Parcels to USA

[mwinfrance]

quick note ( busy but may look in later..if the thread is still running ) for Chris152..you are missing nothing ..I went once to OT2 ..looked at a few threads..it's a cesspit back there*, 's why I don't like it when similar is / has been allowed to "intrude out here"..it appears that nowadays , the " no politics" rule is a bit better policed**, ( thanks mods ) fewer threads that are begun with ( unmelted butter in the poster's mouth ) the obvious intention of "attempting to "own" or "wind up" , those who may not have the same political opinions.


* absolutely no interest in looking in there again..never been back there since..nearly two years since I took that one look.

**If that keeps up..I might think about extending my sub , or donating.

 

[Spectric]

I have raised this with admin to see if we can get all the data in the one place, ie 'Terms and rules' in the link at the bottom in the footer rather than a sticky within a post.

 

[Spectric]

those who may not have the same political opinions.

And there lies the single biggest issue with any talk about the subject of politics, it is not the subject which is the problem but that people cannot accept or learn from other peoples views and opinions so go on the offensive and this is not conclusive to having a freindly woodworking forum where everyone feels equal and welcome.

 

[Agent_zed]

I have raised this with admin to see if we can get all the data in the one place, ie 'Terms and rules' in the link at the bottom in the footer rather than a sticky within a post.

Brilliant, thank you. I've no problem with whatever the rules are so long as I know what they are. To be honest I think my brain is too full of politics these days, the world seems to be insane at the moment. Getting on with some woodwork is probably for the best.

 

[Chris152]

Brilliant, thank you. I've no problem with whatever the rules are so long as I know what they are. To be honest I think my brain is too full of politics these days, the world seems to be insane at the moment. Getting on with some woodwork is probably for the best.

Yes, it does seem to have reached mind-boggling levels of insanity recently. There's a real tension between trying to keep informed about what's going on in the world, and maintaining an positive outlook. Maybe a workshop in a concrete/ lead-lined underground bunker.

 

[mwinfrance]

And there lies the single biggest issue with any talk about the subject of politics, it is not the subject which is the problem but that people cannot accept or learn from other peoples views and opinions so go on the offensive and this is not conclusive to having a freindly woodworking forum where everyone feels equal and welcome.

Exactly total agreement with you there Spectric..which is why I've never allowed it in anywhere that I've modded or admined or owned..and still don't allow it.
If it must be part of UKW ( weird , but not my decision ) it has to be well policed , no matter who the poster may be, the simplest way to do that is strictly banned anywhere but OT2. So those who don't want to see it snuck in to threads can avoid it, without having to avoid otherwise interesting threads.

 

[Chris152]

Things have been going along well enough over the years with the current rules. Sometimes a political/ economic thread is allowed to run and people manage to conduct discussion reasonably. Sometimes they don't and it gets sent to OT2 or closed down. It's clear some want to discuss such matters in the Off-Topic area, those that don't can avoid reading. We're mostly grown-ups, not too difficult.

 

[niemeyjt]

Back, sort of, to the topic in hand.

The DT reports the EU may follow suit - so will the UK follow?

The European Union will scrap a tax-free exemption on cheap imports from China to prevent online retailers such as Temu and Shein from flooding the market.

Brussels claimed that 96 per cent of goods sold on similar e-commerce platforms do not comply with the bloc’s safety standards and pose a risk to over 450 million people who live in the single market.

On Wednesday, the EU Commission announced it would seek to end an EU law that gives parcels worth less than €150 (£125) duty-free status.

source: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-n...s-temu-and-shein-new-tax-cheap-chinese-goods/

 

[mwinfrance]

It's clear some want to discuss such matters in the Off-Topic area, those that don't can avoid reading. We're mostly grown-ups, not too difficult.

Ah, but as you are aware ( you alluded to it in that post ), there are two "off - topic" areas..Some very interesting discussions in what I'd term "public off-topic" or "OT1" ..get ( I often feel that is is done deliberately so as to "own" or "wind up" those who may not have the same political opinions ) comments snuck in which are definitely OT2 material.You can be involved in ( ie posting in ) or reading a comment in OT1 , when the OT2 stuff gets posted. Like eating a lettuce and finding a slug, or worse , half a slug. even has happened in threads that were not even in OT1, just in "normal threads" ( sharpening threads being an exception, nothing "normal" about them, or if they start "normal" it doesn't last ).When a "normal area thread" gets shut down, or moved , or an OT1 thread gets moved to OT2, any non subscriber hits the "paywall".It is also very irritating ( maybe that is the point of those who do it, to irritate others ) to keep finding "verbal slugs" injected into what were up until then interesting discussions and threads.Especially when OT2 was set up specifically for that verbal "slugfest".
Some people do seem find it to difficult to respect the rules..or do it deliberately..throw in the "verbal slugs" into the normal threads and the OT1 threads to make others have to avoid reading.

