Hotel and training centre, Melksham, Wiltshire
High quality accommodation for course delegates, business travellers and the leisure visitor too.

Home Accessibility Bedrooms Book Here The Mouth Facebook Resources Find Us About Us Contact
 
For 2023 (and 2024 ...) - we are now fully retired from IT training.
We have made many, many friends over 25 years of teaching about Python, Tcl, Perl, PHP, Lua, Java, C and C++ - and MySQL, Linux and Solaris/SunOS too. Our training notes are now very much out of date, but due to upward compatability most of our examples remain operational and even relevant ad you are welcome to make us if them "as seen" and at your own risk.

Lisa and I (Graham) now live in what was our training centre in Melksham - happy to meet with former delegates here - but do check ahead before coming round. We are far from inactive - rather, enjoying the times that we are retired but still healthy enough in mind and body to be active!

I am also active in many other area and still look after a lot of web sites - you can find an index ((here))
PC Plod - alive and scaremongering in Wiltshire?

I have been forwared a message from a Sarah Young (Police, PC - Cyber crime prevention officer, Wiltshire Police)

"PLEASE READ THIS IF YOU STAY IN HOTELS AND ARE GIVEN A CARD FOR ACCESS TO YOUR ROOM" she shouts

She carries on "This is a really useful information for anyone who goes on holiday where the hotel uses key cards. Always take a small fridge magnet on your holiday, they come in handy at the end of it. Never even thought about key cards containing anything other than an access code for the room ? Ever wonder what is on your magnetic Hotel room key card?"

And she goes on to answer the question:

"Answer:
a. Customer's name
b. Customer's partial home address
c. Hotel room number
d. Check-in date and out dates
e. Customer's credit card number and expiration date!"


Problem is - she has it wrong!

We run a hotel. We use keycards for the rooms. Yes - they include the room number that they key card is to give access to, and the start and end time and date, which will indeed usually be the check in and check out date. But they do NOT include the customer's name. They do not include any of the customer's home address. And they certainly don't include any credit card details such as numbers or expiration dates - who on earth told you that they did, Sarah - you have been taken in!

In a large hotel, where cards are used in the restaurant or bar, there is some merit in encoding the guest's name as it would allow staff who don't know him/her to address him by name. And I can see a use in a big place for including the guest's native tongue so that the maitre d'hotel can address the guest in English, German, Afrikaans or Ghodoberi. But to add addresses and credit card details would be crazy - why on earth would we want to - it would be extra work, it would open a big security hole, and it would gain us absolutely nothing except trouble from our merchant credit card company, who rightly supply advise and rules for our security and our customer's security under which we operate.

So what's my message ...

To our customers - your security is far better with timed keycards than with traditional metal keys which a previous guest could have got copied at the local locksmith

To our police force - why on earth are you scaring the public, and making life difficult for legitimate local hotel businessess, by spreading false stories?




I was going to contact PC Young via the web page on the email - but clicking on the link brought up a form with the following message: "Please enter your reply to the Alert you have received below. Please note: the message sender is already aware of your name and contact details so you do not need to repeat them here ..." and it strikes me that Sarah's message must contain exactly the sort of data that she's telling us to be so careful of on hotel key cards. Of course, if the police do what they're warning us against, it's all right, right? No - it's wrong and its hypocrasy of the highest order!

Screen shot of original message - [here]




Update - 5th January 2016. Last night, I invited the Wilts Police to comment on this article and on their allegations of a security risk in these cards. No response as yet, but the following has appeared I'm my Facebook feed, where I am tracking the matter.



I would have thought that a trained officer in the CyderCrime unit would have made a few checks before publishing a warning ... it was certainly easy for us amateur to find posts confining that this is an old urban myth that's been around for years. Rather confirms, with regret, my "can't trust the police" view.

I note "The matter will be investigated". I wonder if the results of this investigation will be made public, or if that's just a throw-away line to help in a cover up of what looks like a bungled, knee-jerk message from someone who should have know better.
(written 2016-01-04, updated 2016-01-05)

