.
There is another, more likely story surrounding shutters and King Louis XIV. After he moved to Versailles, some of the women of the royal court used to bathe in the garden ponds within the grounds. This put the King’s guards off their work, as they spent time watching the women out of the windows of the Castle instead of performing their duties. This frustrated the King, and to prevent this problem he had shutters installed throughout the Castle. Of course he put louvers on his window so he could still watch, something he did not do with the other windows. This had the added advantage of the women being unable to see the King as he did this.
There is a famous story about shutters and the origins of the term ‘Peeping Tom’, dating back to the eleventh century and Lady Godiva. Lady Godiva was the wife of Leofric, the Earl of Mercia. She was unhappy with her husband plans to charge high taxes to the people of Coventry, England. He agreed to scrap this idea if she was willing to ride a white horse naked through the streets of Coventry, something he never thought she would do. He was wrong though and she did perform this task. Before she did, she asked the people of the City to stay indoors and not watch her as she did. Most of them did with one exception, Tom. Tom pierced a whole in his Shutters and watched Lady Godiva as she rode past his home and this is where ‘Peeping Tom’ apparently came from. The story goes that he was blinded from the heavens as he did this.
Andrew Marshall ©
Shutters
This brings up another two myths about Shutters, both with regard to where the name Louvered Shutter came from. Where shutters came from is obvious, as they open and ‘shut’. There is more debate, though, around the term louvered. One possibility is that the term was already used in other areas. The are two suggesting it came about in connection with Shutters though, both of which involved Philipe Louvrier and King Louis XIV. One suggestion is that they are named after the (alleged) inventor Louvrier. The other is that they were name after the King’s previous residence, the Louvre.
There is another, more likely story surrounding shutters and King Louis XIV. After he moved to Versailles, some of the women of the royal court used to bathe in the garden ponds within the grounds. This put the King’s guards off their work, as they spent time watching the women out of the windows of the Castle instead of performing their duties. This frustrated the King, and to prevent this problem he had shutters installed throughout the Castle. Of course he put louvers on his window so he could still watch, something he did not do with the other windows. This had the added advantage of the women being unable to see the King as he did this.
There is a famous story about shutters and the origins of the term ‘Peeping Tom’, dating back to the eleventh century and Lady Godiva. Lady Godiva was the wife of Leofric, the Earl of Mercia. She was unhappy with her husband plans to charge high taxes to the people of Coventry, England. He agreed to scrap this idea if she was willing to ride a white horse naked through the streets of Coventry, something he never thought she would do. He was wrong though and she did perform this task. Before she did, she asked the people of the City to stay indoors and not watch her as she did. Most of them did with one exception, Tom. Tom pierced a whole in his Shutters and watched Lady Godiva as she rode past his home and this is where ‘Peeping Tom’ apparently came from. The story goes that he was blinded from the heavens as he did this.
Andrew Marshall ©
Shutters
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
Increase in Child Trust Fund top ups
The Child Trust Fund is a scheme introduced by the British Government in 2002, to help parents save for their children. Under the scheme parents are given £250 when their child is born, to invest on their behalf. They are then given an extra £250 when the child turns seven. Friends and family are allowed to add to this up to the sum of £1200 each year. The child gets the invested money plus the interest accumulated when (s)he turns eighteen.
There has been much talk of the lack of parents taking advantage of this scheme. It has been reported that over 50,000 families haven’t invested their CTF voucher, meaning that the government invests it on their behalf. This appears to show a lack of interest in the scheme, but this is not completely accurate.
Many parents who have decided to take up the scheme are using it to good affect on behalf of their children. A survey by TISA has looked at 1.77 million child trust fund’s, and according to their findings 23.3% of parents have a direct debit that they are using to pay a monthly amount towards the fund. The average parent is thought to be paying around £21 into the account each month. An account that has someone paying in this amount every month over an eighteen year period would accumulate over four and a half thousand pounds, and that doesn’t even include interest. A large number of parents who aren’t doing this are still contributing. Some are choosing to put in one lump sum each year, while others are putting in some money when they can afford to. The number of people putting in a lump sum once a year now stands at 6.3%.
One of the government’s points to support the scheme is that it encourages both parents and children to save. Figures show that the amount now saved by parents on behalf of their children is a lot higher than before. A lot more is being put into Child Trust Funds, than put towards children in other ways. The scheme may be encouraging parent to think about saving for their children, many of whom wouldn’t have thought about this otherwise. Many think that by seeing the amount that has been saved for them, eighteen year olds will see the advantages of saving, therefore encouraging them to do the same.
Andrew Marshall ©
Child Trust Fund
There has been much talk of the lack of parents taking advantage of this scheme. It has been reported that over 50,000 families haven’t invested their CTF voucher, meaning that the government invests it on their behalf. This appears to show a lack of interest in the scheme, but this is not completely accurate.
Many parents who have decided to take up the scheme are using it to good affect on behalf of their children. A survey by TISA has looked at 1.77 million child trust fund’s, and according to their findings 23.3% of parents have a direct debit that they are using to pay a monthly amount towards the fund. The average parent is thought to be paying around £21 into the account each month. An account that has someone paying in this amount every month over an eighteen year period would accumulate over four and a half thousand pounds, and that doesn’t even include interest. A large number of parents who aren’t doing this are still contributing. Some are choosing to put in one lump sum each year, while others are putting in some money when they can afford to. The number of people putting in a lump sum once a year now stands at 6.3%.
One of the government’s points to support the scheme is that it encourages both parents and children to save. Figures show that the amount now saved by parents on behalf of their children is a lot higher than before. A lot more is being put into Child Trust Funds, than put towards children in other ways. The scheme may be encouraging parent to think about saving for their children, many of whom wouldn’t have thought about this otherwise. Many think that by seeing the amount that has been saved for them, eighteen year olds will see the advantages of saving, therefore encouraging them to do the same.
Andrew Marshall ©
Child Trust Fund
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