4 ms·

Seems like an odd time to do this, given the strict new law (http://www.engadget.com/2011/06/23/dutch-parliament-passes-strict-new-law-regulating-cookies-the ht

Seems like an odd time to do this, given the strict new law (http://www.engadget.com/2011/06/23/dutch-parliament-passes-strict-new-law-regulating-cookies-the http://www.engadget.com/2011/06/23/dutch-parliament-passes-s...) on cookies that the Dutch Parliament just passed.

redmar 15y ago
OTOH: the same article also states: "... the Dutch parliament made a bit of history by passing the first net neutrality legislation in the EU. ...". Also i've heard the cookie law isn't as strict as everybody thinks it is, but i'm still searching for a good source explicitly stating what the cookie law includes.
- TWAndrews 15y ago
  True enough. I can see how the cookie law has the intention of making the internet a better place for users, I just suspect that it's highly unlikely to do so, if what I understand about it is correct. My understanding is that it requires not only an affirmative acceptance from users of cookies, but requires that the site placing the cookie be able to prove that the user did, in fact, provide said acceptance.
rtuck 15y ago
Legally speaking, the larger problem is probably immigration law. The anti-foreigner sentiment here is driving a set of ever more annoying laws and processes. To digress a bit: For the non-EU crowd, the easiest way into the country is probably with a kennismigrant (knowledge worker) visa. This entitles you to a faster, easier process but there's a few problems: You must work for a company with (or willing to apply for) a special license to have a knowledge worker, you must make over a certain salary, and you're not allowed to do any other sort of work while living here (yes, that probably means your side startup). Supposedly, you can also set up your own business here and work for yourself directly but I've never met anyone who's successfully done it. I expect you'll probably need to hire a decent lawyer to help sort it out. Immigration aside, the Netherlands is a nice place to work and there's more to Amsterdam itself then pot and prostitutes. Something interesting is always going on and there's plenty of smart folks bouncing around. Personally, I hope this whole Appsterdam concept (mobile-centric name aside) turns into a huge hit.
- NonEUCitizen 15y ago
  The Kennismigrant visa is indeed an advantage and quick to get, but not an advantage over other EU countries for long. Most EU countries are about to start implementing the EU Blue Card visa (supposedly starting July). However, more important than ease of visa processing is that as a Kennismigrant, you can usually get the "30% rule" tax break -- first 30% of your income is tax-free, AND the first euro after the 30% is taxed at the lowest tax bracket (i.e. the other 70% is adjusted down in tax bracket). You don't even need to be non-EU to get the 30% rule -- e.g. if you're a Danish or German or Spaniard, and get recruited to the Netherlands specifically for "knowledge work," you can qualify for this tax break too. It's good for 10 years. If you're married, try to see if your spouse can also get a job with this tax break BEFORE you accept your job offer and move to NL. Make sure you don't go to university or grad school in NL tho, because you have to have been recruited to NL specifically as a highly skilled worker to qualify for this tax break. If you were already in NL for school, you tend to get disqualified for this 30% rule.
tarkin2 15y ago
That cookie law, for those just scanning the comments, is EU in origin. All member-states have to implement. Nothing's really being done about it, enforcement-wise, from what I can tell. The UK has just recently given all businesses an extra year to get their stuff together. The law, by the way, is only restrictive to analytics cookies, basically, if that analytics service is from a third-party. You have to get express permission from the user if cookies are being used to monitor their activities in ways that are not essential to the site i.e. you don't need to ask for permission if you're using cookies to implement an online shopping basket, as that's essential fairly essential to all online businesses. A blog monitoring user activity, however, would need to get express user permission.
- blahedo 15y ago
  EU in origin but Netherlands have added to it by requiring companies to be able to retain proof that every user had been asked for their permission. My understanding is that the base version, the EU-wide model, would require companies to show that yes, here's the code, before sending a cookie we request permission; but there's a higher level of proof required in NL.

redmar 15y ago

OTOH: the same article also states: "... the Dutch parliament made a bit of history by passing the first net neutrality legislation in the EU. ...". Also i've heard the cookie law isn't as strict as everybody thinks it is, but i'm still searching for a good source explicitly stating what the cookie law includes.

TWAndrews 15y ago
True enough. I can see how the cookie law has the intention of making the internet a better place for users, I just suspect that it's highly unlikely to do so, if what I understand about it is correct. My understanding is that it requires not only an affirmative acceptance from users of cookies, but requires that the site placing the cookie be able to prove that the user did, in fact, provide said acceptance.

rtuck 15y ago

Legally speaking, the larger problem is probably immigration law. The anti-foreigner sentiment here is driving a set of ever more annoying laws and processes. To digress a bit: For the non-EU crowd, the easiest way into the country is probably with a kennismigrant (knowledge worker) visa. This entitles you to a faster, easier process but there's a few problems: You must work for a company with (or willing to apply for) a special license to have a knowledge worker, you must make over a certain salary, and you're not allowed to do any other sort of work while living here (yes, that probably means your side startup). Supposedly, you can also set up your own business here and work for yourself directly but I've never met anyone who's successfully done it. I expect you'll probably need to hire a decent lawyer to help sort it out. Immigration aside, the Netherlands is a nice place to work and there's more to Amsterdam itself then pot and prostitutes. Something interesting is always going on and there's plenty of smart folks bouncing around. Personally, I hope this whole Appsterdam concept (mobile-centric name aside) turns into a huge hit.

NonEUCitizen 15y ago
The Kennismigrant visa is indeed an advantage and quick to get, but not an advantage over other EU countries for long. Most EU countries are about to start implementing the EU Blue Card visa (supposedly starting July). However, more important than ease of visa processing is that as a Kennismigrant, you can usually get the "30% rule" tax break -- first 30% of your income is tax-free, AND the first euro after the 30% is taxed at the lowest tax bracket (i.e. the other 70% is adjusted down in tax bracket). You don't even need to be non-EU to get the 30% rule -- e.g. if you're a Danish or German or Spaniard, and get recruited to the Netherlands specifically for "knowledge work," you can qualify for this tax break too. It's good for 10 years. If you're married, try to see if your spouse can also get a job with this tax break BEFORE you accept your job offer and move to NL. Make sure you don't go to university or grad school in NL tho, because you have to have been recruited to NL specifically as a highly skilled worker to qualify for this tax break. If you were already in NL for school, you tend to get disqualified for this 30% rule.

tarkin2 15y ago

That cookie law, for those just scanning the comments, is EU in origin. All member-states have to implement. Nothing's really being done about it, enforcement-wise, from what I can tell. The UK has just recently given all businesses an extra year to get their stuff together. The law, by the way, is only restrictive to analytics cookies, basically, if that analytics service is from a third-party. You have to get express permission from the user if cookies are being used to monitor their activities in ways that are not essential to the site i.e. you don't need to ask for permission if you're using cookies to implement an online shopping basket, as that's essential fairly essential to all online businesses. A blog monitoring user activity, however, would need to get express user permission.

blahedo 15y ago
EU in origin but Netherlands have added to it by requiring companies to be able to retain proof that every user had been asked for their permission. My understanding is that the base version, the EU-wide model, would require companies to show that yes, here's the code, before sending a cookie we request permission; but there's a higher level of proof required in NL.