So . . . what's been happening then? Well, it seems to have been a week of deadlines for me, and it's still not over. The university assignment was due in on Wednesday (posted on Tuesday), it's my niece's birthday today and the closing date for this job I'm applying for (Grid support computer officer at the University of Leeds) is tomorrow, hence that was posted today. I was up until quarter past midnight this morning completing the application form, and then I couldn't sleep . . . not for about an hour and a half. And, erm . . . I keep getting all this potential junk mail from companies wanted to sell we domain names and web-hosting services for my new limited company. I don't know how these people got my details, but I have a pretty good idea. Hmmmm. So . . . they keep sending me all this rubbish, but amongst it all is something from S J D Accountancy which, on the face of it, seems a bit more useful, but is gibberish nonetheless. They've sent me a pack containing an 'original certificate of incorporation' (which I've already got), two share certificates, a certificate of non-trading, the first minutes (?! from what?!) and two 'transfer of shares or stock' forms. Crazy stuff. All I did was register Billy Ruffian as a limited company. I wasn't expecting all this. I think the reason is that . . . no, that can't be it. Well, you see, part of it is that I did all this through a company that, er, looks after contractors . . . maybe they think I am one. Hmmmmm. It's a bit like the cut-throat razor I bought - I've just wanted one for many years.

And the junk mail? Well, that's usually along the lines of, "Wow! Congratulations! You've got your own limited company! Cool! I bet you want a domain name now, yeah? Good, good. The following domains are actually still available and are yours for just 39 pounds 95 for the first name and 23 pounds 50 for subsequent names. But hurry, before someone else claims them!" What, someone's about to claim billyruffian.co.uk? Hmmmm. Okey-dokey. Of course, they didn't mention BillyRuffian.com, 'cos that's gone to a very worthy cause already. Anyway, the price they've quoted covers registration of the domain name, 30MB of 'Commercial Web Space', a company web-page published on my behalf (presumably just a title page), one mail box (with 20 aliases), 'email virus protection' and technical support. Crazy, innit? I could have billyruffian.co.uk for five pounds a year (through Easily), and that price would allow limitless e-mail aliases all automatically forwarded on to one of the twelve mailboxex that I already have through my ISP. 30MB of commercial web space? My web-server currently has 14GB of space free. And, er . . . I could go on, but the point is . . . well, why? Why do people pay this money? Maybe they know no better, but maybe the technical support is so good that it's worth 39 pounds 95 a year for that alone. And that's what the junk mail's about. Great stuff. The company in question here is switchmedia.