I bet all 64 complaints were made by web developers against the .gov.uk sites that are non compliant.

"you don't have to warn if the cookie is necessary for the functionality of the website."

Not necessarily true, at least in the UK interpretation of the directive. There are some very thin exemptions. That said, logins and stuff are easy - just add boilerplate that says 'By logging in you are blah blah, cookies, blah blah, first born child, blah'

This is another example of what happens when you let computer illiterate politicians have a say in technology regulations

To be fair, the ICO has proven itself utterly inept when it comes to enforcing its own regulations - I can't see them doing any better with this idiocy.

That would bring the total number of specialist Computer Science teachers in the UK to...100.

Totally, just saying the problem out loud leads you to view the problem from a different perspective. 50% of the time you've got the answer before you're halfway through explaining the problem.

Mindfulness doesn't mean you can never let your mind wander so long as letting your mind wander is what you are trying to do.

I expect those of us in intellectually demanding jobs have encountered the step back effect.

You'll spend three hours banging your head against your desk trying to find a solution to a tricky problem. Eventually, the caffeinated beverages you've been throwing back conspire against you and you have to make a trip to the bathroom. I solve more tricky problems during those 2 minute bathroom breaks than at any other point in the day.

Incidentally I find I can use this effect to justify all kinds of frowned upon office behaviour. I'm not watching cat videos on Youtube, I'm stepping away from the problem. I'm not browsing the Dilbert archives, I'm putting some distance between myself and the dilemma. I'm not facebook stalking the temp on reception, I'm seeking an alternative perspective on the issue du jour.

It's an intranet web application.

About 1/2 of our users use IE6 either because their IT team don't allow them to use anything else or because the users don't know anything else exists. 50% of your user base is that much of a big deal.

Most choose to run an initial pilot with a few hundred users, then, after 6 months or so of successful running, they'll begin to transition over. It can still take 2-3 years from the decision being taken to the final user being upgraded.

So the upshot is, people like me will still have to work with IE6 for at least a couple more years.

I'm a web developer for an organisation that builds web based software that is primarily used by UK local government departments.

IE6 is my nemesis.

A lot of these local authorities are slowly starting to upgrade to Win7 platforms (just in time for Win8), but just like a chain being only as strong as it's weakest link, we have to ensure we are developing for the slowest common denominator.

From the dozens of conversations I've had with Council IT teams around the country, it isn't a lack of will or of motivation or of education, but of a real (and partially justified) fear that if they upgrade to Win7, some essential legacy web based application that works flawlessly in IE6 and XP, will fall over when introduced to IE8. This has happened at various places around the country and has cost Councils a pile of money to fix the issue or to replace those legacy systems. In the post recession cost-cutting world, no one wants to be the guy who lands their employer with a huge bill. I expect we wont see the stragglers taking up the challenge until austerity is done and dusted.

And there you have it. I managed to make this all the coalition government's fault. My work here is done.

I think the failure to move into the mobile and cloud computing markets when there was still a big chunk of market share to be had, will overshadow those achievements. Being late to those parties has put Microsoft at risk of long term irrelevance.

There's no way Ballmer is the worst CEO, but he's not a good one either. The question is, who would you put in his place when most of the existing management team are just as culpable for the misteps of the last 10 years as Ballmer is?

An anti-piracy startup in Russia? Cue the sound of kneecaps being broken in 5...4...3...2...