 
Associated topics are indexed as below, or enter http://melksh.am/nnnn for individual articles
Z300 - Politics and Religion
  [216] Cheap purchase - votes paid for with selfish promises - (2005-02-15)
  [257] Politics gets nasty. Must be an election coming up. - (2005-03-25)
  [280] Spotted - the local MP - (2005-04-15)
  [289] MP for Devizes, Wiltshire - (2005-04-23)
  [301] General Election day, UK - (2005-05-05)
  [313] Making bona fide international marriages more difficult - (2005-05-16)
  [326] UK Tax payment totals and where the money is spent - (2005-05-27)
  [335] Sad priorities - (2005-06-03)
  [377] A Strengthened City - (2005-07-14)
  [384] Managing conflict and disappointment - (2005-07-20)
  [415] Campaign Drift and efficiency. - (2005-08-15)
  [469] Yesterday was Kiss and Ride - (2005-10-19)
  [505] Would you steal ... petrol? ... a training course? - (2005-11-26)
  [539] rich and famous - (2005-12-23)
  [602] MP face to face - (2006-02-12)
  [607] On being British - (2006-02-14)
  [671] Both ends of the animal - (2006-04-05)
  [674] Wiltshire to get an extra MP - (2006-04-07)
  [682] Iran has enriched uranium ... - (2006-04-12)
  [696] Is than an uphill or downhill task? - (2006-04-23)
  [750] Almost everyone loses - (2006-06-07)
  [780] Separation and Integration - (2006-06-27)
  [875] Wilfred Emmanuel-Jones - (2006-09-22)
  [967] Realistic on line shoot'em up - (2006-12-05)
  [1003] Room at the Inn, Guy at the station - (2006-12-21)
  [1060] What a relief from the tax office. - (2007-02-01)
  [1109] False imprisonment - a contrast from the news - (2007-03-15)
  [1135] Government pressure on me to shut up after I make the papers - (2007-04-05)
  [1175] Local elections - choosing who to vote for - (2007-05-03)
  [1247] An afternoon at a public enquiry - (2007-06-27)
  [1260] An inspirational business talk from one of our prospective MPs - (2007-07-06)
  [1350] FSB (Federation of Small Businesses) Western Region - (2007-09-13)
  [1386] New software product for warmblooded programmers - (2007-10-10)
  [1428] Travel Across Wiltshire - the game - (2007-11-11)
  [1526] Carers at work - court case changes - (2008-02-01)
  [1573] Budget tax increases hit vehicle market - (2008-03-14)
  [1579] Rome, and the faith of Rome - (2008-03-17)
  [1729] Back from the future - (2008-07-30)
  [1769] July child ponders on August children - (2008-08-23)
  [1872] Barack Obama wins US Predidency - (2008-11-05)
  [1881] Wiltshire Council says - part 1 - (2008-11-13)
  [1882] Wiltshire Council says - part 2 - (2008-11-14)
  [1987] One Cheer for Local Democracy - Asda in Melksham - (2009-01-11)
  [2012] The Wiltshire Police - (2009-01-29)
  [2028] Things people say on the phone - (2009-02-06)
  [2075] Supporting Parkinsons and Trains - (2009-03-11)
  [2178] Melksham Candidates for Wiltshire Unitary Election - (2009-05-12)
  [2206] Spot the odd one out - (2009-05-29)
  [2257] Ramblings on church and state linkage in Melksham - (2009-06-25)
  [2270] Wiltshire - a chance to improve life for everybody - (2009-07-05)
  [2279] Understanding the new local government structure in Wiltshire - (2009-07-11)
  [2288] Wiltshire Community Area Partnerships - (2009-07-15)
  [2353] All change - Wiltshire Parliamentary - (2009-08-13)
  [2640] How is your tax pound spent? - (2010-02-18)
  [2689] Can my dog eat potatoes? Doggie Dietary Research, and political sleaze! - (2010-03-23)
  [2712] A more informed decision than ever before - (2010-04-08)
  [2740] Melksham Hustings at George Ward School - (2010-04-26)
  [2752] Voting day - UK General Election - (2010-05-06)
  [2757] Bodicea, Lincoln, and our new MP - (2010-05-09)
  [2792] Should Government compete with private industry? - (2010-06-03)
  [2824] A pint of Black Rat, and a lazy barman - (2010-06-25)
  [2856] Two sides of the coin - (2010-07-06)
  [2864] Changing with weather and seasons - (2010-07-10)
  [2870] Old prices - what would the equivalent price have been in 1966? - (2010-07-14)
  [2948] Melksham shamefully makes the national headlines - (2010-09-07)
  [2971] Should the public sector compete with businesses? and other deep questions - (2010-09-26)
  [3051] Positively reforming the system - could it be done? - (2010-11-14)
  [3264] Alternative Vote (AV) - explaining and an example - (2011-04-25)
  [3313] What does our MP do on a Bank Holiday? - (2011-05-30)
  [3323] Is Melksham town centre dying? - (2011-06-11)
  [3325] The Olympic Torch, and Melksham House - (2011-06-14)
  [3438] Melksham to become a part of Trowbridge? - (2011-09-13)
  [3592] Are we one man, one vote? No, and we never have been. - (2012-01-26)
  [3676] Rising prices, changing habits and society - (2012-03-31)
  [3806] 2011 Census results - initial figures for Wiltshire. - (2012-07-17)
  [3845] Good cause giving - getting the charity beggars off the street - (2012-08-21)
  [3905] How should we choose our Wiltshire Police and Crime Commissioner? - (2012-10-27)
  [3921] On rememberance, on war, and on preventing the war cycle - (2012-11-11)
  [4079] Melksham Area - Unitary Council results, May 2013 - (2013-05-04)
  [4223] Democracy - alive and well with the beauty pagent starting up again - (2013-12-16)
  [4275] Eurpoean Elections, and other elections ahead. Some thoughts on campaigns and policies - (2014-05-08)
  [4286] Reaction in Radstock to new First bus prices - (2014-07-12)
  [4343] Politics and the railway the connects Wiltshire - (2014-12-06)
  [4354] Wiltshire Police - assuming someone is guilty just on the say-so of a member of the public? - (2014-12-16)
  [4476] Upcoming election - Chippenham Constituency - the major candidates compared - (2015-04-29)
  [4485] Misusing statistics? - the seedy side of election campaigning - (2015-05-04)
  [4489] Election results - what if we had a party list system? - (2015-05-08)
  [4548] Melksham - two small townships, or one big one? - (2015-10-22)
  [4597] Not standing as your local councillor - (2015-12-18)
  [4625] Where does Wiltshire bus subsidy money come from? - (2016-01-19)
  [4720] Celebrating our diversity rather than discriminating for it - (2016-11-02)
  [4725] Writing Python 2 such that Python 3 is easy - (2016-11-06)
  [4729] The oldest part of Los Angeles - (2016-11-23)
  [4734] Thoughts on the new Blackmore Ward of Melksham Without Parish - (2017-02-22)
  [4735] Revisiting - should I stand for Melksham Without Parish Council in May? - (2017-02-24)

