May 22nd, 2014
1 minute read
This post has been a long time coming, mostly because I struggled to find the time to respond to the mySociety report in the depth that I’d have liked to. So, in lieu of something longer, I hope this will do. I think it is imperative that the spirit and the substance of mySociety’s recommendations are implemented in full. This is a huge opportunity to bring about lasting, meaningful change to the way that Parliament ...(Read More)
February 17th, 2013
1 minute read
Inspired by a post on facebook, I thought I’d respond to this image, which is doing the rounds: There are lots of reasons why it might be safe to eat something, but not to breathe it. These are all conjecture, but not fanciful: Some things are safe to ingest, but not safe to inhale. Airborne mould spores might be a good example. (Edit: A better example, suggested by David Edwards, is flour, eg, Bakers’ Asthma) ...(Read More)
February 12th, 2013
3 minute read
I've been wondering a lot recently about what one should tell children about the world.
November 14th, 2012
3 minute read
I believe that governments should try to enact policies which will produce the greatest good for the greatest number.
February 24th, 2012
1 minute read
This is admittedly a fairly minor example, but it genuinely irritates me. And it’s by no means the first letter from HMRC that’s done the same. Click for a bigger version. For the most part, I find that ensuring my business complies with all the Government’s requirements to file and pay things is a huge pain in the arse. I do most of it myself, I try to get it right and mostly succeed, and when ...(Read More)
February 1st, 2012
4 minute read
It’s fantastic to see the gov.uk beta go live. Over the last few months we’ve been fortunate to be able to work with GDS on a different project, and I’ve been given the odd sneaky peak at the beta as it’s been developing. It has been very exciting to watch it grow — it’s come a long way very quickly, which is a real credit to the (awesome) team. I think the site is great, ...(Read More)
January 31st, 2012
1 minute read
Photography, film and protest in Trafalgar Square and Parliament Square Gardens
December 19th, 2011
4 minute read
Since I started dxw a few years ago, surprisingly little has changed in the way that we contract with Government. Now that the Government Digital Service has thoroughly arrived on the scene, I thought it might be a good time to write something about how I think contracting for digital ought to work. Or perhaps more accurately, how it should smell. I’ve never worked as a civil servant, and I’m not a legal expert. The only ...(Read More)
December 8th, 2011
3 minute read
Museums are the guardians of our cultural heritage, not the owners of it.
November 29th, 2011
2 minute read
Ding, dong, the witch is dead?
November 23rd, 2011
1 minute read
Or: how lots of bits of our private lives are going to get sucked into the public domain whatever we might think about it, so if you can't beat 'em, join 'em
September 22nd, 2011
1 minute read
April 13th, 2011
2 minute read