John Linton
....."Cheer up - it could get worse". So I cheered up and sure enough........
I guess if you allow stupid people to make decisions then you get to live with the consequences of stupid decisions. While I realise that most of the people who voted for Labour couldn't be expected to have any idea of what it would mean economically for themselves and everyone else how could they bring themselves to vote to have that inanely grinning, vacuous, moonfaced image made part of their daily lives? As my gran used to mutter in such circumstances 'there's nowt so queer as folk". (of course in her usage, "queer" had no connotations other than what the OED gave as its meaning in the 1950s).
Being a sensible person I was taught to 'play the hand you are dealt' a very long time ago so business life goes on pretty much as usual though I'm now faced with the inevitable uncertainties that mean that each decision will take longer and, almost certainly, will result in either no decision or at best much less 'adventurous' decisions for some time. Unless you're a Union 'official' I guess everyone's in the same position so it's a little like still playing poker but for lower stakes.
I'll give it a month or so before trying to make a sensible assesment of what influence Telstra has bought with their 'campaign donations' to the Labour party which will be something of a disappointment for two companies we are in the final stages of signing contracts with but, then, that's their problem to deal with and one that they'll share with a whole lot of other people. So I can say first hand that the change of government has taken around $A4 million out of the economy immediately (and maybe forever) and three immediate prospective employment positions are on indefinite hold. I doubt these minor decisions by Exetel will mean much in themselves but I also imagine that they'll be replicated to a greater or lesser extent in many businesses of our size around Australia this week and going forward for some time - perhaps for some considerable time.
Just keep in mind the statement by the failed pop singer who's now our new Minister For The Environment that defines the ethics and competence of government in Australia: "we'll promise whatever's necessary - and then change it once we get elected".
OK - I'm done with the pointless and pathetic whining.
The really good news over night was, of course, that Manchester United lost to Bolton and Arsenal won.
I spent some time yesterday trying to finalise the ADSL2 pricing structures for December and came up the best that Exetel can do given the current issues and, now, the degree of uncertainty in any major investment decision. I've finished the work more or less but one thing I noticed, and I'm undoubtedly biased, is just how difficult it is to vist an Australian ISP's web site and try and work out what you have to pay and what you actually get. With perhaps one exception it took me a long while to understand whether or not I needed a telephone line and if I did who supplied it and at what cost and then what charges would be made for the calls.
Maybe its the introduction of "naked' ADSL that's introduced yet another variable not addressed clearly enough on so many web sites. I've looked at combining all of the ADSL1 and ADSL2 and the new 'naked' ADSL2 pricing but it seems to be far too much information on the one page. Maybe there are too many plan options which I'll look at reducing. My major concern is that I'd always intended to base an ADSL/VoIP service offering on the premise that Exetel could always control the costs from wholesale carriers by taking out the insurance of a flexible infrastructure deployment. With the result of the election yesterday that may well no longer be an option and I haven't had time to consider whether the whole 'naked' ADSL project will have to be put on hold.
As I have other, personal, things to do today it will have to wait till Monday I think.
Then of course:
http://www.middlemiss.org/lit/authors/obrienj/boreelog.html