I know it's going slightly off topic but as far as acknowledging birthdays on here, there is a possible small problem that could arrive concerning the Data Protection Act.
Yes, it is a bug*er. As I see it everyone here has freely elected to give the Forum their data and furthermore, has the opportunity to have that data removed. IF I send an email to another person via the site then Julian adds a preface allowing for the sender to have his/8her/its knuckles rapped hard.
I had all the photos of the farm I owned on an outside file which has hd to be wiped in accordance with the act.
I have been hearing thirdhand about things which, prior to the Act would have come to me direct; unfortunately those involved didn't ask my permission to retain my data so it got wiped and no message was sent to me.
I think our legal eagles will agree that the Companies Act 1948 was a model of competent writing (OK there is just one clause in Table A which is a bit uncertain) so why in tarnation cannot Parliament write laws which are complete and unambiguous and allow for sensible actions?
I put it down to the dumbing down of education. We had policy where I worked of not employing graduates but educating people ourselves - that followed a graduate whom we found could not do basic maths - when we terminated his probation early he tried to sue us on the grounds that it is an employer's duty to educate employees.