M152 - Well House Manor - Hotel Facilities
  [1328] Oliver says .... - (2007-09-01)
  [2076] A New Advert for Well House Manor - (2009-03-11)
  [2216] Past Delegate Offer - Summer Holiday / Weekend Break - (2009-06-03)
  [2303] Turning potential customers away - (2009-07-24)
  [2424] A Winter Weekend Special at Well House Manor - (2009-09-26)
  [2490] Friendly Hotel in Melksham, near Bath - (2009-11-02)
  [2559] Moving the product forward - ours, and MySQL, Perl, PHP and Python too - (2010-01-01)
  [2847] Local information for Melksham Hotel Guests - (2010-07-02)
  [3212] Well House Manor - a home from home for the business and leisure guest in Melksham - (2011-03-26)
  [3296] Dog, hotel, Melksham, Wiltshire? - (2011-05-21)
  [3308] Behind the scenes - setting up a cafe - (2011-05-29)
  [3373] Another busy Week at Well House Manor ... pictures from the midweek - (2011-07-29)
  [3437] Light bulbs - (2011-09-13)
  [3549] Well House Manor - perhaps the best hotel rooms in Melksham - (2011-12-10)
  [3552] Melksham Training Centre and Hotel internet speed - how does it compare? - (2011-12-14)
  [3831] Our Melksham Hotel is not quiet - but we are waiting to give you a quiet welcome. Big difference! - (2012-08-09)
  [3863] Five new fans at Well House Manor - (2012-09-17)
  [3865] What makes Well House Manor different? - (2012-09-18)
  [3924] The bedrooms at Well House Manor - (2012-11-16)
  [4019] Coffee Shop in Melksham - (2013-02-24)
  [4026] The coffee of the Stars comes to Melksham - (2013-03-04)
  [4521] Should we get an AA or Visit Wiltshire hotel assessment? - (2015-10-09)
  [4582] A near-empty plate of pastries - sign of a breakfast enjoyed - (2015-11-22)
  [4644] In your room at Well House Manor, Melksham, Wiltshire - (2016-02-08)

