Before You Ask For A Review - Please Read

[peterjhale]

Please tell us the following about your site before you ask for a review - this lets us know why you are asking and what your objectives are:

General
Is this site completed or under construction?

If completed:
How long has the site been up?

Optimisation
Do you have incoming links?
What keywords are you targeting?

Do you want your code reviewed for errors or improvements?

Marketing
Who is your target audience? Think about:
Gender
Nationality
Age Range
Income/Education level
Likes/Dislikes

Why is your site different from sites selling/offering similar info/goods/services? Why will someone want to do business you?


How important is usability?

What is the purpose of the site? (inform, sell, online community, support B&M business, contact info only, etc)

Design
Do you want design suggestions?

[Snorkerz]

Hello there, I have been taking a look at many of the sites on this forum and looking at them from a legal viewpoint. I am not a lawyer, but have been caught out by this one myself!

Seriously, in the UK, the 'Business Names Act 1985' states that you must show who owns the business (person or company) and a 'real' address where documents can be served.

This information is usually shown on an 'about-me' page on the website.

The acts refer to "places where you carry on your business and where you deal with customers" - you may think a website doesn't come into this category but they are regarded as such by the DTI.

[peterjhale]

good point - at least we comply

[Anthony Ravenscroft]

Snork, now that you've beaten that particular horse to unrecognisability, could you in future desist? Start a new thread, rather than attempt to police each & every potential infraction.

What I'd be more interested in seeing is what effects such laws have if, say, my website is hosted by a company with physical servers in Dublin.

In addition, note that I'm hardly the first non-Isles resident to visit these forums. Nation-specific info has limited travel. Though I sometimes cannot resist putting my oar in, I'm ages ancient on UK law & try to refrain from specifics in finance, taxes, or licensure, but I'm fairly well-informed as to areas of the United States & Canada.

[Snorkerz]

Thanks for your comment - and in many ways I agree with what you said. I did look at a few sites, responding AS REQUESTED, with feedback that was relevant to the sites in question. After about half a dozen I realised that this was a point that nearly EVERYONE was missing out on.

Now you're right, I could have posted the info in a fresh post, and if I'd done so, the post would be dead & buried within a fortnight and anyone setting up a website then would miss out on that information. It's not a technicality, it's a £2k fine if the DTI take you to court.

I was very wary of posting the info as a reply to this thread - indeed I wasn't even sure that my 'newbie' status would allow me to reply to a 'sticky', but it did and now the information is there in a post that EVERYONE who asks for opinions on their site SHOULD read before posting their request.

As I say in my post, I'm not a lawyer so I can't comment on US sites on Eire servers, though you're right it is an interesting thought.

Perhaps, with your knowledge of North American law you could let us know if there is equivalent legislation in the US & Canada about Business Names etc. I know US law can be fragmented - so if a customer in NY buys online from 'MomandPopsCandyStore.com' in LA, which states laws does the site have to operate under? I suspect it's a case of where the company is based - and in which case that may be the answer to your Dublin question.

[fisicx]

Snorkerz,

Visit nominet to find the registrants information or do a whois search. Either way you will get the information.

A website however is usually not a business, it is a portal that allows you access to the business. If you use the business names register you can get the registration details.

It is no different than a billboard or poster ad - you get the name of the company but that's about it.

If you have an ecommerce site it is usually an affiliate of the ecommerce software. That's who you are dealing with - the website is simply a portal.

[Snorkerz]

Originally Posted by fisicx

Snorkerz,

Visit nominet to find the registrants information or do a whois search. Either way you will get the information.

A website however is usually not a business, it is a portal that allows you access to the business. If you use the business names register you can get the registration details.

It is no different than a billboard or poster ad - you get the name of the company but that's about it.

If you have an ecommerce site it is usually an affiliate of the ecommerce software. That's who you are dealing with - the website is simply a portal.

Unfortunately, the Department of Trade and Industry would disagree with you.

I would disagree on your analogy to an advertising hoarding. The hoarding isn't an 'invitation to trade', the website is. It's like saying you can find a companys details by contacting Companies House - the point is, you shouldn't have to. The law is clear and it is for Consumer Protection. It's the same reason why you need to have the same details on your letterheads. Read the legislation and you'll see what I mean.