newsletter

15
Jan
A conductor stands in the background, with three rows of string instruments in front of them.

Good conductors required

Towards the end of last year I delivered a presentation at Digital Scotland, the annual conference for public sector technology
6 min read
29
Dec
A range of different coloured cassette tapes.

Now that’s what I call a mixtape 2024

As I bimble through the spongy unformed days between Christmas and New Year, I’m coming to terms with the
1 min read
28
Oct
Image from the original Atlantic publication to accompany Vannevar Bush's 'As We May Think' article, showing a scientist with a camera strapped to their head.

Dead behind the eyeglasses

This post is sort of about augmented reality (AR). But the bigger point it’s grappling with is about who
7 min read
11
Oct
A cake with a number 1 candle on it

A year of writing frivilously

I published the first of these newsletters late last September. Little did I know that one year later I would
8 min read
12
Jul
Oxjam logo

History repeating

A lot of my writing tends to be about looking back – sometimes fondly, sometimes not so – on the way things
9 min read
14
Jun
An image from the original Pac-Man - the blue ghost

Old ghosts, irregular posts

Hello 👋 It’s been so long since I published anything that I got an automated email from my newsletter software
3 min read
09
Apr
Pet Shop Boys on stage

West End Girls, 40 years on

I thought about trying to find a technology angle to this post. Maybe a droll commentary on algorithmic music selections,
5 min read
05
Apr
Image with the words How Now Are You?

From whence did your scepticism come?

Hello 👋 Before I launch in, I briefly wanted to say 'greetings!' to my new subscribers, as there have
9 min read
07
Mar
A crocodile's mouth, with many teeth

Big is the enemy of good (part two)

In my last post I wrote about how applying for a job can be a complicated process. I picked an
9 min read
29
Feb
a dog looking at a computer

Big is the enemy of good (part one)

In this post – the first in a two-parter! – I'm expanding on observations I made previously when I wrote
8 min read