M101 - Well House Manor - Business Accommodation in Melksham
  [717] A customer service company - (2006-05-11)
  [721] Residential - (2006-05-15)
  [731] Hotel Technology Requirements - (2006-05-24)
  [844] Hotel, Melksham, Wiltshire - (2006-08-24)
  [857] Strikingly busy - (2006-09-06)
  [873] Hotel Exchange Rates - (2006-09-21)
  [889] Opening approaches! - (2006-10-08)
  [902] Brand new hotel and training centre, Melksham - (2006-10-22)
  [926] Training rooms to learn Open Source programming - (2006-11-15)
  [963] George Hotel and Well House Manor, Melksham - (2006-12-04)
  [1011] Well House Manor and Beechfield House, Hotels, Melksham - (2006-12-29)
  [1059] Three sets of twins - (2007-01-31)
  [1079] Wilts and Berks - two conference / training rooms in Melksham - (2007-02-14)
  [1089] Playing old games - (2007-02-22)
  [1164] Grand Central Station - (2007-04-27)
  [1318] Well House Manor - feature comparison against the old place! - (2007-08-24)
  [1520] Terms and Conditions - Hotel, England - plain English - (2008-01-26)
  [1676] A warm welcome for visitors from the USA - (2008-06-14)
  [1701] Training Course and Business Conference Technology - (2008-07-07)
  [1748] Hotel room prices - Melksham, Wiltshire - (2008-08-11)
  [1808] We love children ... but our hotel is not going to be their scene - (2008-09-24)
  [1824] Which is your best hotel room? - (2008-10-07)
  [1907] Melksham Hotel Rates - (2008-11-25)
  [1929] 2009 - Hotel, Meeting, Training Course prices - (2008-12-07)
  [2024] Carry on Training - in spite of the weather - (2009-02-03)
  [2558] Happy new decade - and course and hotel prices for 2010 - (2010-01-01)
  [2581] Snow scenes - and how snow effected our business - (2010-01-16)
  [2821] Chancellor George Osborne inspires Perl Program - (2010-06-22)
  [2925] Well House - the pictures - (2010-08-16)
  [2984] Customer Review - Hotel Room, Melksham - (2010-10-03)
  [3107] Hotel and Training Course prices - the effect of the VAT rise on 4th January 2011 - (2010-12-26)
  [3405] Where do businessmen stay in Melksham? - (2011-08-25)
  [3969] Four in a Bed comes to Melksham tonight - (2013-01-09)
  [4005] New guest ... becoming returning guest - (2013-02-15)
  [4137] Early morning - welcoming business and leisure guests to Melksham - (2013-07-10)
  [4570] A warm welcome awaits you at Well House Manor, Melksham - (2015-11-02)
  [4603] Happy New Year. Our customers are our ambassadors - (2016-01-01)


Back to
Our best hotel customers help us ... to help them ... be our best customers.
Previous and next
or
Horse's mouth home
Forward to
Questions for First (West of England)
Some other Articles
Pytest - second example beyond hello world
Pytest - starting example
Still teaching Tcl in 2016?
Questions for First (West of England)
PC Plod - alive and scaremongering in Wiltshire?
Our best hotel customers help us ... to help them ... be our best customers.
TransWilts - robust these days - no longer the first service to be cancelled
Hungarian, Camel, Snake and Kebab - variable naming conventions
Sorting by key or by comparator - Perl 6
Mapping an array / list without a loop - how to do it in Perl 6
4759 posts, page by page
Link to page ... 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79, 80, 81, 82, 83, 84, 85, 86, 87, 88, 89, 90, 91, 92, 93, 94, 95, 96 at 50 posts per page


This is a page archived from The Horse's Mouth at http://www.wellho.net/horse/ - the diary and writings of Graham Ellis. Every attempt was made to provide current information at the time the page was written, but things do move forward in our business - new software releases, price changes, new techniques. Please check back via our main site for current courses, prices, versions, etc - any mention of a price in "The Horse's Mouth" cannot be taken as an offer to supply at that price.

Link to Ezine home page (for reading).
Link to Blogging home page (to add comments).

You can Add a comment or ranking to this page
Hello. I'm Graham Ellis. If you have a question about the hotel, please ask me or

 

then book here

© WELL HOUSE CONSULTANTS LTD., 2024: 48 Spa Road • Melksham, Wiltshire • United Kingdom • SN12 7NY
PH: 01144 1225 708225 • EMAIL: info@wellho.net • WEB: http://www.wellho.net • SKYPE: wellho

PAGE: http://www.wellho.net/mouth/4614_PC- ... hire-.html • PAGE BUILT: Sun Oct 11 16:07:41 2020 • BUILD SYSTEM: JelliaJamb