So many craft type forums have gone that way over the years, loads of them have gone, closed , as a descent ( however gradual ) into a "verbal slug cesspool echo chamber" drives people away..the enshitification .

 

[Chris152]

It's clear some want to discuss such matters in the Off-Topic area, those that don't can avoid reading. We're mostly grown-ups, not too difficult.

Ah, but as you are aware ( you alluded to it in that post ), there are two "off - topic" areas..Some very interesting discussions in what I'd term "public off-topic" or "OT1" ..get ( I often feel that is is done deliberately so as to "own" or "wind up" those who may not have the same political opinions ) comments snuck in which are definatly OT2 material.You can be involved in ( ie posting in ) or reading a comment in OT1 , when the OT2 stuff gets posted. Like eating a lettuce and finding a slug, or worse , half a slug. even has happened in threads that were not even in OT1, just in "normal threads" ( sharpening threads being an exception, nothing "normal" about them, or if they start "normal" it doesn't last ).When a "normal area thread" gets shut down, or moved , or an OT1 thread gets moved to OT2, any non subscriber hits the "paywall".It is also very irritating ( maybe that is the point of those who do it, to irritate others ) to keep finding "verbal slugs" injected into what were up until then interesting discussions and threads.Especially when OT2 was set up specifically for that verbal "slugfest".
Some people do seem find it to difficult to respect the rules..or do it deliberately..throw in the "verbal slugs" into the normal threads and the OT1 threads to make others have to avoid reading.

So many craft type forums have gone that way over the years, lods have gone a

Did you loose track of what you were writing, too?

 

[mwinfrance]

Temu and Shein are the fashionistas equivalent of Fentanyl ..burn them, burn them with fire.

Did'nt lose track ;-) ..there is a particular key combination that I sometimes inadvertently hit on this french keyboard which posts while I'm still typing..a right embuggeration it is.In a similar way , if I want to use the quote tags here , I have to remember to type my reply and then go back up inside the post box , copy the text that I want to quote, and then post it above my already typed reply, then apply the quote tags..Happens on the Graun too.That's why I'm quoting you below me.I tried deleting the quote area..it persists even through page refreshes...an embuggeration.

Did you loose track of what you were writing, too?

 

[Richard_C]

Back, sort of, to the topic in hand.

The DT reports the EU may follow suit - so will the UK follow?

The European Union will scrap a tax-free exemption on cheap imports from China to prevent online retailers such as Temu and Shein from flooding the market.

Brussels claimed that 96 per cent of goods sold on similar e-commerce platforms do not comply with the bloc’s safety standards and pose a risk to over 450 million people who live in the single market.

On Wednesday, the EU Commission announced it would seek to end an EU law that gives parcels worth less than €150 (£125) duty-free status.

source: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-n...s-temu-and-shein-new-tax-cheap-chinese-goods/

And herein lies a potential problem.

The UK is not in the EU, both the EU and the UK will find it very difficult to diffentiate between non domestic sources (local origin rules etc) so both will need simple regulations which are most likley to be based on a binary "in or not in" rule.

If the "low value, duty = free" law is changed and the UK mirrors the EU it will cost consumers in both areas both money and inconvenience. It's not the duty per se, its the administration costs to calculate and collect that duty. Plus of course the shipper's profit margin. Your low value parcel of machine spares from (say) Germany to the UK will come more slowly and cost £20 in fees even if the value is only £10 and the duty is only £1.50.

Protecting local producers may be a legitimate objective, but it's coming 50 years too late. Many are no more, and we depend on global trade to get what we want/need. Reguation to stop or limit Shein and Temu will affect us all.

The US has thrown a pebble into the pool, the ripples will reach us all.

 

[Sideways]

To my eyes at least, there has been a really noticeable increase in the amount of political content in the forum over the last couple of years. UK election, USA election, Ukraine, Gaza, etc. Members are injecting political opinion into many threads where it doesn't belong and the threads that are allowed in the interests / hope of an enlightening discussion seem almost always to go downhill.
This is a woodworking / workshop forum, not a politics forum.
It was a conscious decision to police "political" or potentially controversial threads more decisively and try to keep this content in OT2 per the forum rules.
Please realise that your mods don't live on here 24/7 - we have lives - so if you see posts that are out of order, inappropriate, etc use the REPORT button which will draw our attention to them when we are logged on. We don't want to be killjoys but the point of moderation is to ensure the majority of members here have a civilised experience.
Cheers