Comments on: From the department of self parody – Red tape post (number 453) http://clubtroppo.com.au/2006/12/13/from-the-department-of-self-parody-red-tape-post-number-453/ Fearlessly dispensing political, legal and economic analysis (and some whimsy) since 2002 Wed, 23 May 2012 14:55:57 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 By: Tom N. http://clubtroppo.com.au/2006/12/13/from-the-department-of-self-parody-red-tape-post-number-453/#comment-70707 Tom N. Fri, 15 Dec 2006 03:53:52 +0000 http://www.clubtroppo.com.au/2006/12/13/from-the-department-of-self-parody-red-tape-post-number-453/#comment-70707 Nick and Hired, Alas I don't know much about software issues myself, but I have drawn your additional comments to the attention of the "relevant authorities", who will no doubt address them ... at least in the fullness of time! :) Maybe you should also get in touch with them with your concerns directly. Tom Nick and Hired,

Alas I don’t know much about software issues myself, but I have drawn your additional comments to the attention of the “relevant authorities”, who will no doubt address them … at least in the fullness of time! :)

Maybe you should also get in touch with them with your concerns directly.

Tom

]]> By: Hired Gun http://clubtroppo.com.au/2006/12/13/from-the-department-of-self-parody-red-tape-post-number-453/#comment-70675 Hired Gun Fri, 15 Dec 2006 01:57:54 +0000 http://www.clubtroppo.com.au/2006/12/13/from-the-department-of-self-parody-red-tape-post-number-453/#comment-70675 Nick, I agree that the Business Cost Calculator (BCC) is a most unwieldy piece of software. Let me add another problem; it will not run on a Mac with OS10.3 (some Java problem apparently). I know that this is a small percentage of the total computer market, but it is hardly a great outcome when many Mac users are small businesses and the software was developed by the Office of Small Business! What is even more disturbing is the gross simplification inherent in the BCC. For example, while it includes startup costs, it doesn't provide a longer term perspective in which costs may be phased in over time (which is a common outcome associated with new regulations). The reporting of the results is also close to unusable. This calculator could have been made much simpler and more usable if designed as an excel workbook. A classic case of over-engineering. P.S. Tom N, as an issue, this isn't quite up there with the theory of 'parallel monogamy'. Nick,

I agree that the Business Cost Calculator (BCC) is a most unwieldy piece of software.

Let me add another problem; it will not run on a Mac with OS10.3 (some Java problem apparently). I know that this is a small percentage of the total computer market, but it is hardly a great outcome when many Mac users are small businesses and the software was developed by the Office of Small Business!

What is even more disturbing is the gross simplification inherent in the BCC. For example, while it includes startup costs, it doesn’t provide a longer term perspective in which costs may be phased in over time (which is a common outcome associated with new regulations). The reporting of the results is also close to unusable.

This calculator could have been made much simpler and more usable if designed as an excel workbook. A classic case of over-engineering.

P.S. Tom N, as an issue, this isn’t quite up there with the theory of ‘parallel monogamy’.

]]> By: Nicholas Gruen http://clubtroppo.com.au/2006/12/13/from-the-department-of-self-parody-red-tape-post-number-453/#comment-70274 Nicholas Gruen Thu, 14 Dec 2006 02:51:48 +0000 http://www.clubtroppo.com.au/2006/12/13/from-the-department-of-self-parody-red-tape-post-number-453/#comment-70274 Tom, I still can't get the thing to work properly. Your tip helped me get to the next tab in the program, but alas, I can't get it to cost anything. No doubt it's possible though. Tom, I still can’t get the thing to work properly. Your tip helped me get to the next tab in the program, but alas, I can’t get it to cost anything. No doubt it’s possible though.

]]> By: Nicholas Gruen http://clubtroppo.com.au/2006/12/13/from-the-department-of-self-parody-red-tape-post-number-453/#comment-70270 Nicholas Gruen Thu, 14 Dec 2006 02:46:03 +0000 http://www.clubtroppo.com.au/2006/12/13/from-the-department-of-self-parody-red-tape-post-number-453/#comment-70270 Thanks Tom, Right you are. The field is called 'Businesses effected' which suggested some description to me. And nothing told me that it wouldn't accept letters. Can you ask your sources why they decided to do it in Java rather than a spreadsheet format? And what it cost? Building a whole program seems to be a strange choice when it seems to me a spreadsheet format would have done the trick, but I'm happy to be proven wrong. Thanks Tom,

Right you are. The field is called ‘Businesses effected’ which suggested some description to me. And nothing told me that it wouldn’t accept letters. Can you ask your sources why they decided to do it in Java rather than a spreadsheet format? And what it cost? Building a whole program seems to be a strange choice when it seems to me a spreadsheet format would have done the trick, but I’m happy to be proven wrong.

]]> By: Tom N. http://clubtroppo.com.au/2006/12/13/from-the-department-of-self-parody-red-tape-post-number-453/#comment-70252 Tom N. Thu, 14 Dec 2006 01:16:01 +0000 http://www.clubtroppo.com.au/2006/12/13/from-the-department-of-self-parody-red-tape-post-number-453/#comment-70252 Nick, my sources tell me that you have been trying to enter text in a numeric field, which is supposed to have the number of business affected. Nick, my sources tell me that you have been trying to enter text in a numeric field, which is supposed to have the number of business affected.

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