Happy Petrov Day to those who celebrate. On September 26, 1983, Stanislav Petrov made the correct decision to not trust a computer. I've attached a short clip from a reenactment of the situation in the documentary The Man Who Saved the World. 1/11

FUN SURPRISE! I'm doing a Presenting w/Confidence workshop tomorrow and Friday morning and I just added ONE extra “wrong side of money” ticket. $50 CHEAP. For anyone who needs it. Interviewing for jobs? This workshop helps. www.eventbrite.com/e/presenting...

this is very good www.gov.uk/service-manu...

I've just published a report sharing the findings from a survey into the prevalence and effectiveness of different organising structures for content teams. (Thanks if you took part!) lapope.com/2025/09/22/u...

Looks like Tom Holland

Ruining my reputation for being a miserable get

@sentimentbot.bsky.social Go on, do me.

This week has been a long year. But you know what to do. 😍

what are some of the most useful open datasets and apis? Please repost for reach!

Here you go, enjoy the back catalogue: www.prospectmagazine.co.uk/ideas/law/th...

www.peoplesfundraising.com/fundraising/... Help Great Britain's Deaf Women's football team reach the Deaflympics! They don't receive government funding so although they have qualified, they rely on donations to fund their travel to Japan in November. They are currently £50k short. Please share!

A wee reminder that I am looking for my next client. I’m a design systems and content design consultant, specialising in design systems management, documentation, general content design, and consultancy. I’ve worked with the BBC, GOV.UK, Springer Nature, NHS, The Wellcome Trust, BT and more 1/2

The bank app is telling me to "tap & pay like a boss😏" and "rally my crew". I am 37 years old and you are the bank. Don't talk to me this way.

I'm giving away the last few copies of my book, from the early print runs in 2021/22. Email me if you'd like one! Details here: gilest.org/notes/free-b...

I have found my spirit animal

This is the age of doing or saying stupid shit for attention

Are we still giving candidates the "rewrite this source material" task during content design interviews? This has been a red flag for a long time. Even more so in 2025.

I'm also running a survey on organising structures - I'd be so grateful if you could take a few minutes to complete it )if you're part of an in-house content team) docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F...

Are you a researcher who could do with £8k to engage the public about your research working with a gallery, museum, library or archive? We’ll shortly be opening a call so I just wanted to give you a heads up this is coming www.thebritishacademy.ac.uk/funding/shap...

Many struggle with writing alt text for charts and other other data visualizations. Amy Cesal's "Writing Alt Text for Data Visualization" hammers home the importance of explaining the chart type, the type of data, and the reason for the chart. medium.com/nightingale/...

Friends! I’m going to be looking for new clients from 1 October. If you know of any projects or teams that need (outside IR35) contract support with any of the following, please get in touch: - Content Design - Content Strategy - Design systems management - Design systems strategy - Documentation

Summer price drop on my courses. Sale ends 1 October. #ContentDesignPathway How to frame your content around user needs and customer journeys. #UserCentredDesignPathway Explore 20 user research methods, learn terminology and roles, recognise bias. Currently £40 each. #Digital #ContentDesign #UCD

When writing alt text, ask yourself if you would picture an approximation of the image if it was described to you over the phone using the alt text you've written. Doing that exercise can be a good way to determine if you're on the right track.

"Ask not what your country can do for flu..."

I need a few volunteers. People who have been through an assessment for ADHD. It is to complete a google form about your experience and give feedback. Any takers? TIA

RIP Allan Ahlberg. Cops and robbers is the first book I remember reading.

Hi folks, I’m no longer in the day-rate-contracting game myself so can anyone who is tell me the going rate for a senior user researcher outside IR35, UK, remote? Genuinely asking for a friend.

Em dashes are an Americanism and have no place in British English. Discuss.

Spent a lot of time listening to Ozzy. Sad to see him go. Seems like he was hanging on for that farewell in Brum.

In presentations, talk at a moderate pace and enunciate. Pause between phrases, sentences, and questions so people can read the captions and respond. Have speakers take turns and state their name before speaking. This helps everyone, including people captioning in real time.

Government is seeking people to join a Responsible AI Advisory Panel to advise the Government Digital Service. Given we have such bodies come and go in the past (remember the CDEI?) and this is only a one year term you will want to weigh up how influential it will be www.gov.uk/government/n...

Many struggle with writing alt text for charts and other other data visualizations. Amy Cesal's "Writing Alt Text for Data Visualization" hammers home the importance of explaining the chart type, the type of data, and the reason for the chart. medium.com/nightingale/...

I'm seeing a different version of the WeTransfer terms and conditions statement. Anyone else?

Bye forever, WeTransfer.

WeTransfer just changed their TOS giving themselves permission to train AI on any content you transfer and produce derivative works based on content you transfer that they are allowed to monetize and you are not allowed payment for. Stop using WeTransfer.

This is the behaviour of a villain

So many circumstances to use this one.

A good 70% of the fighting over AI would have been avoided if VC hucksters (and gullible access journalists) hadn't conflated incrementally useful automation with computational sentience to make money

I hate getting presents. Admittedly I'm a hard person to buy for but that's because I just don't want more things.

We call it “legacy software” because “unmaintained software” is too close to home

I will leaving my role at NHS England soon. I’ll have time and space again so if you want a catch up hit me up. I’ve neglected that in the last few months dealing with The Work. And if you need some paid help and my skills could assist, hit me up too. (Lots of other stuff going on too 😆)

We've turned GenAI into the ultimate binary debate. While we're shouting about extremes. The real work— thoughtful implementation, actual user impact— gets drowned out. My latest essay explores why binary thinking is dangerous and offers a way. sensemakers.xyz/the-battle-o...

Thanks for the reminder @janemunday.bsky.social. Every summer, I repost this article DROWNING DOES NOT LOOK LIKE DROWNING. To date, I know of FOUR kids who were saved after someone who'd clicked on the link learnt how to spot actual drowning. Take time to read and pass on. slate.com/technology/2...

I was looking at some English placenames recently and thought they all sounded made up, and thought it would be fun to make a thing that makes up English place names — so that's exactly what I did. Introducing: A place in England places.projects.alextorrance.co.uk

The #NoMouse Challenge is a global effort to raise awareness about accessible web design. Try using your website without a mouse. Use the keyboard instead. Is it possible to access all features and operate all buttons, sliders, and other controls? nomouse.org

The mystery Open AI thing is going to be a small black cube. The only way to interact with it is to talk to it. It syncs with other Bluetooth and internet connected devices to receive information and issue commands.

@adrianedmondson.bsky.social Berserker is a staggeringly good audiobook. So good I listened to it all on one go. Brilliantly written and wonderfully performed. Thanks for doing it.

Web pages, emails, documents, social media posts - it's all content and it all needs to be accessible! Learn the skills you need in 2 hours from one of the UK's leading experts, Jack Garfinkel. Accessible Content Fundamentals on Thursday 26 June, 2-4pm (BST) Find out more: buff.ly/KFTPxYp

What you measure is not what you value. It's what you lie about.