Need help finding what's not allowed!

Hi, sorry for this, but I read an important topic (sticky?) a while ago about all the ways people are not allowed to work in the UK without a work visa, and I cannot find it now. Can someone please help?

My days of not being allowed to work here are long behind me, so this is moot, but I remember thinking a lot of things on the "not allowed" list would have surprised me had I known about them at the time--and I thought I had long experience of immigration and dealing with it, so I have some sympathy for folks who are ignorant of the rules. In particular, I wonder about the situation (sorry if this was on another thread) of a novelist who was working on her book while in the UK on a "no work allowed" visa. I am a writer myself, and it's difficult to think of a time in my life when I haven't been writing, whether on vacation or any other time. It would be next to impossible to demonstrate (even to myself) which words I wrote at which times, that ended up in something published for pay.

Well, I finally found  the thread I was looking for--it's Advisory: working on the internet in the Visa section.

I guess the anecdote about a writer working over here must have been on another forum, though I'd welcome anyone's thoughts on the subject.

My thoughts:

If the writer was under a contract for a book, I would say it was breaking the immigration rules.  For example, Random House approves your idea for a book, it's due in 6 months, and you are writing the book while in the UK on a tourist visa.

However, if the author was writing the book with no contract for publishing, I would think the intention would be different.  The book would really only be a hobby until an offer is made to publish the book.

Thanks, KFdancer.

Fortunately I have never been in this position, but I felt really naïve reading all the information about how ‘obviously’ all kinds of freelance activities were banned on a non-work visa as well as volunteering. I had a friend who was actually denied entry based on her plans to freelance for her client back home; she explained this plan up front to the IO and that’s why she was denied. I felt bad because, had I been a member of this forum and better informed earlier, I could have warned her that this would not work, but it never occurred to me either! And I thought we were bright people with years and years of experience applying for visas, etc.

How would they know you were working for someone in the US if your salary was deposited in a US bank?

The UK needs to change its rules on volunteer work.  Think of all the volunteers they could get from bored expats. 

How would they know you were working for someone in the US if your salary was deposited in a US bank?

Chances are they wouldn't know, but if you're caught withholding info from the UKBA, it could be serious trouble.

The UK needs to change its rules on volunteer work.  Think of all the volunteers they could get from bored expats. 

I do think it's frustrating being on a visitor visa and not being able to even volunteer, but the UKBA considers it work as people (who are legally able to work in the UK) use it to make them more employable.